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Overcoming Age Gelation in UHT Milk
A science-backed solution protects long-term shelf life and product quality.
Achieving a reliable, extended shelf life is the goal of ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk production, but maintaining consistently high quality throughout the product’s lifecycle remains a complex formulation challenge. Even in aseptically packaged products, heat-stable proteases like AprX disrupt micellar integrity, eventually leading to age gelation—an undesirable thickening that turns milk from a smooth liquid into a gel‑like consistency. For dairy manufacturers, this can result in product recalls, increased waste, and diminished consumer confidence.
To solve this, ICL partnered with the Federal University of Viçosa in Brazil to validate the performance of JOHA® functional phosphate blends in mitigating AprX-induced age gelation in UHT milk. They demonstrated that JOHA® functional phosphate blends reduced AprX activity and maintained significantly lower enzymatic activity throughout the entire testing duration.
Download the full study to understand the mechanism behind this cost-effective solution, explore the detailed results, and see how JOHA® functional phosphate blends can improve UHT milk shelf life while maintaining consistent product quality.