Protein-containing beverages can
be generally sub-divided based on pH and thermal processing.
Acidified beverages are at pH 4.6 or less (21 CFR 114) and can be
processed at temperatures < 100 C; low acid beverages are at
pH > 4.6 (21 CFR 113) and require thermal processing at
temperatures > 100 C for shelf stability. Salts are added to beverages
to fulfill nutritional needs, as can be seen by reading the
labels of common sports and meal replacement drinks. Whey
proteins are a sensible protein source for beverages because of their high nutritional profile (