Micellar whey protein, solution thereof, powder thereof, and foods utilizing same

摘要

Micellar whey protein obtained by the heat treatment of whey protein having undergone limited hydrolysis by a proteolytic enzyme and containing whey protein molecules having a micellar structure similar to that of casein micelles, the micellar whey protein being characterized in that: (1) the molecules are in the form of micelles of irregular shape having a molecular weight of not less than 1,000,000 and a molecular size of 30 to 500 nm; (2) the micellar whey protein is soluble in water and gives a milk-white solution; and (3) the micelles associate together in a solution having a pH in the acid range of 3 to 6 to form insoluble aggregates. This micellar whey protein is so stable that it does not undergo gelation even when heated in solution, and can hence be widely utilized in liquid drink compositions, processed foods and the like.