Investigation of Blended Milk-Pea Protein Beverage Fouling and Cleaning Using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation

Fouling and the removal of the foulant during thermal processing of milk-pea protein blends were evaluated at high-temperature short-time and ultrahigh temperature ranges using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. The experimental protocol consisted of four 15 min stages: thermal process, initial water rinse, NaOH cleaning, and final water rinse. The fouling rate for milk-pea protein blends was lower compared to that of skim milk (SM), and the rate decreased as the concentration of pea proteins in the blend increased at all temperatures between 65 and 132 °C. The foulant created by the milk-pea protein blends was removed more effectively by a water rinse compared to the foulant from SM. Cleaning with a 0.1 M NaOH solution at the process temperature removed all fouling agents from the surface. Results of this investigation illustrate the importance of temperature and composition of the milk-pea protein blend for both creation and cleaning of foulants during thermal processes.