Effect of heating and cooling rates on recovery of milk components during heat-acid coagulation of milk for preparation of Chhana -an Indian soft cottage cheese

Effect of heat treatments i.e., combined heating and cooling rates of milk on recovery of milk components viz., fat, protein, lactose, and minerals were studied during heat-acid coagulation of milk for the preparation of chhana, an Indian soft cottage cheese. In the study, the heating rate was varied between 6.7 to 40°C.min-1 whereas the cooling rate was varied between 8 to 30°C.min-1. Area under the time-temperature curve was used as an index for measuring the time-temperature treatment given to milk prior to acidification. The study revealed that decreasing the combined effect of heating and cooling rates increased the recovery of total milk solids from 0.523 to 0.594 kg per kg milk solid, fat from 0.824 to 0.93 kg per kg milk fat, protein from 0.811 to 0.925 kg per kg milk protein, lactose from 0.084 to 0.102 kg per kg milk lactose and mineral from 0.38 to 0.593 kg per kg milk mineral. Also, the study revealed that the faster the rate of cooling, the recovery of total milk solid, fat, protein, and mineral in chhana were higher as compared to the heating. More ever, in case of lactose recovery, the faster heating rate was found to be better.