June 24/Guelph, Ontario/Science Letter -- According to recent research from Guelph, Canada, "The effects of whole milk powder, two skim milk powders, caseinate, and two modified whey proteins (2% protein level in the final product) were evaluated in lean chicken meat batters and compared with controls with and without added lactose. All dairy proteins significantly (P<0.05) reduced cook losses when compared against the controls, with the two skim milk powders and modified whey-I showing the best results."
"Hardness and fracturability were also higher for all test batters compared with controls. Skim milk-II showed the highest fracturability value (21.9 vs. 7.1 N for the control) and was also found to be the most cost-effective ingredient for improving moisture binding and texture; skim milk-I and modified whey-I followed behind. Springiness and fracture distance were higher for all of the dairy proteins, except caseinate, indicating a positive contribution to the lean meat system's elasticity," wrote S. Barbut and colleagues, University of Guelph.