A Novel Approach to Turbidimetry of Dense Systems: An Investigation of the Enzymatic Gelation of Casein Micelles

Rennet-Induced Casein Micelle Aggregation Models: A Review

Two phases are generally recognized in the enzymatic coagulation of milk: hydrolysis and aggregation, although nowadays more and more researchers consider the non-enzymatic phase to actually be a stage of gel formation made up of two sub-stages: micellar aggregation and hardening of the three-dimensional network of para-κ-casein. To evaluate this controversy, the main descriptive models have been reviewed. Most of them can only model micellar aggregation, without modeling the hardening stage. Some are not generalizable enough. However, more recent models have been proposed, applicable to a wide range of conditions, which could differentiate both substages. Manufacturing quality enzymatic cheeses in a cost-effective and consistent manner requires effective control of coagulation, which implies studying the non-enzymatic sub-stages of coagulation separately, as numerous studies require specific measurement methods for each of them. Some authors have recently reviewed the micellar aggregation models, but without differentiating it from hardening. Therefore, a review of the proposed models is necessary, as coagulation cannot be controlled without knowing its mechanisms and the stages that constitute it.

Characterization of Enzymatically Induced Aggregation of Casein Micelles in Natural Concentration by in Situ Static Light Scattering and Ultra Low Shear Viscosimetry

The aggregation of casein micelles in undiluted skim milk after the addition of chymosin was studied by static light scattering and ultra low shear viscometry. The static light scattering measurements were made with two different sample thicknesses, 72 and 16 µm. The scattering data were analyzed by indirect Fourier transformation and by the polydispersity inversion technique which led to pair distance distribution functions and size distribution function, respectively. The minimum scattering angle was 1 degrees, which allows for the determination of particle sizes up to a maximum diameter of 12 µm. The fractal dimension determined from double logarithmic plots of intensity versus scattering vector resulted in values between 1.9 and 2.0. The influence of multiple scattering was determined by comparison of the measurements with the different sample thicknesses. The measurements show no significant influence of multiple scattering when the transmission is above 0.85. Due to the very complex and porous structure of the casein aggregates the Rayleigh-Debye-Gans scattering theory has been used in the data analysis. Measurements with a new instrument using ultra low shear showed good agreement with theory. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.