Production of an electrolyte beverage from milk permeate.

The objective of this study was to prepare shelf-stable electrolyte beverages from milk permeate. The average composition of permeate was 4.59% total solids and .40% ash. Lactose was hydrolyzed (approximately 80%) with a commercial fungal lactase enzyme. Additional sweetness was provided by sucrose. The pH was reduced to 3.5 to 3.8 by the addition of citric acid. Shelf-stable products were made using four processes: 1) UHT followed by aseptic filling, 2) heating of filled bottles to 85 degrees C for 30 min, 3) addition of .05% benzoate, and 4) nanopore filtration. The mineral composition of the finished product, expressed in parts per million, was calcium, 150; phosphorus, 157; magnesium, 43; potassium, 1166; sodium, 286; iron, 17; copper, 8; and zinc, 3.4. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella dublin, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus agalactiae grew well when they were inoculated into unacidified, hydrolyzed permeate. None of these organisms were isolated from properly processed products. A shelf-stable electrolyte beverage high in minerals was made from whole milk permeate. This beverage could be used to replace electrolytes lost from the human body. The production of a permeate beverage would help alleviate disposal problems of permeate.