Thermal denaturation of whey proteins and its effect in dairy technology.

The irreversible denaturation of the most important whey protein fractions, namely beta-lactoglobulin A and B and alpha-lactalbumin were studied. The orders of the reactions, the rate constants and the activation energies were determined. The experiments were extended to include whey protein solutions of different concentrations and mixtures of whey proteins and caseins in different proportions. The kinetic data found by experiment make it possible to calculate in advance the precise degree of irreversible denaturation. It was found that the denaturation of beta-lactoglobulin was a good test parameter in technological studies and that there was a close correlation between the degree of denaturation and the results of important dairy processes.