Dairy Manufacturing Webinar, Protein Peacekeepers – Controlling instability in UHT milk, May 27, 2026

Protein Peacekeepers: Controlling instability in UHT milk

Presenter

Thom Huppertz, FreislandCampina NL and University College Cork Ireland.

Webinar Description

UHT milk stability is often considered as simply controlling microbial and enzymatic activities. However UHT long-term stability depends on a delicate balance between milk proteins, minerals, heat treatment and storage conditions. In this webinar, we will explore why UHT milk can become unstable, including sediment formation, age gelation and other visible defects. The focus will be on the protein interactions that drive these changes, and on the practical levers available to control them. By linking dairy chemistry to processing reality, the session will show how proteins can act not only as troublemakers, but also as peacekeepers in stable UHT milk.

Presenter Biography

Prof. Thom Huppertz holds a MSc from Wageningen University and a PhD from University College Cork. His career includes academic and industrial research in the field of dairy science and technology. His research has spanned from products to processes, from biosynthesis of milk to digestion of milk constituents in the human body, and from product and process optimization to sustainable food systems. He currently combines the roles of Research Professor at University College Cork, Research Fellow at FrieslandCampina, Distinguished Visiting Professor at Victoria University, Visting Professor at Jiangnan University and Editor-in-Chief of International Dairy Journal.