Milk protein analysis using a micro fabricated sieve: A promising possibility

In cheese making, proteins present in the micellar phase, i.e., alpha, beta , kappa, gamma casein and their variants, determine the yield and propertie s of the final product (Walsh and others 1995). The current milk prices are based on solid components, that is, fat, total protein and other solids. H owever, the cheese yields are extremely sensitive to variations in protein sub-components. Thus, total protein content, although a simple measure of y ield, is not the most accurate one. In the future, the food industry might require simple tools to analyze protein components in a given sample of mil k. Two features of such a tool, portability and accuracy, would be invaluab le. in this article, a protocol for design of a micro-scale sieve for the s eparation of proteins is conceived.