On Differences in Surface Constitution of Dairy Product Contact Materials

Abstract

Dairy products are processed and packaged in contact with materials that exhibit markedly dissimilar surface properties. Pertinent surface properties of several dairy contact materials were quantified, and the relative tendency of each material to adsorb β-lactoglobulin was observed. The presence of a minimum in a plot of mass of β-lactoglobulin adsorbed versus a property related to contact surface energy is discussed. Knowledge of the surface property corresponding to this minimum may provide direction for the selection of contact materials best suited for particular processing or packaging applications and may provide direction for control of deleterious adhesive events common to dairy manufacturing. © 1989, American Dairy Science Association. All rights reserved.