Microparticulation of whey protein: related factors affecting the solubility

Solubility of Simplesse 100, the only whey-based fat substitute, was found to be good, considering the fact that technology for preparation of Simplesse 100 is a sequence of thermal steps. To characterize this phenomen, gel chromatography on Sephadex G-100, Sephacryl S-1000 and SDS-PAGE were used, supported by high-speed separation, UV studies and analytical procedures. Results show that the unusual solubility characteristic of microparticulated whey protein is related to two molecular effects: (1) optimal defolding of protein molecules and (2) stabilization of the defolded status by carbohydrate. Both effects were considered to favour non-covalent bonds, which contribute to the outstanding physico-functional and nutritive properties of microparticles.