On the Use of Ultrafiltration or Microfiltration Polymeric Spiral-Wound Membranes for Cheesemilk Standardization: Impact on Process Efficiency

Abstract

Ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) are widely-used technologies to standardize the protein content of cheesemilk. Our previous work demonstrated that protein retention of a 0.1-µm MF spiral-wound membrane (SWM) was lower, but close to that of a 10 kDa UF one. Considering that the permeability of MF membranes is expected to be higher than that of UF ones, it was hypothesized that the former could improve the efficiency of the cheesemaking process. Consequently, the objectives of this work were to compare 0.1-µm MF and 10 kDa UF spiral-wound membranes in terms of (1) hydraulic and separation performance, (2) energy consumption and fouling behavior, (3) cheesemaking efficiency of retentates enriched with cream, and (4) economic performance in virtual cheesemaking plants. This study confirmed the benefits of using MF spiral-wound membranes to reduce the specific energy consumption of the filtration process (lower hydraulic resistance and higher membrane permeability) and to enhance the technological performance of the cheesemaking process (higher vat yield, and protein and fat recoveries). However, considering the higher serum protein retention of the UF membrane and the low price of electricity in Canada, the UF scenario remained more profitable. It only becomes more efficient to substitute the 10 kDa UF SWM by the 0.1-μm MF when energy costs are substantially higher.

The free listing task for describing the sensory profiling of dairy foods: A case study with microfiltered goat whey orange juice beverage

“…Microfiltration has been applied to milk aiming the development of dairy products, such as whey beverages (Vieira et al, 2020), yogurts with high-protein content (Jørgensen, Abrahamsen, Rukke, Johansen, & Skeie, 2017), cheeses (Chamberland et al, 2019), and UHT milk (D'Incecco, Rosi, Cabassi, Hogenboom, & Pellegrino, 2018).…”

Processing and Technology of Dairy Products: A Special Issue

“…The seven papers accepted do, indeed, cover a range of topics including UHT milk, proteolytic digestion, membrane technologies, cheese and yogurt. Three papers [1-3] involve aspects of the beneficial uses of proteolytic enzymes, two [4,5] involve the use of membrane technology in cheese making, while two deal with the role of ingredients-raw milk in the UHT paper [6] and apricot fiber in the yogurt paper [7]-in product quality. All in all, the papers demonstrate the breadth of ongoing research for an industry based on just one raw material, milk.Each submission explores innovative approaches by the respective authors in their quest to push the boundaries of scientific and technological understanding.…”

“…All in all, the papers demonstrate the breadth of ongoing research for an industry based on just one raw material, milk.Each submission explores innovative approaches by the respective authors in their quest to push the boundaries of scientific and technological understanding. Some examples are illustrated below: Chamberland et al [4] address the question of whether one should chose a 0.1 µm pore size MF or 10 kDa molecular weight cut-off ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for cheese milk standardization. The authors found that the UF, rather than the MF membrane, scored better in terms of lower running (energy and membrane) costs.…”

“…Crude preparations of apricot fiber (Karaca et al [7]) were demonstrated as a novel ingredient with the capacity to confer functional benefits during yogurt processing.As editors of this special issue, we find it appropriate to reflect on how well the scientific originality of the reviewed manuscripts scored against sustainability criteria. The two membrane-based papers concerned with either protein standardization [4] or milk pre-concentration [5] impact cheesemaking efficiency directly through yield improvements, shorter manufacturing processes and increased manufacturing capacity (without the need for extra cheese vat capacity). Chamberland et al[4] go one step further by differentiating between closely matched permeating UF and MF polymeric membranes in favor of UF, because of its lower energy usage and membrane replacement costs.…”

“…As editors of this special issue, we find it appropriate to reflect on how well the scientific originality of the reviewed manuscripts scored against sustainability criteria. The two membrane-based papers concerned with either protein standardization [4] or milk pre-concentration [5] impact cheesemaking efficiency directly through yield improvements, shorter manufacturing processes and increased manufacturing capacity (without the need for extra cheese vat capacity). Chamberland et al…”