Milk Protein Broken Down

Everybody knows that milk is very nutritious. When people usually think of the nutrients in milk, calcium is the most popular that comes to mind. Milk is chuck full of calcium, however it is also very high in protein. Milk contains 8 grams of protein per 8 ounces (1 cup) of milk. That is one gram for every one ounce of milk. The protein found in milk is made up of two components; whey and casein. Whey makes up 20 percent of the protein while casein makes up the other 80 percent.

Like most things when they get heated up, they tend to breakdown. This is the same with the protein found in milk. When it is heated, it tends to get denatured. This process of denature begins at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it is heated to 176 degrees Fahrenheit, 80 percent of the protein has been denatured. When milk gets heated in this way the milk separated. A skin is formed on the top while the whey and lactose go to the bottom. When milk is heated too hot then the whey and the lactose stick to the bottom of the pan.

This is important to know because some recipes call for milk in them. Some even want the milk to be heated separately and then added to the mix. This is important because you do not want to ruin the milk because it will then ruin the food that you are making.