Rheological Properties of Gels Produced from Citric Acid Modified Whey Proteins

• Anaam .s. Al-khafaje , Jasim M. S. Al-Saadi

  Author

The impact of citric acid modification on the calcium-induced gelation behavior of whey protein concentrate (WPC) was examined in this work. After heating at 90°C for 30 minutes, gels with a 7% protein concentration and different calcium chloride concentrations (20–90 mM) were prepared using both native and citric acid-modified WPC. The gels' viscosity, hardness, cohesiveness , springiness , water-holding capacity, and spontaneous whey separation were assessed. According to the findings, native WPC gels showed gradual increases in gel characteristics as the calcium concentration increased up to 60 mM, and at higher concentrations gel properties slightly decreased. On the other hand, at calcium concentrations between 40–60 mM, citric acid-modified WPC gels showed better functional characteristics, including noticeably greater water holding capacity , viscosity , hardness, and cohesiveness .These results imply that whey protein gels treated with citric acid have potential as functional additives with improved textural qualities for use in the food sector, especially where regulated gel strength and water retention are needed.

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