Comparison of Electrochemical and Chemical Acidification of Skim Milk

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to compare chemical and electrochemical acidification, in order to identify differences between the two acidification procedures. The results reveal differences in the acidification profiles obtained with the two methods. Whereas chemical acidification showed a salting‐in effect from addition of salts, bipolar‐membrane electroacidification (BMEA) removes salts through electrochemical demineralization, favoring protein precipitation. Hence, at pH 4.6, all the caseins were precipitated by BMEA, while some were not yet precipitated by chemical acidification. Nevertheless, the chemical composition and the casein fraction composition of the isolates were the same for both chemical and electrochemical acidification.