FERMENTED MILK AS A HIGH PROTEIN CONTENT PRODUCT

The protein content of fermented milk may be increased before fermentation by the addition of milk powder, by evaporation or by membrane filtration. It is noteworthy that the concentration of fermented milk after fermentation produces large volumes of acid whey, a major concern for the dairy industry. The addition of casein and caseinates before the fermentation stage, and without the use of concentration technologies, to obtain fermented milk with high protein content is innovative for the dairy industry. This way, in this type of processing, no residues would be generated, since there would be no removal of the whey. The objective of this study was to investigate how the addition (12 g 100g-1) of casein, sodium caseinate, or calcium caseinate influenced the chemical and microbiological of three fermented milk. Regarding the chemical characterization of fermented milk, it was found that the higher mineral content of sodium caseinate and calcium caseinate contributed to obtaining fermented milk with higher contents of total solids. The acidity of fermented milk complies with current international legislation. The highest values for pH may be related to the high protein concentration of the three fermented milks. Although there is no legislation to classify the fermented milk according to the protein content, the contents obtained for the three fermented milks allow them to be classified as high protein and low lipid. Viable cell counts of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus did not decrease with the addition of casein and caseinates (sodium and calcium) and are in accordance with the current Brazilian legislation for fermented milk. Considering the rapid evolution of the types of fermented milks that are placed on the world market, the characterization of a new product would be an accurate measure to ensure quality, meeting the expectations of consumers for these products.