Milk has an average protein content of 3.5 percent. However, it contains different types of protein. Due to their characteristics, milk proteins are divided into two main groups: casein and whey proteins. At 80 percent, caseins make up the majority of milk, while whey protein accounts for about 20 percent of milk. Whey proteins are extracted from the whey during cheese or casein production. Milk protein powder, on the other hand, is a skimmed milk concentrate which is obtained by ultrafiltration and then concentrated to a powder by evaporation followed by spray drying.
Use of casein
Casein production takes place by coagulation and sieving, for example when Lab is added. Lab is a mixture of the enzymes chymosin and pepsin, which is obtained from the abomasum of young ruminants and is needed to precipitate the milk protein in cheese production. The so-called curd is first squeezed out and then dried mostly on a drum dryer or extruder to casein powder.