No abstract

The effect of calcium on the viscosity, firmness, and smoothness, as determined by extent of nodulation, of stirred probiotic yogurt produced by bacterial fermentation was investigated. Standardized milk for yogurt manufacture was prepared, and calcium was added or removed from the system. Calcium was added as Ca(2+) in the form of CaCl(2) (up to 13.6 mM) or nonionic calcium as Gadocal-K (calcium potassium citrate; up to 49.8 mM). Calcium was removed by chelating with sodium citrate (up to 16 mM) or by cation exchange with Amberlite IR-120 plus (sodium form) resin (up to 10 g/L). Calcium chloride and sodium citrate were added either before or after heat treatment of milk, and nonionic calcium was added before heat treatment. Calcium removal by ion exchange was performed before heat treatment. Neither Ca(2+) addition nor removal by chelation with citrate resulted in stirred yogurt with viscosity, firmness, and smoothness superior to those of the control yogurt, whereas addition of 49.8 mM nonionic calcium and removal of calcium (5.6 mM or ~10% of total calcium) by cation exchange improved the firmness and viscosity without affecting yogurt smoothness. The study identified Gadocal-K as a possible source of calcium fortification of stirred yogurt without loss of texture.

This study investigated the interaction of calcium ions and milk proteins during heat‐induced coagulation of milk. Addition of 20–200 mM calcium chloride to milk caused coagulation on heating to 70 °C. Preheating milk at 90 °C for 10 min or ultra‐high temperature treatment at 140 °C for 6 s increased the sensitivity of milk proteins to coagulation. The former treatment was more effective than the latter in coagulating proteins. A maximum of 98% of the protein in milk preheated at 90 °C for 10 min was coagulated by 50 mM added calcium chloride at 70 °C with holding for 5 min.