Abstract:Microbial proteases are common enzymes. Even after heat treatment or treatment(s) with other sterilization methods, these proteases may still remain in the sterilized milk and continue to function, including but not limited to quality and safety problems such as causing spoilage of dairy products, abnormal flavors, and gelation. However, due to the high stability of microbial proteases, how to effectively control and eliminate the influence of microbial proteases in the production process of sterilized milk, is still a major threat to the quality and safety of dairy products. In this paper, a focus is placed on the types and characteristics of microbial proteases that affect the quality of sterilized milk, as well as the specific effects on the quality of sterilized milk. The monitoring techniques and methods of microbial proteases in the production and processing of sterilized milk are summarized, in order to provide a reference for further research on microbial proteases in sterilized milk and their monitoring technologies and methods in the future.