Long Shelf Life Milk via Microfiltration and Short HT
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extending the shelf life of milk, such as UHT processing, result in undesirable chemical and sensory changes, including off-flavors and protein denaturation, which limit the product's acceptability.
Innovation Solution
A method involving physical separation of microorganisms from milk followed by a high-temperature treatment at 140-180 degrees C for up to 200 milliseconds, which reduces protein denaturation and improves taste, while maintaining microbial safety and nutritional value.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UHT processing is used to extend shelf life, then microbial safety is improved, but protein denaturation and off-flavor development increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary microfiltration to remove microorganisms and spores from milk before heat treatment. This pre-sterilization step allows subsequent milder heat treatment (135-150°C for 2-5 seconds) to achieve sufficient microbial safety while minimizing protein denaturation and off-flavor development that would occur with more severe UHT processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the heat treatment parameters from traditional UHT (135-150°C for several seconds) to a milder regime (135-150°C for only 2-5 seconds). This parameter modification, combined with prior microfiltration, achieves the desired microbial safety while reducing harmful chemical changes such as protein denaturation and Maillard browning reactions
2Duration of action of stationary object
If severe heat treatment is applied to destroy all microorganisms, then shelf life is extended, but sensory characteristics and nutritional value deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Microfiltration is performed as a preliminary step to remove the majority of microorganisms and spores before heat treatment. This reduces the microbial load to such an extent that milder, shorter heat treatment is sufficient to achieve the required shelf life extension while preserving sensory and nutritional quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses very short heat treatment times (2-5 seconds) to rapidly pass through the temperature range where damaging chemical reactions occur. This brief exposure at elevated temperature is sufficient to kill remaining microorganisms after microfiltration while minimizing protein denaturation, calcium precipitation, and Maillard browning
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method produces milk with a fresher taste and higher bioactive protein content, extending shelf life without the negative sensory and chemical changes associated with traditional heat treatments.
Implementation Method 1
exposing a first composition comprising said partly sterilised milk derivative to a High Temperature (HT)-treatment, wherein the first composition is heated to a temperature in the range of 140 - 180 degrees C, kept in that temperature range for a period of at most 200 msec
Implementation Method 2
physically separating microorganisms from said milk derivative
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 2c
AI summary
The present invention relates to long shelf life milk or milk-related products as well as to a method for producing such long shelf life products and a milk processing plant for the implementation of the method. The method of the invention is characterised by the combination of physical separation of microorganisms and a high temperature treatment for at most 200 msec, and the resulting product has been found to have advantageous properties.