Growth of lactic acid bacteria in highly concentrated ultrafiltered skim milk retentates.

Buffer capacity of ultrafiltered skim milk retentates at various protein concentrations and growth of direct set, frozen concentrated lactic starter cultures in such retentates were studied. Maximum buffering occurred at approximately pH 5.1 to 5.3. An average .48% lactic acid concentration was required to reduce the pH of plain skim milk to 4.6 compared with 1.01% for skim milk retentates concentrated 2.3:1 and 1.14% for skim milk retentate concentrated 2.6:1. Skim milk retentates concentrated 4.3:1 and 5.8:1 were unable to attain pH 4.6 even when titratable acid was greater than 1.8%. Lactic acid required to reduce pH to 4.6 for the two lower concentrated retentates (2.3:1 and 2.6:1) were 1.85 and 2.45%. Time to attain pH 4.6 was a function of the bacterial cell concentration of the cultures and the total protein level of retentates. Starter organism growth was unaffected by high total solids or ash of retentates. Growth rate and lactose metabolism decreased markedly below pH 5.2 at which point bacterial population was 10(9) cfu/ml.