Changes in Size and Composition of Protein Aggregates on Heating Reconstituted Concentrated Skim Milk at 120 o C

Treatment at 120 o C caused initial transfer of protein from the serum and small micelle fraction to the medium‐sized micelle fraction. More extensive heating caused transfer of protein from the medium fraction to the large‐sized micelle fraction, and the serum fraction as 'soluble’casein. Protein composition of large‐sized micelle fraction remained essentially constant, but for the other fractions it changed throughout the heating period. Experiments with heated milks that had been made free of colloidal calcium phosphate (CCP) showed that a proportion of the calcium phosphate in milk, whether indigenous or precipitated by heating, became less soluble. This‘insoluble’calcium phosphate was possibly involved in joining the smaller protein particles into larger‐sized aggregates.