Alcohol and Heat Stability of Milk Protein

Recent advances have been made in the understanding of factors that control the destabilization of milk proteins by alcohol and by heat. These advances are reviewed, and arguments are developed supporting a physical basis for the mechanism of alcohol-induced precipitation. These physical effects are contrasted with the mainly chemical reaction-based factors controlling heat coagulation. The benefits of these recent developments are illustrated by case studies on cream liqueurs and concentrated milk products.