Milk: quality of milk and dairy products - Milk enzymes and microbial enzymes

6 important questions on Milk: quality of milk and dairy products - Milk enzymes and microbial enzymes

What do lipolytic enzymes do to milk?

Enzymes in the milk are lipase and microbial lipases (are lypolitic)
they cleave the fatty acids of triglycerides
these fatty acids have weird flavour -> off flavour

How does milk lipase cause off-flavour in milk and what is the solution?

Milk lipase is always present, but the membrane around fat globules protects it from the milk lipase.
if membrane is damaged off-flavour occurs:
  • due to shaking
  • air can be added via milking equipment


Solution: pasteurisation (this deactivates milk lipase)
  • before pasteurisation, milk should be handled with care -> off-flavour stays in the milk

Where does microbial lipase in milk come from and what does it cause?

  • It is produced by psychotrophic bacteria
  • works the same way as milk lipase, but is able to go through fat globule membranes and can release the fatty acids -> cause off-flavour
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What makes microbial lipase such a problem?

  • Psychotropic bacteria can grow at low temps (7 degrees)
  • Microbial lipase is pasteurisation and UHT resistant. (UHT = sterilisatie)

When does off-flavour with milk lipase occur and for what products?

Off-flavour occurs within minutes
in all dairy products, especially high fat products (butter)

When does off-flavour occur for microbial lipase and to what products?

Off-flavour occurs after weeks/months
in fat containing dairy products with a long shelflife

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