Whey-contaiing food product and method of deflavoring whey protein

Abstract

Whey protein materials such as whey from cheese making processes, whey protein concentrates, and whey protein isolates, are deflavored by adjusting the pH of an aqueous composition of such whey protein materials to about 8 to about 12 to solubilize the whey proteins and to release the flavoring compounds and thereafter passing the pH-adjusted composition to an ultrafiltration membrane having a molecular weight cutoff up to about 50,000 Daltons under conditions at which the flavoring compounds pass through the membrane, leaving the retained whey protein material with improved flavor.

1 - 23 . (canceled)  
     
     
         24 . A whey-containing food product comprising a deflavored whey protein material, wherein the whey-containing food product is prepared by incorporating the deflavored whey protein into a food product and wherein the deflavored whey protein is prepared by a process comprising: 
 (a) preparing an aqueous composition comprising a dairy-derived whey protein material containing soluble whey proteins and flavoring compounds;    (b) adjusting the aqueous composition of (a) to either (1) a basic pH in the range of about 8.5 to about 12 using addition of alkali to the aqueous composition, or (2) an acidic pH in the range of about 2.5 to about 4 using addition of acid to the aqueous composition, thereby releasing the flavoring compounds;    (c) passing the pH-adjusted aqueous composition of (b) adjacent an ultrafiltration membrane having a molecular weight cutoff up to about 50,000 Daltons, while maintaining the pH in the same range as adjusted in step (b), under suitable ultrafiltration conditions wherein the flavor compounds pass through the membrane, thereby deflavoring the whey protein material and retaining substantially all of the soluble whey proteins; and    (d) recovering the soluble whey proteins retained by the ultrafiltration membrane to obtain the deflavored whey protein material.    
     
     
         25 . The whey-containing food product of  claim 24 , wherein the pH of the aqueous composition is adjusted to the basic pH in step (b).  
     
     
         26 . The whey-containing food product of  claim 24 , wherein the pH of the aqueous composition is adjusted to the acidic pH in step (b).  
     
     
         27 . The whey-containing food product of  claim 24 , wherein the food product is selected from the group consisting of dairy and non-dairy beverages, smoothies, health drinks, cheeses, cheese analogs, dairy and non-dairy yogurts, meat and meat analog products, cereals, baked products, and snacks.  
     
     
         28 . The whey-containing food product of  claim 24 , wherein the whey-containing food product contains about 10 to about 30 percent deflavored whey protein.  
     
     
         29 . The whey-containing food product of  claim 25 , wherein the whey-containing food product contains about 10 to about 30 percent deflavored whey protein.  
     
     
         30 . The whey-containing food product of  claim 26 , wherein the whey-containing food product contains about 10 to about 30 percent deflavored whey protein.  
     
     
         31 . The whey-containing food product of  claim 25 , wherein the whey-containing food product is a beverage having a pH of greater than 5.  
     
     
         32 . The whey-containing food product of  claim 26 , wherein the whey-containing food product is a beverage having a pH of less than 4.5.