Milk Salt Composition, Distribution and Analysis
Résumé
The most abundant minerals in milk are calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphorus, sodium and magnesium. This article first discusses the composition and distribution of these elements and citrate between the soluble (serum) and micellar (casein micelle) phases of milk. Then, it describes how this distribution, named the salt equilibria, is affected by the main physico-chemical treatments applied to milk in dairy processing (heating, cooling, pH variation, milk concentration, calcium salt and calcium chelator additions). Finally, sample preparation and some analytical methods to determine the mineral and citrate content and distribution in dairy liquids are described.
