Method for production of a whey protein hydrolyzate

Abstract

A well tasting and organoleptically acceptable whey protein hydrolyzate is produced in high yield by a method using a combination of non-pH-stat hydrolysis and ultrafiltration. Preferably, the method is carried out by mixing a material containing at least 65% whey protein as dry matter and water to form a slurry containing a whey protein content of about 7-20%, heating the slurry to above 600.degree. C., adjusting the pH of the slurry to about 8, hydrolyzing the slurry with at least two different proteases to a degree of hydrolysis of between 17 and 35% without adjusting the pH during hydrolysis to produce a hydrolyzed slurry, inactivating the proteases and separating the hydrolyzed slurry with an ultrafiltration unit having a cut-off value above 10,000 to form a permeate containing the whey protein hydrolyzate. One protease may be obtained from B. Licheniformis and the other from B. Subtilis. The hydrolyzed slurry or the permeate may be treated with activated carbon, and the permeate may be concentrated by nanofiltration and/or by evaporation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.