Acid Coagulation of Milk

Abstract

Acidified milk products are one of the oldest and most popular foodstuffs and are produced throughout the world. Worldwide production of fermented milk products (such as yoghurt) probably exceeds 20 million tonnes (IDF, 1995). The popularity of fermented milks and yoghurts is due, at least in part, to various health claims and therapeutic benefits that have been associated with some of these products. In spite of the commercial importance of acidified milk products, much less is known about the formation, structures and physico-chemical properties of acid-coagulated products than is known about cheese. The formation and physical properties of acidified milk gels have been reviewed recently (Lucey and Singh, 1997; Home, 1999).