A METHOD OF PRODUCING A DAIRY CONCENTRATE WITH FREE DIVALENT CATIONS PROTEIN AGGREGATION

The invention relates to a method of producing a dairy concentrate, comprising the steps of: providing an ingredient composition comprising micellar caseins and whey proteins and having a pH of 6.1 ? 7.1 and a concentration of 3 - 25 wt.% of proteins, and wherein the ingredient composition has a casein to whey protein ratio of 90/10 - 60/40, adding 3 - 25 mM divalent cations to provide a concentration of 3 - 8 mM free divalent cations in the ingredient composition, homogenising the ingredient composition; and subsequently pasteurising and stirring the ingredient composition at a temperature of 80?- 105?C for a period of 0.5 ? 3 min to form agglomerated proteins comprising caseins and beta-lactoglobulin from the whey proteins, the agglomerates having a size of 3 - 50 microns as measured by D(4,3) mean diameter. The invention also relates to a method with an ultra-high temperature treatment of the ingredient mix. Furthermore, the invention relates to a dairy concentrate comprising aggregated proteins comprising micellar casein and whey protein aggregates, wherein the product has a pH of 6.0 ? 7.1, a concentration of 6 - 55 wt.% milk solids, a casein to whey protein ratio of 90/10 - 60/40, and a concentration of 3 - 8 mM free divalent cations, and wherein the agglomerates having a size of 3 - 50 microns mean diameter D(4,3) as measured by laser diffraction. (Figure 1)