Milk protein concentrate and producing method thereof

Abstract

To provide a milk protein concentrate containing MP whey capable of equalizing a water content with the water content of cheeses produced without adding to raw milk, while improving a yield of the cheeses by adding to the raw milk and a producing method thereof.SOLUTION: A milk protein concentrate is produced by a producing method comprising: (1) a process of preparing a whey solution having less than 30 wt.% of total solids on a total weight basis and a weight ratio of total protein to total solids of less than 0.60; and (2) a process of heating and shearing the whey solution. The milk protein concentrate is added to milk used as a raw material for cheeses so that the concentration of insoluble whey protein is less than 0.079 wt.%.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a milk protein concentrate, its production method and its use in cheeses. [Background technology]

[0002] Whey, a by-product of cheese and casein production from animal milk such as cow's milk, contains lactose, minerals, and whey protein. Whey protein is recognized as a high-quality protein source, and whey protein ingredients such as WPC (Whey Protein Concentrate) and WPI (Whey Protein Isolate) are manufactured and sold by concentrating whey using an UF membrane to increase the whey protein concentration and reduce the lactose and mineral concentrations. In recent years, microparticulated (MP) whey ingredients and manufacturing equipment have been developed, utilizing the heat-induced denaturation and aggregation properties of whey protein. MP whey is generally whey protein aggregates with a volume-based median diameter (50% particle size) of 0.5–10 μm, and refers to the fraction that precipitates upon centrifugation at 5,000–15,000 g. MP whey is used to improve the yield of natural cheese and as a fat substitute in the production of fermented milk, dressings, ice cream, etc.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses that by producing white mold cheese by adding MP whey obtained by heating and shearing a solution containing whey protein to raw milk for cheese, the physical property of melting at room temperature is imparted to the white mold cheese. Patent Document 2 discloses that by adding MP whey to cream cheese, it is possible to produce cream cheese that has smooth physical properties and suppresses the amount of syneresis that occurs during storage.

[0004] MP whey is generally used for the purpose of improving the yield of natural cheese. It is also generally known that MP whey penetrates into the cheese curd matrix, physically inhibiting whey removal in the whey removal process, thereby increasing the moisture content of the curd in natural cheese. Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 report that when MP whey was used in natural cheese production for the purpose of improving yield, the yield of natural cheese improved as the addition rate of MP whey increased, but at the same time, an increase in moisture was also confirmed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-145926 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-49670 [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] International Journal of Dairy Technology,Vol.70 No.4 Page.481-491 (2017) [Non-patent document 2] Journal of Dairy Science,Vol.100 No.7 Page.5139―5152(2017) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] As mentioned above, when MP whey is used in cheese production in order to improve the yield of cheese, there is a problem in that the moisture content of the cheese also increases.

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a milk protein concentrate containing MP whey, which can be added to raw milk to improve the yield of cheeses while making the moisture content equivalent to that of cheeses produced without adding it to raw milk, and a method for producing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes the following configurations. [1] A method for producing a milk protein concentrate comprising the steps of (1) to (2) (1) providing a whey solution having a total solids content of less than 30% by weight, based on total weight, and a total protein to total solids weight ratio of less than 0.60; (2) heating and shearing the whey solution; [2] The method for producing a milk protein concentrate according to [1], wherein the weight ratio of insoluble whey protein to total protein in the milk protein concentrate is 0.25 or more and less than 0.90. [3] The method for producing the milk protein concentrate according to [1] or [2] further comprises (3) concentrating or spray-drying the heated and sheared whey solution. [4] A milk protein concentrate having a weight ratio of total protein to total solids of less than 0.60, a weight ratio of insoluble whey protein to total protein of 0.25 or more but less than 0.90, and a 50% particle size of 1.0 μm or more and 10.0 μm or less. [5] A method for producing cheeses, comprising the step of adding a milk protein concentrate to raw milk, wherein the milk protein concentrate has a weight ratio of total protein to total solids of less than 0.60, a weight ratio of insoluble whey protein to total protein of 0.25 or more but less than 0.90, and a 50% particle size of 1.0 μm or more and 10.0 μm or less. [6] The method for producing cheeses described in [5], wherein the step of adding the milk protein concentrate is a step of adding the milk protein concentrate so that the concentration of insoluble whey protein in the raw milk is less than 0.079% by weight. [7] Cheeses produced by the manufacturing method described in [5] or [6]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present invention provides a milk protein concentrate containing MP whey, which can be added to raw milk to improve the yield of cheeses while making the moisture content equivalent to that of cheeses produced without adding it to raw milk, and a method for producing the same. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 shows the relationship between the curd moisture difference (%) of Camembert cheese and the insoluble whey protein concentration in the raw milk. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] (Milk protein concentrate) As used herein, the term "milk protein concentrate" refers in particular to a milk protein concentrate containing MP whey.

[0013] (MP Whey) As used herein, "MP (microparticulated) whey" refers to insoluble whey protein aggregates having a volume-based 50% particle size of 0.5 to 10 μm, which are formed by heating and shearing a solution containing whey protein, and refers to a fraction that precipitates upon centrifugation at 5,000 g to 15,000 g. More specifically, as used herein, "MP whey" specifically includes insoluble whey protein aggregates containing soluble lactose and ash, and insoluble whey protein fractions from which soluble lactose and ash have been removed.

[0014] The milk protein concentrate of the present invention can be produced by a production method including the steps of: (1) preparing a whey solution having a total solids content of less than 30 wt. % based on the total weight and a total protein to total solids weight ratio of less than 0.60; and (2) heating and shearing the whey solution.

[0015] (Whey solution) The whey solution used in the method for producing a milk protein concentrate of the present invention can be obtained by a process of removing fat and casein fines from whey, a by-product of natural cheese and casein production, and a process of concentrating whey protein by removing ash and lactose using a membrane, ion exchange resin, or the like. Examples of treatment membranes used in the concentration process include, but are not limited to, ultrafiltration membranes with a molecular weight cutoff of 10,000 Da or less. The whey solution used in the present invention may be one obtained by the above process, or one obtained by spray-drying or freeze-drying the product obtained by the above process, followed by reduction of WPC or WPI into a solvent such as water. Commercially available WPC and WPI may be used.

[0016] The whey solution used in the present invention preferably has a total solids content of less than 30 wt %, more preferably less than 25 wt %, and even more preferably less than 20 wt % based on the total weight of the whey solution. The total solids content in the whey solution can be measured by a method such as a heat drying method or near-infrared spectroscopy.

[0017] The whey solution used in the present invention preferably has a weight ratio of total protein to total solids (hereinafter also referred to as total protein / total solids) of less than 0.60, more preferably less than 0.59. The total protein content of the whey solution is preferably 5% by weight or more, most preferably 10% to 20% by weight, based on the total weight. The total protein content in the whey solution can be measured by common protein measurement methods such as the BCA method, Bradford method, Lowry method, Biured method, Kjeldahl method, and combustion (modified Dumas) method.

[0018] The whey solution used in the present invention may contain calcium, and the calcium concentration in the whey solution is preferably 0.005% by weight or more per 1% by weight of whey protein. The presence of this level of calcium in the whey solution allows the whey protein to rapidly aggregate when heated, and by shearing this aggregate, it can be converted into MP whey. The calcium material used in the present invention can be any food material, and examples include calcium chloride, calcium lactate, calcium phosphate, etc., with calcium chloride being preferred. The whey solution used in the present invention may contain lactose, and any food product may be used.

[0019] (Whey solution heating and shearing process) As used herein, the step of heating and shearing a whey solution refers to a step of heating and shearing a whey solution to obtain a milk protein concentrate containing MP whey. The heating temperature may be any temperature at which the whey proteins in the whey solution denature and aggregate, and is preferably 70°C or higher, more preferably 80°C or higher, and even more preferably 90°C or higher. The shearing can be carried out using a commercially available high-pressure homogenizer, etc. An apparatus capable of simultaneously heating and shearing is preferred, and for example, a scraping-type sterilizer or the like can be used, but the apparatus is not particularly limited to the above as long as it can heat and shear the whey solution.

[0020] (Milk protein concentrate) The milk protein concentrate of the present invention preferably has a total protein to total solids weight ratio of less than 0.60, more preferably less than 0.59. The total solid content of the milk protein concentrate can be measured by a method such as a heat drying method or near-infrared spectroscopy. The total protein content in milk protein concentrate can be measured by common protein measurement methods such as the BCA method, Bradford method, Lowry method, Biured method, Kjeldahl method, and combustion (modified Dumas) method.

[0021] (weight ratio of insoluble whey protein to total protein) The milk protein concentrate of the present invention contains insoluble whey protein. The weight ratio of the insoluble whey protein to the total protein of the milk protein concentrate of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as insoluble whey protein / total protein) is preferably 0.25 or more and less than 0.90, more preferably 0.35 or more and less than 0.80, and even more preferably 0.50 or more and less than 0.75. The content of insoluble whey protein in the milk protein concentrate of the present invention can be determined, for example, by quantifying the amount of protein (supernatant protein) contained in the supernatant obtained by centrifuging the milk protein concentrate at 15,000 g for 20 minutes, determining the supernatant protein content in the milk protein concentrate, and then subtracting the supernatant protein content from the total protein content.

[0022] (50% particle size) The volume-based 50% particle size (D50) of the milk protein concentrate of the present invention may be 0.5 μm or more and 10.0 μm or less, preferably 1.0 μm or more and 10.0 μm or less, more preferably 2.0 μm or more and 8.0 μm or less, and even more preferably 3.0 μm or more and 6.0 μm or less. As used herein, the 50% particle size refers to the particle size (μm) corresponding to 50% of the cumulative volumetric distribution curve. The 50% particle size (μm) can be measured using a particle size distribution analyzer such as a laser diffraction particle size analyzer, a laser diffraction / scattering particle size analyzer, an image analysis particle size analyzer, a precision particle size analyzer, a real-time zeta potential / nanoparticle size analyzer, a dynamic light scattering (DLS) particle size analyzer, or an analytical ultracentrifuge system.

[0023] (Concentration or spray drying process) The milk protein concentrate of the present invention may be further concentrated after being produced by the above-mentioned method. Concentration methods include, but are not limited to, microfiltration membrane treatment, ultrafiltration membrane treatment, ion exchange membrane treatment, and centrifugation. When the milk protein concentrate is further concentrated by centrifugation, it can be performed at a rotation speed of 6000 rpm or higher, but is not limited to the following. Commercially available centrifuges, such as the Milk Separator manufactured by Saito Centrifuge, can be used. When concentrating by membrane treatment, the membrane used is not particularly limited as long as it can concentrate MP whey; for example, a microfiltration membrane with a pore size of 5 μm or less, 1 μm or less, or 0.1 μm or less can be used. The milk protein concentrate of the present invention may also be powdered by spray drying or freeze drying. When the milk protein concentrate is powdered by spray drying, although this is not particularly limited, the method may be such that a liquid milk protein composition is sprayed with a spray dryer and then dried with hot air.

[0024] (Cheese manufacturing method) The cheeses of the present invention can be obtained by a production method including a step of adding a milk protein concentrate containing MP whey to raw milk. As a typical example of the cheeses of the present invention, a method for producing natural cheese is shown below. After adding milk protein concentrate to the raw milk, it is pasteurized, calcium chloride and bulk starter are added, and fermentation is continued until the pH reaches 6.4. 0.0015% by weight of rennet powder is added, and after 30 minutes, the curd is cut into 15mm squares. The curd is poured into a mold, and curd formation and whey removal are carried out for one day. The milk protein concentrate is desirably added in an amount such that the insoluble whey protein concentration in the raw milk is less than 0.079% by weight. If the milk protein concentrate is added so that the insoluble whey protein concentration in the raw milk is less than 0.079% by weight, the curd moisture content (%) may be higher than that of cheeses produced without the addition of the milk protein concentrate. The insoluble whey protein concentration (%) in the raw milk can be calculated using the following formula. Insoluble whey protein concentration in raw milk (%) = (A x B x C) / 100 A: Addition rate of milk protein concentrate to raw milk (%) B: Insoluble whey protein / total protein from milk protein concentrate C: Total protein content (%) of milk protein concentrate

[0025] When the milk protein concentrate is added to the raw milk in liquid form, it may be further concentrated to remove soluble substances such as lactose and ash before being added to the raw milk. Alternatively, it may be powdered by spray drying or freeze drying before being added to the raw milk. The milk protein concentrate added to the raw milk may be a precipitate fraction obtained by centrifuging a liquid milk protein concentrate, or an insoluble whey protein fraction obtained by removing soluble substances such as lactose and ash from the precipitate fraction. In this case, the fraction is preferably added in an amount such that the insoluble whey protein concentration in the raw milk is less than 0.079 wt%.

[0026] (Card moisture) The curd moisture content of the cheeses of the present invention can be measured using an automatic moisture measuring instrument, SMART6 (CEM). The change in curd moisture content of cheeses produced with the addition of the milk protein concentrate of the present invention can be expressed as the difference in curd moisture (%) from that of cheeses produced without the addition of the milk protein concentrate. That is, the curd moisture difference can be calculated using the following formula: Curd moisture difference (%) = AB A: Curd moisture (%) of cheeses made with milk protein concentrate B: Curd moisture (%) of cheeses made without adding milk protein concentrate

[0027] (Solid yield) The solid yield of cheeses herein can be calculated from the total weight of the produced cheeses and the moisture content (%) determined by the above measurement. Furthermore, the change in the solid yield (kg) of cheeses produced with the addition of a milk protein concentrate can be expressed as a percentage of the solid yield (kg) of cheeses produced without the addition of a milk protein concentrate. That is, the change in solid yield can be calculated using the following formula: Change in solid yield (%) = A / B x 100 A: Solid yield (kg) of cheeses made with milk protein concentrate B: Solid yield (kg) of cheeses produced without adding milk protein concentrate

[0028] (MP whey content per 10g of cheese) As used herein, the "amount (mg) of MP whey per 10 g of cheese" refers to the mass (mg) of the insoluble whey protein fraction in the freeze-dried powder precipitate obtained by the following method. The insoluble whey protein fraction in the freeze-dried powder can be quantitatively analyzed using SDS-PAGE, liquid chromatography, or the like. To 10 g of cheese, add 40 mL of 0.5 M sodium citrate solution and 40 mL of warm water (50-60°C), mix with a homogenizer, and then solubilize the casein protein. The resulting solution is centrifuged at 15,000 g for 20 minutes, and the supernatant is discarded. 0.1 M sodium citrate solution is added to the resulting precipitate to suspend it. The mixture is then centrifuged at 15,000 g for 20 minutes, and the supernatant is discarded to obtain the precipitate.

[0029] The milk protein concentrate of the present invention can be effectively used in the production of all cheeses that have a whey removal step in the production process. [Example]

[0030] The present invention will be described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples and various improvements can be made based on known techniques.

[0031] [Test Example 1] (Preparation of whey solution) The cheese whey was subjected to a milk clarifier (AMC-100, Iwai Kikai Kogyo Co., Ltd.) at 6500 g to remove casein particles, followed by defatting in a separator. The mixture was sterilized at 70°C and immediately cooled. A UF ​​lab unit (Sanko Shokai, membrane HpHT-HFK131-3838) was used to concentrate the whey at 10°C until the total protein content was approximately 10%, yielding whey solutions 1 to 4. The content and pH of each component in whey solutions 1 to 4 were determined using the following methods.

[0032] (solids) The total solid contents (%) of whey solutions 1 to 4 were determined by the heat drying method.

[0033] (protein) The protein contents (%) of whey solutions 1 to 4 were determined using a combustion method / modified Dumas method total nitrogen (protein) analyzer SUMIGRAPH (registered trademark) NC-TRINITY (Sumika Chemical Analysis Center, Ltd.).

[0034] (Fat) The lipid contents (%) of whey solutions 1 to 4 were measured by the Roese-Gottlieb method. Here, the "Roese-Gottlieb method" is a method in which the fat globule membrane is destroyed, the fat is extracted with a solvent, and the solvent is removed to quantify the amount of fat.

[0035] (ash) The ash contents (%) of whey solutions 1 to 4 were measured using a thermogravimetric analyzer TGA701 (LECO).

[0036] (lactose) The lactose content (%) of whey solutions 1 to 4 was calculated by subtracting the protein content, lipid content, and ash content from the total solid content.

[0037] (pH) The pH of whey solutions 1 to 4 was measured using a benchtop pH meter LAQUA (HORIBA).

[0038] The contents, weight ratios and pH of each component of whey solutions 1 to 4 are as shown in Table 1.

[0039] [Table 1]

[0040] (Preparation of Milk Protein Concentrate) Any of whey solutions 1 to 4 was heated and sheared to obtain a milk protein concentrate containing MP whey. Because the milk protein concentrate was obtained by heating and shearing the whey solution without adjusting the components, the contents and weight ratios of the components are considered to be the same as those of any of whey solutions 1 to 4.

[0041] (50% particle size) The 50% particle size of the milk protein concentrate was measured using a Microtrac (MT3300EXII, Nikkiso Co., Ltd.). A flow cell was used, and the refractive index of the sample was set to 1.65. The particle size corresponding to 50% of the obtained cumulative volume distribution curve was defined as the 50% particle size (μm) of the milk protein concentrate.

[0042] (weight ratio of insoluble whey protein to total protein) The weight ratio of insoluble whey protein to total protein in the milk protein concentrate was determined by the following method. The milk protein concentrate was centrifuged at 15,000 g for 20 minutes, and the amount of protein in the supernatant (supernatant protein) was quantified to determine the supernatant protein content in the milk protein concentrate. The value obtained by subtracting the supernatant protein content from the total protein content was used as the insoluble whey protein content of the milk protein concentrate. Furthermore, the value obtained by dividing the insoluble whey protein content by the total protein content was used as the weight ratio of insoluble whey protein to total protein.

[0043] (Preparation of Camembert Cheese) A predetermined amount of the prepared milk protein concentrate was added to the raw milk, and the raw milk was pasteurized (75°C for 15 seconds). Furthermore, 0.01 wt% calcium chloride and bulk starter were added to the raw milk, and fermentation was continued until the pH reached 6.4. Subsequently, 0.0015 wt% rennet powder was further added, and 30 minutes later, the curd was cut into 15 mm squares. The curd was poured into a mold, and curd formation and whey removal were carried out over one day to produce Camembert cheese (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as Camembert) Examples 1 to 14 and Comparative Examples 1 to 17. A control Camembert was also produced using the same method as above, except that the milk protein concentrate was not added to the raw milk.

[0044] (Insoluble whey protein concentration in raw milk) The insoluble whey protein concentration (%) in the raw milk was calculated using the following formula. Insoluble whey protein concentration in raw milk (%) = (A x B x C) / 100 A: Addition rate of milk protein concentrate to raw milk (%) B: Insoluble whey protein / total protein from milk protein concentrate C: Total protein content (%) of milk protein concentrate

[0045] (Card moisture) In order to confirm the change in curd moisture content (%) of Camembert due to the addition of milk protein concentrate, the moisture content (%) of the Example product, Comparative Example product and Control product was measured using an automatic moisture measuring device (SMART6 (CEM)), and the curd moisture difference (%) was calculated using the following formula. Curd moisture difference (%) = AB A: Curd moisture (%) of the example product or comparative example product B: Curd moisture content of control product (%) Thus, a positive value for the % Curd Moisture Difference indicates that the addition of milk protein concentrate increased the % curd moisture, and a negative value indicates that the addition of milk protein concentrate decreased the % curd moisture.

[0046] (Solid yield) The solid yield was calculated from the total weight of the Camembert and the moisture content (%) obtained by the above measurement. Furthermore, to confirm the change in the solid yield (kg) of the Camembert due to the addition of the milk protein concentrate, the change in solid yield was calculated as a percentage (%) using the following formula. Change in solid yield (%) = A / B x 100 A: Solid yield (kg) of the example or comparative example B: Solid yield of control product (kg) Therefore, a percent change in solids yield of 100% or more indicates an increase in solids yield (kg) due to the addition of milk protein concentrate, and a percent change in solids yield of less than 100% indicates a decrease in solids yield (kg) due to the addition of milk protein concentrate.

[0047] The addition rate (%) of the milk protein concentrate to the raw material milk, the 50% particle size (μm), the insoluble whey protein / total protein, the insoluble whey protein concentration (%) in the raw material milk, the difference in curd moisture content (%) and the change in solid yield (%) between the products of the examples and the comparative examples are shown in Table 2.

[0048] [Table 2]

[0049] (Solid yield) The Camemberts produced with 0.8 to 1.0% added milk protein concentrate (Examples 1 to 14) showed a smaller change in solid yield than the Camemberts produced with 2.0% added milk protein concentrate (Comparative Examples 1 to 17). Since the solid yield is proportionally dependent on the insoluble whey protein concentration in the raw milk, it is expected that the solid yield will decrease as the insoluble whey protein concentration in the raw milk decreases. Furthermore, the solid yield of all Camemberts produced with the addition of milk protein concentrate was increased compared to Camemberts produced without the addition of milk protein concentrate (Examples 1 to 14 and Comparative Examples 1 to 17). (moisture) The Camembert produced by adding 0.8 to 1.0% of milk protein concentrate (Examples 1 to 14) had a smaller curd moisture difference (%) than the Camembert produced by adding 2.0% of milk protein concentrate (Comparative Examples 1 to 17).In addition, the Camembert produced by adding 0.8 to 1.0% of milk protein concentrate (Examples 1 to 14) had a reduced curd moisture (%) compared to the Camembert produced without adding milk protein concentrate.

[0050] Plotting the insoluble whey protein concentration (%) in raw milk and the curd moisture difference (%) confirmed a correlation between the two. Furthermore, it was found that the insoluble whey protein concentration in raw milk that resulted in a curd moisture difference of 0% or less was less than 0.079% by weight ( FIG. 1 ). Generally, it is difficult to control the moisture content of natural cheese, and variations tend to occur between production lots. In Table 2, even when the insoluble whey protein concentration in raw milk was less than 0.079% by weight, the curd moisture difference sometimes reached 0% or more, but averaged out to 0% or less (Examples 1 to 14). An increase in solid yield was also observed in Camembert, where the insoluble whey protein concentration in raw milk was less than 0.079% by weight (Examples 1 to 14). From the above, it was found that by adding a milk protein concentrate to the raw milk so that the insoluble whey protein concentration in the raw milk is less than 0.079% by weight, it is possible to produce cheeses with an increased solid yield and a moisture content equivalent to that of cheeses produced without adding the milk protein concentrate.

[0051] [Test Example 2] (MP whey content per 10g of Camembert) Immediately after production, 40 mL of 0.5 M sodium citrate solution and 40 mL of hot water (50-60°C) were added to 10 g of Camembert (Example Product), and the mixture was stirred using a homomixer to solubilize the casein protein. The resulting solution was centrifuged at 15,000 g for 20 minutes, and the supernatant was discarded. 0.1 M sodium citrate solution was added to the resulting precipitate, which was then suspended. The mixture was further centrifuged at 15,000 g for 20 minutes, and the supernatant was discarded to obtain a precipitate. The mass of the insoluble whey protein fraction in the freeze-dried powder of the resulting precipitate was analyzed using SDS-PAGE, liquid chromatography, etc., and determined as the amount of MP whey per 10 g of Camembert. When 10 g of the control product not containing the milk protein concentrate of the present invention was analyzed by the above method, a trace amount of whey protein was detected. Therefore, the amount of MP whey (mg) per 10 g of the example product was calculated by subtracting the mass (mg) of the insoluble whey protein fraction detected in the control product from the mass (mg) of the insoluble whey protein fraction obtained by measuring the example product. The amount of MP whey (mg) per 10 g of Camembert for each example product is shown in Table 3.

[0052] [Table 3]

[0053] Table 3 confirms that the freeze-dried powder obtained from Camembert to which the milk protein concentrate of the present invention was added contains MP whey. The amount of MP whey per 10 g of Camembert was a minimum of 15.56 mg and a maximum of 39.90 mg.

Claims

1. A method for producing a milk protein concentrate comprising the steps of (1) and (2) (1) providing a whey solution having a total solids content of less than 30 wt.% based on total weight and a total protein to total solids weight ratio of less than 0.60; (2) Heating and shearing the whey solution.

2. 2. The method for producing a milk protein concentrate according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of insoluble whey protein to total protein in the milk protein concentrate is 0.25 or more and less than 0.

90.

3. 3. The method for producing the milk protein concentrate of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of (3) concentrating or spray-drying the heated and sheared whey solution.

4. A milk protein concentrate having a weight ratio of total protein to total solids of less than 0.60, a weight ratio of insoluble whey protein to total protein of 0.25 or more but less than 0.90, and a 50% particle size of 1.0 μm or more and 10.0 μm or less.

5. A method for producing cheeses, comprising a step of adding a milk protein concentrate to raw milk, wherein the milk protein concentrate has a total protein to total solids weight ratio of less than 0.60, a insoluble whey protein to total protein weight ratio of 0.25 or more but less than 0.90, and a 50% particle size of 1.0 μm or more and 10.0 μm or less.

6. 6. The method for producing cheeses according to claim 5, wherein the step of adding the milk protein concentrate is a step of adding the milk protein concentrate so that the concentration of insoluble whey protein in the raw material milk is less than 0.079% by weight.

7. Cheeses produced by the method according to claim 5 or 6.

Images