Stability of Whey Proteins during Thermal Processing: A Review

Whey proteins have many benefits due to their high nutritional value and their various applications in food products. A drawback of whey proteins is their instability to thermal processing, which leads to their denaturation, aggregation, and, under some conditions, gelation. As thermal processing is a major treatment in the processing of milk and milk products, its influence on whey proteins has been extensively studied. Understanding the mechanisms involved during each stage of denaturation and aggregation of whey proteins is critical to devising ways of improving their stability. These aspects are reviewed in this paper. Also covered are approaches to preventing or reducing heat-induced aggregation of whey proteins. Inhibition of aggregate formation has considerable potential for alleviating the problems that arise from the instability of whey proteins.