Adulteration of animal-derived whey protein in infant formula: High-throughput screening of characteristic peptides.
- 2025-12
- Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.) 221
- Lin Shi
- Wei Jia
- Rong Zhang
- Xin Wang
- Haizhen Mo
- PubMed: 41174389
- DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2025.117311
Study Design
- Type
- Review
Thermal treatment is a crucial step in infant formula processing. Notably, over 97 % of β-lactoglobulins undergo coagulation, precipitation and denaturation after heat treatment, which greatly affects the accuracy of protein-centered whey protein adulteration detection. The review includes the following aspects to increase capabilities for addressing the concentration of whey protein: (i) the rapid quantification method of animal-derived whey protein centered on characteristic peptides is a new strategy to achieve rapid and accurate detection. (ii) Establishing quantitative models for different formulas of goat milk-based infant formula is an important means to improve the efficiency of rapid detection methods. (iii) Developing complex enzyme systems is a key approach to efficiently release characteristic peptides. Additionally, constructing enrichment materials based on electrostatic and hydrophobic differences can achieve peptide-specific capture. (iv) Developing identification and monitoring equipment for the rapid detection of goat-derived milk protein in multiple scenarios.