SUMMABY. An examination was made of the effect of varying the protein, lactose and total serum ion content of milk on the rate of production of heat-induced acidity (as measured by pH decrease), on heat stability (as measured by coagulation time), on the relationship between coagulation time and initial pH of milk (as measured by coagulation time-pH curves) and on the interrelationship of these parameters. In addition, the effect on these parameters and their interrelationship of varying the composition and volume of the headspace atmosphere in contact with the milk was investigated. Explanations are proposed for the observed effects on heat stability of varying the composition of milk and the heating conditions, with special reference to the influence of heat-induced acidity.Although the recent investigations of Sweetsur & White (1974, 1975) and many others have confirmed the important relation between the pH and heat stability of milk (as measured by coagulation time) first clarified by Rose (1961aRose ( , b, 1963 and Tessier & Rose (1964), little work appears to have been done on the influence of heat-induced acidity on coagulation time (CT). Pyne & McHenry (1955) found that the decrease in the pH of milk heated at 130 °C was roughly proportional to CT at 130 °C. Nearly one-half of total heat-induced acidity was derived from the decomposition of lactose, and the remainder from the formation of tricalcium phosphate from phosphate liberated from casein and from soluble phosphate initially present. They concluded that heat-induced acidity is normally a factor in the heat coagulation of milk. The purpose of the present investigation was to make a more extensive examination of factors that contribute to heat-induced acidity and of the influence this acidity may have on CT and hence on the relationship between CT and the initial pH of milk. EXPERIMENTAL