Use of Membrane Technologies to Increase Protein Content in Dairy Products

Abstract

The article considers modern approaches to increasing protein content in dairy products using membrane technologies. The introduction substantiates the relevance of the topic, including in the context of the growing demand for functional and high-protein products. A literature review is conducted, the scientific gap is identified and the objectives and hypotheses of the study are formulated. Further, the first section presents the basics of membrane filtration and membrane materials, and a comparative analysis of microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) processes is made. Key factors affecting membrane performance (foliation, concentration polarization, etc.) and optimization methods (feedstock pretreatment, pressure and temperature control, CIP cleaning methods) are discussed. The second section describes in detail technological schemes with integration of different types of membranes in raw milk and whey processing, which allows to enrich finished products with protein and simultaneously reduce production losses. Special attention is paid to the increase of cheese yield due to the concentration of casein micelles, as well as to the production of valuable whey proteins (WPC, WPI) and reduction of lactose content. The obtained results and systematization of data indicate high efficiency of membrane technologies in dairy production, allowing to produce products with a given level of protein, improve quality and provide resource saving.