“Apparent ropiness” (thread formation) in milk due to surface influence

Extract

A physical form of “ropiness” in milk has been described and shown to be due to the formation of thin films of casein and (or) lactalbumin at the milk-air interface.

The “ropes” are a form of the “mechanical surface aggregates” of Ramsden and may occur on appropriate surfaces, such as ordinary farm coolers whenever the rate of flow, the temperature and the acidity conditions are favourable.

A modification of Ramsden’s method demonstrating the formation of mechanical surface aggregates, in an hitherto unobserved form, has been described, viz. horizontal glass tubes in parallel which are especially suitable for opaque fluids.

The condition appears to be identical with that described by Aekma and Brouwer(2) who showed the occurrence of corpuscles in milk after violent agitation. These corpuscles probably consist of thin films of solid protein which as in the cases described by the author have formed at the interfaces of air bubbles and milk.

The phenomenon has been shown to be of importance in handling dilutions of milk in the course of bacterial enumeration.