Demineralized whey powders

• US 10,638,772 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DMK Deustsches Milchkontor GMBH
• Original Assignee: DMK Deustsches Milchkontor GMBH
• Inventors: Doring, Sven-Rainer, Oehlckers, Thorben, Wiegers, Torben
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Leslie A
• Application Number:
  US15/472,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20170280738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 426491, 426580, 426583, 426657
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 21/00 Whey; Whey preparations concentration, evaporation or drying A23C1/00; preservation of milk or milk preparations A23C3/00; milk preparations, milk powder or milk powder preparations in which the chemical composition of the milk is modified by non-chemical treatment A23C9/14
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/1422 by ultrafiltration, microfiltration or diafiltration of milk, e.g. for separating protein and lactose; Treatment of the UF permeate
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/1425 by ultrafiltration, microfiltration or diafiltration of whey, e.g. treatment of the UF permeate
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/1427 by dialysis, reverse osmosis or hyperfiltration, e.g. for concentrating or desalting
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/144 by electrical means, e.g. electrodialysis
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/1465 Chromatographic separation of protein or lactose fraction; Adsorption of protein or lactose fraction followed by elution
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/148 by molecular sieve or gel filtration or chromatographic treatment A23C9/1465 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/1512 containing isolated milk or whey proteins, caseinates or cheese; Enrichment of milk products with milk proteins in isolated or concentrated form, e.g. ultrafiltration retentate
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/152 containing additives fermented milk preparations containing additives A23C9/13
• CPC Class Codes: A23J 1/205 from whey, e.g. lactalbumine
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/40 Complete food formulations for specific consumer groups or specific purposes, e.g. infant formula

Abstract

A demineralised whey powder is suggested which is obtainable by:

• • (a) Separating raw milk, removing the cream;
  • (b) Subjecting the skimmed milk such obtained to microfiltration or microdiafiltration, obtaining a whey protein-rich permeate P1 and a retentate R1 containing casein and GMP in the process;
  • (c) Subjecting the permeate P1 to column chromatography separation, in which the lactoferrin contained therein remains on the column;
  • (d) Subjecting the permeate, from which lactoferrin had been removed, to dialysis; and
  • (e) Dehydrating the diluate such obtained.

Claims

1. A process for the production of a demineralised whey powder, comprising the following steps:

(a) separating raw milk into skimmed milk and cream;

(b) microfiltrating or microdiafiltrating the skimmed milk with a membrane having a pore size in the range from about 0.1 to about 1 μ

m, obtaining a whey protein-rich permeate P1 and a retentate R1 containing casein and GMP;

(c) subjecting the permeate P1 to column chromatography separation, in which lactoferrin contained therein remains on the column;

(d) subjecting the permeate P1, from which lactoferrin had been removed, to nanofiltration or reverse osmosis and retaining thus-obtained retentate R2 which contains milk minerals, wherein the nanofiltration is performed with a membrane having a pore size in the range from about 150 to about 1,000 nm;

(e) dialysing thus-obtained permeate P2 in step (d) from which lactoferrin had been removed by subjecting the permeate P2 to electrodialysis;

(f) treating thus-obtained diluate with a cation exchanger; and

(g) drying the diluate, obtaining a product in powder form.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the raw milk is cold-separated.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the raw milk is separated at a temperature in the range from 8 to 15°

C.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the lactoferrin of the column is eluated, salts are removed from the eluate, which is then dried, and the pure lactoferrin is subsequently added to the demineralised whey powder in defined amounts again.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the permeate P1, from which lactoferrin had been removed, is concentrated before dialysis by evaporation.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the diluate is subjected to pasteurisation and then dried.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the diluate is subjected to spray drying or freeze drying.

8. The process of claim 1, comprising incorporating the demineralised whey powder into an infant formula.

9. The process of claim 6, wherein the pasteurization is carried out by direct steam injection.

10. The process of claim 6, wherein the pasteurization is carried out by steam infusion.