Sequential micro- and ultrafiltration in the process of production of cottage cheese

Abstract

The present work is devoted to solving the tasks aimed at the study of pressure-driven membrane processes used in the manufacture of ultrafiltration cottage cheese via microfiltration followed by ultrafiltration using membranes of domestic manufacture. As a result of this study, the technological parameters of baromembrane processes (speed of solution over the membrane, operating pressure, and temperature) providing the maximum productivity and selectivity of the microbiological clearance of skim milk by microfiltration and the ultrafiltration concentration of curd have been determined. The possibility of affecting the characteristics (permeability and selectivity) of the ultrafiltration process by approaching the isoelectric point of the protein fraction due to the change in the active acidity of the curd under concentration has been considered. The applicability of the microfiltration process in cottage cheese making has been confirmed, since it leads to enhancement of the performance of ultrafiltration membranes and increases the shelf life of the resulting product.