Cheese powder based on milk powder and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses cheese powder based on milk powder and a preparation method thereof, and the preparation method comprises the following steps: fully dissolving milk powder and casein micelle concentrate in water at 40-50 DEG C to form milk powder base liquid with the solid content of 25-30%; the addition amount of the casein micelle concentrate is 2-6% of the total mass of the milk powder base solution; 0.07-0.23% of a compound enzyme preparation is added into the milk powder base liquid for an enzymolysis reaction; adding 0.1-0.3% of microbial transglutaminase into the milk powder base solution subjected to enzymolysis, and carrying out a cross-linking reaction; sequentially adding a flavor enhancer and a stabilizer into the reacted milk powder base liquid; and carrying out spray drying on the milk powder base liquid to obtain cheese powder. The preparation method disclosed by the invention not only solves the problem of dependence on natural cheese resources in the prior art, but also effectively improves the product quality stability and the production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of dairy processing technology, and more specifically, relates to a milk powder-based cheese powder and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Cheese, as a fermented dairy product, is widely used in food processing, catering, and snack food industries. Cheese products are usually available in moist block or soft form. With the increasing demand from consumers for convenient, stable, and easy-to-store cheese alternatives, cheese powder has emerged.

[0003] The preparation of cheese powder mainly relies on pure cheese raw materials, which are processed by methods such as spray drying or freeze drying. For example, Chinese patent CN102318684A discloses a cheese powder and its preparation method. This method uses fresh cheese as raw material, mixes casein, alkaline substances, sugars, cream and other components, and then homogenizes and spray-dries the mixture to obtain the product. However, its flavor profile and richness are not as good as those of naturally fermented products, and the product quality is directly affected by the quality and batch stability of the cheese used.

[0004] To reduce reliance on natural cheese ingredients and shorten production cycles, the industry has proposed rapid preparation technologies based on milk powder. For example, Chinese patent CN101326937A discloses a method for preparing concentrated cheese powder using rapid fermentation. This method uses milk powder as raw material, inoculates it with a mixed strain of mold and lactic acid bacteria for fermentation, and then processes it through enzymatic hydrolysis, microencapsulation, and spray drying to obtain the product. Although microbial fermentation can impart cheese flavor to the product, it suffers from a long fermentation cycle. The tandem process of fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis may also lead to excessive protein hydrolysis, producing flavor defects such as bitterness and saponification, making it difficult to balance production efficiency and product quality. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical effect to be achieved by this application is to provide a milk powder-based cheese powder and its preparation method, which not only solves the problem of dependence on natural cheese resources in the existing technology, but also effectively improves product quality stability and production efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned technical effects, this application provides a method for preparing milk powder-based cheese powder, comprising the following steps: Milk powder and casein micelle concentrate are fully dissolved in water at 40-50°C to form a milk powder base solution with a solid content of 25-30%. The amount of casein micelle concentrate added is 2-6% of the total mass of the milk powder base solution. 0.07-0.23% of a compound enzyme preparation is added to the milk powder base solution for enzymatic hydrolysis. 0.1-0.3% of microbial transglutaminase is added to the enzymatically hydrolyzed milk powder base solution for cross-linking. Flavor enhancer and stabilizer are added sequentially to the milk powder base solution after the reaction is completed. The milk powder base solution is then spray-dried to obtain cheese powder.

[0007] In this method, a milk powder base liquid combined with casein micelle concentrate is used to enhance the stability of the protein matrix. First, a suitable amount of flavor precursors are generated through complex enzymatic hydrolysis. Then, microbial transglutaminase is used to achieve collisions and cross-linking between protein molecules, immobilizing the hydrolysate within the protein network and preventing flavor loss due to diffusion. Flavor enhancers and stabilizers are added to further optimize flavor complexity and emulsification performance. Finally, spray drying yields cheese powder. Compared with existing technologies, this method eliminates the need for long-cycle microbial fermentation, effectively shortening the production cycle and improving production efficiency. It can rapidly construct cheese flavors with high batch stability, overcoming the shortcomings of relying on natural cheese, limited flavor, and large batch fluctuations.

[0008] As a preferred option, the crosslinking reaction is carried out at a temperature of 50-55°C for 30-60 minutes.

[0009] As a preferred option, the complex enzyme preparation comprises 0.05-0.15% of a complex protease and 0.02-0.08% of a specific lipase.

[0010] Furthermore, the enzymatic hydrolysis reaction is carried out at a temperature of 50-55℃ and a pH of 6.0-6.5.

[0011] As a preferred option, before adding flavor enhancers and stabilizers to the milk powder base liquid after the reaction is complete, the method further includes: heating the milk powder base liquid to 80-85°C and maintaining it for 10-15 minutes for enzyme inactivation treatment, and then cooling it to 60-65°C after enzyme inactivation.

[0012] As a preferred option, the flavor enhancer includes at least one of casein hydrolysate, enzyme-modified cheese powder, natural cheese flavoring, and yeast extract.

[0013] Furthermore, the flavor enhancer comprises 3-5% casein hydrolysate, 1-2% enzyme-modified cheese powder, 0.1-0.3% natural cheese flavoring, and 0.5-1.0% yeast extract.

[0014] As a preferred option, the stabilizer comprises 1.5-2.5% calcium chelate salt, 0.02-0.05% calcium chloride, and 0.1-0.3% emulsifier.

[0015] As a preferred option, the process of spray drying the milk powder base liquid to obtain cheese powder includes: spray drying the milk powder base liquid at an inlet temperature of 165-180℃, an outlet temperature of 85-95℃, and an atomization pressure of 15-25 MPa to obtain primary powder with a moisture content of 8-12%; and further drying the primary powder in a fluidized bed at a temperature of 50-60℃ for 30-60 minutes to obtain cheese powder with a moisture content of ≤4%.

[0016] In this scheme, a two-step drying process is used to obtain cheese powder. Compared with single spray drying, this process significantly reduces the loss of heat-sensitive flavor compounds while ensuring drying efficiency, protects the cross-linking network structure of microbial transglutaminase (TG enzyme), avoids protein denaturation caused by excessive temperature, and achieves a balance between flavor preservation, texture stability, and energy consumption control.

[0017] To achieve the above-mentioned technical effects, this application also provides a milk powder-based cheese powder, which is prepared using any of the above technical solutions.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: 1. The solution provided in this application uses milk powder base liquid combined with casein micelle concentrate to enhance the stability of the protein matrix. First, a suitable amount of flavor precursors are generated through complex enzymatic hydrolysis. Then, cross-linking between protein molecules is achieved through microbial transglutaminase, immobilizing the hydrolysate in the protein network and preventing the diffusion and loss of flavor substances. Flavor enhancers and stabilizers are added to further optimize flavor complexity and emulsification performance. Finally, cheese powder is obtained through spray drying. Compared with existing technologies, this method eliminates the need for long-cycle microbial fermentation, effectively shortening the production cycle and improving production efficiency. It can rapidly construct cheese flavor with high batch stability, solving the defects of relying on natural cheese, single flavor, and large batch fluctuations.

[0019] 2. The solution provided in this application obtains cheese powder through a two-step drying process. Compared with single spray drying, this process significantly reduces the loss of heat-sensitive flavor compounds while ensuring drying efficiency, protects the cross-linking network structure of microbial transglutaminase (TG enzyme), avoids protein denaturation caused by excessive temperature, and achieves a balance between flavor preservation, texture stability, and energy consumption control. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will be described in detail below. The following embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of this application more clearly, and are therefore only examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] This application provides a method for whole-grain fermentation using cold maceration of grapes, including the following steps: S11: Dissolve milk powder and casein micelle concentrate in water at 40-50℃ to form a milk powder base solution with a solid content of 25-30%; Specifically, the amount of casein micelle concentrate added is 2-6% of the total mass of the milk powder base. The milk powder is preferably a low-heat-treated milk powder with a whey protein nitrogen index (WPNI) ≥ 6.0 mg / g to maintain the natural structure and functional properties of whey protein. The low-heat-treated milk powder can be low-heat-treated whole milk powder or low-heat-treated skim milk powder. Casein micelle concentrate (MCC) is obtained from skim milk using microfiltration technology, with a protein content ≥ 70%, of which casein accounts for ≥ 85% of the total protein. MCC retains the natural micelle structure of casein, is coated with K-casein, and exhibits good colloidal stability and excellent performance as a substrate for TG enzymes.

[0022] During the dissolution process, the metered milk powder and MCC are slowly added to water preheated to 40-50°C while simultaneously stirring with a high-shear stirrer (250-350 rpm) to ensure the powder is fully dispersed and free of lumps. Stirring time is typically 20-40 minutes until a homogeneous milk powder base solution is formed. The solids content of the milk powder base solution is controlled at 25-30%, preferably 27% ± 1%. This appropriate solids concentration is beneficial to the catalytic activity of proteases and TG enzymes, improving the efficiency of TG enzyme cross-linking in subsequent processes. Excessively high solids content leads to low water activity and high viscosity in the milk powder base solution, which is detrimental to enzyme catalytic activity and reduces homogenization.

[0023] S12: Add 0.07-0.23% of a compound enzyme preparation to the milk powder base solution to carry out an enzymatic hydrolysis reaction; Preferably, the complex enzyme preparation comprises 0.05-0.15% of a complex protease and 0.02-0.08% of a specific lipase. The complex protease is preferably an endopeptide derived from *Aspergillus oryzae*, possessing broad substrate specificity and capable of hydrolyzing peptide bonds in casein and whey protein to generate free amino acids and 2-10 peptides. The specific lipase is preferably a lipase derived from *Rhizopus* or *Penicillium*, exhibiting high hydrolytic activity against short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids (C4-C10) in milk fat, capable of releasing free fatty acids with characteristic cheese flavor, such as butyric acid, caproic acid, and octanoic acid. Optionally, the enzymatic hydrolysis reaction is carried out at a temperature of 50-55°C and a pH of 6.0-6.5.

[0024] Specifically, the purpose of enzymatic hydrolysis in this stage is to generate an appropriate amount of flavor precursor substances, laying the foundation for subsequent flavor formation. To prevent excessive enzymatic hydrolysis from producing a large amount of hydrophobic short peptides and excessive free fatty acids, which could lead to undesirable flavors such as bitterness and saponification, the degree of hydrolysis in this step is preferably controlled to be 5-10%.

[0025] S13: Add 0.1-0.3% of microbial transglutaminase to the enzymatically hydrolyzed milk powder base solution to carry out a cross-linking reaction; Specifically, the amount of microbial transglutaminase (TG enzyme) added is 0.1-0.3% of the total mass of the milk powder base liquid, preferably 0.15-0.25%. TG enzyme catalyzes the acyl transfer reaction between the γ-amide group of glutamine residues and the ε-amino group of lysine residues in protein molecules, forming an ε-(γ-glutamyl)lysine isopeptide bond. This is a covalent cross-linking bond, irreversible and highly stable. Through cross-linking between protein molecules, a protein cross-linking network structure is gradually formed, immobilizing flavor precursors such as free amino acids, short peptides, and free fatty acids produced during the enzymatic hydrolysis stage within the protein cross-linking network. This prevents the diffusion and loss of these water-soluble and fat-soluble flavor substances during subsequent high-temperature enzyme inactivation and spray drying processes, thereby retaining more flavor substances.

[0026] Preferably, the cross-linking reaction is carried out at a temperature of 50-55°C for 30-60 minutes. Traditional cheese preparation involves microbial fermentation to produce acid, causing casein to precipitate at its isoelectric point, or cleaving k-casein with rennet to form curd. These processes typically require 6-10 hours or even longer. In this embodiment, a gel network is rapidly constructed within 30-60 minutes via TG enzyme cross-linking, significantly shortening the fermentation process.

[0027] S14: Add flavor enhancer and stabilizer sequentially to the milk powder base liquid after the reaction is completed; Specifically, before adding flavor enhancers and stabilizers, enzyme inactivation treatment is required to terminate enzymatic hydrolysis and cross-linking reactions, preventing residual enzyme activity from causing product quality changes during subsequent storage and drying. The enzyme inactivation method is as follows: rapidly heat the milk powder base solution to 80-85℃ (heating rate ≥ 5℃ / min) and maintain for 10-15 minutes to completely inactivate proteases, lipases, and TG enzymes. The enzyme inactivation temperature should not be too high (≤ 85℃) to avoid excessive heating leading to protein denaturation, Maillard reactions, and loss of flavor compounds through volatilization. After enzyme inactivation, cool the slurry to 60-65℃ to prepare for the addition of heat-sensitive flavor ingredients and stabilizers.

[0028] Optionally, the flavor enhancer includes at least one of casein hydrolysate, enzyme-modified cheese powder, natural cheese flavoring, and yeast extract. Preferably, the flavor enhancer includes 3-5% casein hydrolysate, 1-2% enzyme-modified cheese powder, 0.1-0.3% natural cheese flavoring, and 0.5-1.0% yeast extract.

[0029] Optionally, the stabilizer includes calcium chelate salts, calcium chloride, and emulsifiers, which optimize emulsion stability, prevent fat from rising and protein from settling, and improve spray drying performance. The emulsifier is preferably a natural emulsifier such as soybean lecithin, monoglycerides, or a combination thereof.

[0030] S15: Spray dry the milk powder base liquid to obtain cheese powder.

[0031] Preferably, this step includes the following sub-steps: The milk powder base liquid is spray-dried at an inlet temperature of 165-180℃, an outlet temperature of 85-95℃, and an atomization pressure of 15-25 MPa to obtain a primary powder with a moisture content of 8-12%. The primary powder is subjected to secondary fluidized bed drying at a temperature of 50-60℃ for 30-60 minutes to obtain cheese powder with a moisture content of ≤4%.

[0032] Based on the embodiments provided in this application, some specific experiments have been conducted on this application. From these embodiments and comparative examples, it can be seen that the solution provided in this application has achieved good results. It should be noted that the following embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention in detail and do not limit the scope of protection of the invention in any way.

[0033] In the embodiments of this application, the milk powder was purchased from Fonterra, New Zealand; the MCC was purchased from Idaho Milk Products, USA; the complex protease was Novozymes Flavorzyme 1000L with an enzyme activity of 50 LAPU / g; the specific lipase was Sigma-Aldrich Lipase from Rhizopus oryzae with an enzyme activity of 150,000 U / g; and the microbial transglutaminase was purchased from Ajinomoto Activa with an enzyme activity of 100 U / g.

[0034] Example 1 S21: Weigh 840 g of low-heat treated whole milk powder and 120 g of casein micelle concentrate, add them to 3040 g of distilled water preheated to 45°C, stir for 30 minutes, and obtain 4000 g of milk powder base liquid with a solid content of 27% and pH 6.5. S22: Add 4.0 g of complex protease and 2.0 g of specific lipase to the milk powder base solution, mix and then enzymatically hydrolyze at 52℃ and pH 6.2 for 75 minutes. During this period, take samples every 20 minutes to detect the degree of hydrolysis. When DH reaches 7.2%, proceed to the next step. S23: Add 8.0 g of microbial transglutaminase to the hydrolyzed milk powder base solution, react at 52℃ and pH 6.2 for 45 minutes, and then gently stir at 100 rpm. S24: Rapidly heat the milk powder base solution to 82℃ (heating rate 6℃ / min), hold for 12 minutes to inactivate the enzyme, then cool to 62℃; add the following ingredients in sequence: 160 g of casein hydrolysate, 60 g of enzyme-modified cheese powder, 8 g of natural cheese flavoring, 30 g of yeast extract, 80 g of sodium citrate, 1.2 g of calcium chloride, and 8 g of soybean lecithin. Gently stir for 20 minutes to fully dissolve and disperse all ingredients. S25: Drying is carried out using a spray drying tower: inlet temperature 172℃, outlet temperature 90℃, atomization pressure 20 MPa, feed flow rate 70 kg / h, to obtain primary powder (moisture content 10.2%). The primary powder was transferred to a fluidized bed dryer for secondary drying: temperature 55℃, air volume 450 m³ / h, drying for 45 minutes to obtain the final cheese powder (moisture content 3.2%).

[0035] Examples 2-8 Examples 2-6 differ from Example 1 in the amount of substances added and the process control at each step. Detailed parameters can be found in Table 1 below.

[0036] Table 1. Parameter configuration for each step in the embodiment. The differences between Comparative Examples 1-4 and Example 1 lie in the amount of substances added and the process control at each step. Detailed parameters can be found in Table 2 below.

[0037] Table 2 shows the parameter configurations for each step in Comparative Examples 1-4. The cheese powders prepared in Examples 1-9 and Comparative Examples 1-4 were rehydrated with water at 60°C in a 1:2 ratio. A professionally trained sensory evaluation team scored the products on aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and overall acceptability, with a maximum score of 10. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of key flavor compounds (short-chain fatty acids, esters, ketones, and diacetyl) in the products. The evaluation results are shown in Table 3 below.

[0038] Table 3 Evaluation results of Examples 1-9 and Comparative Examples 1-4 Experimental conclusion: As can be seen from the evaluation results in Table 3, the cheese powders prepared in Examples 1-9 of this invention performed excellently in both the total key flavor component quality and the overall sensory score, while the quality of the products in Comparative Examples 1-4 was significantly lower. This further demonstrates the significant beneficial effects of this application.

[0039] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing milk powder-based cheese powder, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Milk powder and casein micelle concentrate are fully dissolved in water at 40-50°C to form a milk powder base solution with a solid content of 25-30%; the amount of casein micelle concentrate added is 2-6% of the total mass of the milk powder base solution. Add 0.07-0.23% of a compound enzyme preparation to the milk powder base solution to carry out an enzymatic hydrolysis reaction; Add 0.1-0.3% of microbial transglutaminase to the enzymatically hydrolyzed milk powder base solution to carry out a cross-linking reaction; Flavor enhancer and stabilizer are added sequentially to the milk powder base solution after the reaction is completed; The milk powder base solution is spray-dried to obtain cheese powder.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crosslinking reaction is carried out at a temperature of 50-55°C for 30-60 minutes.

3. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The compound enzyme preparation comprises 0.05-0.15% compound protease and 0.02-0.08% specific lipase.

4. The preparation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The enzymatic hydrolysis reaction was carried out at a temperature of 50-55℃ and a pH of 6.0-6.

5.

5. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before adding the flavor enhancer and stabilizer to the milk powder base solution after the reaction is complete, the method further includes: The milk powder base solution is heated to 80-85℃ and held for 10-15 minutes for enzyme inactivation. After enzyme inactivation, the temperature is lowered to 60-65℃.

6. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flavor enhancer includes at least one of casein hydrolysate, enzyme-modified cheese powder, natural cheese flavoring, and yeast extract.

7. The preparation method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The flavor enhancer comprises 3-5% casein hydrolysate, 1-2% enzyme-modified cheese powder, 0.1-0.3% natural cheese flavoring, and 0.5-1.0% yeast extract.

8. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stabilizer comprises 1.5-2.5% calcium chelate salt, 0.02-0.05% calcium chloride, and 0.1-0.3% emulsifier.

9. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of spray drying the milk powder base solution to obtain cheese powder includes: The milk powder base liquid is spray-dried at an inlet temperature of 165-180℃, an outlet temperature of 85-95℃, and an atomization pressure of 15-25 MPa to obtain a primary powder with a moisture content of 8-12%. The primary powder is subjected to secondary fluidized bed drying at a temperature of 50-60℃ for 30-60 minutes to obtain cheese powder with a moisture content of ≤4%.

10. A milk powder-based cheese powder, prepared by the preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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