In direct steam infusion UHT sterilization of milk, the rapid cooling of milk in a vacuum flash chamber serves to:
Options:
(A) Instantly cool the milk and flash off the exact amount of water condensate introduced by steam injection
(B) Coagulate whey proteins completely
(C) Eliminate milk fat globule membranes
(D) Dissolve ambient air into the milk to prevent oxidation
Answer Key:
A
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
Direct UHT processes heat milk by condensing culinary steam directly into the product, which adds ~10% water. Passing the mixture into a vacuum flash chamber causes rapid evaporative cooling and removes the exact mass of water added as steam, restoring the original milk total solids concentration.