Physico-Chemical Properties of Milk Whey Protein Agglomerates for Use in Oral Nutritional Therapy

Abstract

Agglomerates based on milk whey proteins and modified starch (MS) were developed for patients with dysphagia. Cal-cium caseinate (CaCas), whey protein isolate (WPI), concentrate (WPC) and hydrolysate (WPH) were used. The sources were agglomerated with the MS and an increase in the porosity and viscosity of the agglomerates were ob-served. In all the systems evaluated, the WPI agglomerate at a concentration of 112 g/L showed a viscosity between 2122 and 5110 cP, and the agglomerates of WPC and WPH between 1115 - 2880 cP and 2600 - 6651 cP, respectively. CaCas exhibited high values in water and milk of 3200 cP and 6651 cP, respectively, and low values of 640 cP in juice. In sensory tests, the 70% WPI: 30% MS juice obtained a score 6.97, an improvement in relation to the other agglomer-ates, but not differing (p = 0.681) from the commercial thickener, 6.91 (p = 0.380). Based on these results, the 70% WPI: 30% MS was suggested for use in the nutritional therapy of patients with dysphagia.