METHOD OF REDUCING THE BUTTERFAT CONTENT OF A MILK PRODUCT

摘要

The present invention provides a method of reducing the butterfat content of a liquid milk product comprising (a) providing a coalescing medium having a critical wetting surface tension of no more than about 50 mN/m, preferably a fibrous coalescing medium with an average fiber diameter of up to about 50 .mu.m and a sheet weight of about 5 to about 30 oz/yd2 (about 0.15 to about 1 kg/m2), (b) passing a liquid milk product containing butterfat through the coalescing medium at a flow rate of about 1 to about 20 gpm/ft2 (about 40 to about 800 lpm/m2) coalescing medium surface area to form coalesced butterfat particles and reduced-butterfat content liquid milk product, and (c) separating the coalesced butterfat particles from the reduced-butterfat content liquid milk product.