Fortification of reconstituted skim milk powder with different calcium salts: Impact of physicochemical changes on stability to processing

Reconstituted skim milk powder ( RSMP ) was fortified with 12.5 mM/L calcium (Ca) using soluble [Ca chloride ( CC hlor), Ca gluconate ( CG luc) or Ca hydroxide ( CH yd)] or insoluble [Ca carbonate ( CC arb), Ca phosphate ( CP hos) or Ca citrate ( CC it)] salts. CPhos and CC it decreased heat stability moderately at 140 °C, while CC arb had no effect. Soluble salts had a pronounced destabilising effect at 140 °C due to increased ionic Ca levels. After a laboratory‐scale high‐temperature short‐time heating process, CH yd‐fortified RSMP had a lower viscosity than all other samples. CC hlor and CG luc increased sedimentation during accelerated physical stability testing, with CH yd causing greater sedimentation than CC hlor or CG luc.