What does gelation describe in dairy products?

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What does gelation describe in dairy products?

Gelation in dairy describes a liquid milk turning into a semi-solid gel as a protein network forms and traps water. In UHT milk, most enzymes are inactivated, but some heat-stable proteases, like plasmin, can survive the heat. During storage, these enzymes continue to act on milk proteins, gradually breaking down caseins and promoting protein interactions that create a three-dimensional network. This network gives the milk a gel-like texture over time. It’s not about spoiled clumps from bacteria or grainy sandiness, and it isn’t simply a gummy texture—the defining feature is the formation of a structured gel from the protein network driven by surviving enzymes after processing.

Gelation in dairy describes a liquid milk turning into a semi-solid gel as a protein network forms and traps water. In UHT milk, most enzymes are inactivated, but some heat-stable proteases, like plasmin, can survive the heat. During storage, these enzymes continue to act on milk proteins, gradually breaking down caseins and promoting protein interactions that create a three-dimensional network. This network gives the milk a gel-like texture over time. It’s not about spoiled clumps from bacteria or grainy sandiness, and it isn’t simply a gummy texture—the defining feature is the formation of a structured gel from the protein network driven by surviving enzymes after processing.

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