Debittering and nutritional upgrading of enzymic casein hydrolysates

Commercially‐available proteolytic enzymes were used to prepare casein hydrolysates. Treatment of the hydrolysates with activated carbon resulted in the elimination of the bitter taste which developed during the course of hydrolysis. However, the debittering step was accompanied by a selective loss of tryptophan (63%), phenylalanine (36%) and arginine (30%). Consequently, the activated‐carbon‐treated hydrolysates exhibited poor nutritional quality in rat feeding studies. Supplementation of the treated hydrolysates with the proper amounts of tryptophan and phenylalanine greatly improved their nutritional quality. A simulated milk formula based on a partially debittered hydrolysate, resulted in a product of reasonably good nutritive value. The study demonstrates that an optimum balance between debittering by activated carbon and supplementation with tryptophan and phenylalanine is feasible. This will permit the production of casein hydrolysates of acceptable taste and of high nutritive quality.