Temperature Effect on Lactose Crystallization, Maillard Reactions, and Lipid Oxidation in Whole Milk Powder

Whole milk powder with an initial water content of 4.4% (w/w) and a water activity of 0.23 stored in hermetically sealed vials for up to 147 days below (37 and 45 °C) and above (55 °C) the glass transition temperature (T g determined to have the value 48 °C) showed a strong temperature dependence for quality deterioration corresponding to energies of activation close to 200 kJ/mol for most deteriorative processes. The glass transition was found not to cause any deviation from Arrhenius temperature dependence. Lactose crystallization, which occurred as a gradual process as monitored by isothermal calorimetry, is concluded to liberate bound water (a w increase to 0.46) with a modest time delay (approximately 2 days at 55 °C) and with concomitant surface browning as evidenced by an increasing Hunter b-value. Browning and formation of bound hydroxymethyl-furfural determined by HPLC seem to be coupled, while formation of another Maillard reaction product, furosine, occurred gradually and was initiated prior to crystallization. Initiation of lipid oxidation, as detected by lipid-derived radicals (high g-value ESR spectra), and progression of lipid oxidation, as detected by headspace GC, seem not to be affected by lactose crystallization and browning, and no indication of browning products acting as antioxidants could be determined. Keywords: Whole milk powder; lactose crystallization; lipid oxidation; Maillard reactions; nonenzymatic browning; ESR spectroscopy; furosine; HMF; radicals