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Sub-Fraction: Milk

Why test for milk sub-fractions?

Many patients ask their physicians if they can eat curd or whey protein, if they test positive to milk.

The answers can be easily determined if the test for sub-fractions is performed. One of the first steps in preparing cheese is to separate the curds from the whey. This is often done by acid-precipitation of the milk (souring), followed by centrifugation. Curds are insoluble (precipitate); whey is liquid (supernate). Cheese is made from curds. The major component of curds is Casein. Whey proteins consist of Alpha-lactalbumin (ALA), Beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lactoferrin (LF). These five proteins, sub-fractions of milk, are tested individually. If the patient is positive to Casein, they should not eat cheese. If the patient is positive to any of the 4 proteins of whey, they should not include whey proteins in their diet.