Optimization of pulsed electric field processing to reduce the viscosity of micellar casein concentrate

Due to its high casein content, micellar casein concentrate (MCC) is a stable protein currently used for various product applications. Our objective was to reduce the viscosity of MCC using a pulsed electric field (PEF) processing which is one of the non-thermal technologies researched in the market. In this study, the effect of processing conditions for PEF treatment, such as temperature (15–45 °C), electric field strength (EFS) (4–20 kV/cm), and frequency on the viscosity (30–300 Hz) of MCC was investigated and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The analysis resulted in a quadratic prediction model with R² = 0.91. The optimized conditions were 35 °C, EFS at 4 kV/cm and frequency at 63 Hz. The optimized consistency coefficient was predicted to be 1440.57 Pa sⁿ which was 46% less than control at 30 °C. Temperature and EFS were found to be the most critical parameters that affect the functionality. Industrial relevance: This study provides the optimized process conditions for reducing the viscosity of MCC using PEF, which would benefit the application of MCC in various end-product applications. The results indicate the relevance of using PEF as a treatment through an inline process during the manufacturing of MCC which will in turn allow the dairy industry to fine tune the ingredients and lead to the production of novel ingredients with enhanced functionality.