Impact of thermal processing and acidifying in the sheep cheese whey proteins and use of stabilizers to minimize protein precipitation

• Grant number: 22/09760-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2022
• End date: September 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Alline Artigiani Lima Tribst
• Grantee: Cesar Melo Martins Filho
• Host Institution: Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas em Alimentação (NEPA). Reitoria. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The production of artisanal cheeses has been growing in the last decade due to the trend towards the consumption of short-chain products, mainly those produced by small and medium-sized companies. There was also an increase in the demand for non-bovine dairy products, as they are less allergenic and have other beneficial health characteristics. In cheese production, whey is the liquid part extracted after the coagulation process that can be used for the production of whey cheeses and drinks, in addition to other possible applications. On the other hand, sheep cheese whey is mainly destined for animal feed or discarded, reducing the income of producers and may cause environmental problems, even on a small scale. The production of whey drink can be an interesting option for using whey, however, the low physical stability of proteins to heating and acidification are obstacles to the development of this product. Thus, this project aims to determine the kinetic parameters involved in the destabilization of whey proteins by heating and acidification processes and to test the impact of different stabilizers (salts, commercial thickeners, and inulin) on the stability of whey, allowing its use for drinks production. The knowledge generated in this project will be transferred to cheese producers to solve, at least partially, the problem of using whey and its disposal.