A Milk-Like Beverage from Neutralized Direct-Acid-Set Cottage Cheese Whey ¹

An imitation milk was formulated by combining 4 parts of neutralized, direct-acid-set, cottage cheese whey with 6 parts of whole milk, and fortifying with .5% nonfat dry milk solids (NFDM). Whey collected from a commercial plant was neutralized, clarified, blended with milk, fortified with NFDM, pasteurized, homogenized, and packaged in ½-gal. paper cartons in the Kansas State University (KSU) dairy processing plant. Calculated raw material costs were compared for 2.0% low fat milk, 3.25% milk, and for imitation milks with those same milkfat concentrations. The 2.0 and 3.25% imitation milk could be formulated with savings of 35 and 25 cents per gallon, respectively. Coded samples of the product were compared with regular KSU whole milk by 112 persons. Of these, 45% identified the KSU milk samples, 35% thought the experimental product was the KSU milk, and 20% could tell no difference. The milk sample was preferred for flavor by 42% of the consumers, 32% had no preference, and 26% preferred the imitation milk. The imitation milk, containing 11.5% total solids and 2.4% protein, was .5% lower in total solids and 1.0% lower in protein than KSU whole milk.