Hydration of Whey Powders as Determined by Different Methods

Four methods for evaluating water hydration of 15 whey derivative powders were compared, and results are discussed with respect to the chemical composition of the powders. Hydration capacities between 0.21 and 4.64 mt water/g of powder were obtained, depending on the method used. The filtration/centrifugation method gave the highest hydration capacity, whereas the paste-water retention method gave the lowest. The Baumann test and the paste-water retention method were well correlated with protein and lactose content of the powders, enabling differentiation between hydration capacities of whey protein concentrates (35% proteins) and electrodialyzed whey powders (12% proteins). Reliable characterization of hydration required a combination of methods.