Question:

Sweetened condensed milk contaminated with rennin like enzyme producing bacterial strain may cause:

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Bacterial thickening in sweetened condensed milk is caused by enzymatic proteolysis of casein, which destabilizes the protein micelles and leads to gelation. This is distinct from chemical age thickening, which is driven by physicochemical protein interactions.
  • Bloating
  • Mould buttons
  • Bacterial thickening
  • Sugar separation
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Sweetened condensed milk can undergo a defect known as age thickening during storage, which is characterized by a gradual increase in viscosity that can progress to gelation.
This thickening can be driven by chemical changes or biological contamination.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

Let us analyze the biological causes of age thickening in sweetened condensed milk:
- When the product is contaminated with certain bacterial strains (such as some spore-forming Bacillus species) that produce heat-stable extracellular proteases or rennin-like enzymes, enzymatic deterioration can occur.
- Despite the high osmotic pressure, these active enzymes slowly hydrolyze and destabilize the casein micelles.
- This enzymatic cleavage causes the proteins to aggregate and form a continuous gel network, leading to a defect known as "bacterial thickening."
- Let us review the other options:
- Bloating is caused by gas-producing yeasts (such as Torulopsis spp.).
- Mould buttons are caused by the surface growth of molds (such as Aspergillus spp.).
- Sugar separation is a physical defect caused by gravity sedimentation of large lactose crystals.
Therefore, contamination with rennin-like enzyme-producing bacteria leads to bacterial thickening.

Step 3: Final Answer:

Contamination with rennin-like enzyme-producing bacteria causes bacterial thickening. Hence, the correct option is (C).
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