Ohmic Heating: A potential technology for sweet whey processing

Electric Field Processing: Novel Perspectives on Allergenicity of Milk Proteins

Milk proteins are being widely used in formulated foods as a result of their excellent technological, functional, and biological properties. However, the most representative proteins from casein and whey fractions are also recognized as major allergens and responsible for the prevalence of cow's milk protein allergy in childhood. Electroheating technologies based on thermal processing of food as a result of application of moderate electric fields, also known by ohmic heating (OH) or Joule effect, are establishing a solid foothold in the food industry. Currently, the influence of OH on allergenic aspects of milk proteins is under debate but still undisclosed. The occurrence of electrical effects on the protein structure and its function has already been reported; thus, the impact of OH over allergenicity should not be overlooked. On the basis of these recent findings, it is then relevant to speculate about the impact of this emergent technology on the potential allergenicity of milk proteins.

Guava flavored whey-beverage processed by cold plasma: Physical characteristics, thermal behavior and microstructure

The present study aimed to compare the physicochemical (pH), physical (rheology parameters and particle size), microstructure (optical microscopy) and thermal properties (differential scanning calorimetry) of guava flavored whey-beverages submitted to cold plama technology in different processing time (5, 10, and 15 min) and gas flow (10, 20, and 30 mL min^-1) conditions with a conventional pasteurized product. Whey beverages treated by cold plasma presented higher pH values, lower consistency and lower viscosity, and a flow behavior index similar to Newtonian fluids. Milder cold plasma conditions resulted in whey beverages with higher pH, lower viscosity and consistency, and similar particle distribution and microstructure compared to the pasteurized product. In contrast, more severe processing conditions resulted in a higher particle surface area ([D 3,2]) and smaller particles (~10 μM), due to the decrease in the number of larger particles (1000 μM), cell rupture, the formation of cell fragments, and higher viscosity and consistency. The treatments did not affect the thermal properties (enthalpy and bound water) of any sample.