A plant-based cheese production methodology from apricot kernel press cake

Abstract

A plant-based cheese production methodology from apricot kernel press cake The invention relates to a rich, protein-rich, lump-free apricot kernel cheese and a method of production thereof.

Description

[0001] A plant-based cheese production methodology from apricot kernel press cake

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention generally relates to plant-based cheese and its production method. Specifically, it pertains to apricot kernel cheese characterized by high protein content, naturally structured fat, functional properties (such as melting and spreading) and a smooth texture, as well as the method of producing this cheese.

[0004] State of the Art

[0005] Currently, there is a growing worldwide interest in plant-based, protein-rich diets due to health and sustainability concerns, as well as ethical reasons. A significant portion of this interest is focused on plant-based cheese alternatives.

[0006] In the current state of the art, the plant-based cheese industry uses proteins from various sources and edible oils of plant-origin. Products primarily developed using fermented soy or peanut protein are among the most common.

[0007] Although soy has significant nutritional benefits comparable to cow's milk, it is also known to be a common allergen. Moreover, it lacks the desired melting and spreading properties (such as those used in pizza or toast) in both hard and soft cheeses. The melting behavior of plant-based cheese analogues is typically achieved by using solid fats like coconut or palm oils. It has been determined that 74% of plant-based cheeses being produced use coconut oil. However, the fats used in cheese analogs, such as coconut oils, may cause adverse health effects due to their high levels of saturated fatty acids (90% saturated triglycerides). Additionally, various studies have shown that plantbased cheeses are often exhibit undesirable characteristics, such as being lumpy, gritty, muddy, or hard and crumbly, and tend to have a low flavor profile. Fat leakage during the storage of plant-based cheeses is also considered a technical defect.

[0008] Research into existing technologies revealed a published application (publication number CN107279301A) titled "Apricot-kernel bean curd and preparation method thereof. This application mentions a method of preparing apricot kernel soy cheese, where apricot kernel is extracted with water to obtain its milk. However, the resulting cheese has a lumpy texture and low flavor as described in the current technologies and lacks the desired functional properties (such as melting and spreading).

[0009] In conclusion, while advancements are being made in plant-based cheese production, there remains a need for novel approaches to address these disadvantages mentioned above and provide solutions to existing challenges. Aim of the Invention

[0010] The present invention relates to apricot kernel cheese and its production method, which meets the aforementioned requirements, eliminates previously disadvantages, and offers additional advantages.

[0011] The main purpose of the invention is to ensure that both the plant protein and the vegetable oil used to substitute for milk fat in traditional cheeses originate from the same source: apricot kernels. The apricot kernel press cake, a by-product from coldpressing of apricot kernels, is used as a protein source due to its high protein content (30-45%).

[0012] Another aim of this invention is to use apricot kernel oil, obtained during cold-pressing process, in plant-based cheese production following an oleogelation process.

[0013] One key objective of the invention is to eliminate the health risks caused by the high saturated fat content of oils used in plant-based cheese production, of which more than 75% consists of coconut oil, solid palm oil, and similar oils. In this invention, an oleogelation process is applied to apricot kernel oil. This process, also known as organogel ati on, is a physical method that binds edible vegetable oils, giving them a gellike structure. It is a heat-changeable, three-dimensional, microstructured complex network that occurs formed by the asymmetric crystallization or self-aggregation of low molecular weight oleogellators with limited solubility in an edible vegetable oil. These systems allow for obtaining solid oleogel by trapping liquid oils in a three-dimensional structure with a gelling agent. Therefore, oleogels provide the physical structures to foods typically offered by saturated or trans fats. However, it is stated that they have properties similar to unsaturated fats without the health risks or problems seen in solidified fats.

[0014] In this invention, apricot kernel oil, which is in liquid and has a very low saturated fat content (7.2% - 8.3%), is combined with a mixture of oleogellators (75% candelilla - 25% carnauba waxes) to produce an oleogel for use in plant-based cheese. This provides an advantage in cheese production, transforming it into a solid with both a low saturated fat content and properties that do not negatively affect the structure of the cheese. Another objective is to prevent oil leakage in plant-based cheeses. This is achieved by utilizing apricot kernel oil oleogel, which exhibits a 99.9% oil binding capacity. Similarly, due to the oleogel’ s ability to stabilize the cheese network, structural defects such as crumbling and disintegration are prevented, enabling the production of plantbased cheese that can be sliced and grated.

[0015] To achieve all the aforementioned advantages and those described in further detail below, the invention is a plant-based cheese with apricot kernel, comprising:

[0016] - 50 to 70% w / w, water,

[0017] - 0.7 to 1.5% w / w, salt,

[0018] - 4 to 6% w / w, sugar, - 1 to 2.5% w / w, agar,

[0019] - 3 to 5% w / w, starch,

[0020] - 8 to 15% w / w, shelled apricot kernel press cake,

[0021] - 0.5 to 1% w / w, citric acid,

[0022] - 7 to 12% w / w, apricot kernel oil oleogel,

[0023] - 0.5 to 2% w / w, nutritional yeast.

[0024] The production method of the mentioned apricot kernel-based plant cheese includes the following steps:

[0025] - obtaining press cake and oil from shelled apricot kernels using cold press extraction machine with the cold-pressing method,

[0026] - pulverizing the apricot kernel press cake into powder using a grinder,

[0027] - applying an oleogelation process to apricot kernel oil using water bath with combining heater-stirrer, and glass tubes,

[0028] - mixing agar and water at 200 rpm for 10 minutes using a mixing machine,

[0029] - adding sugar to the dissolved agar and water mixture and mixing at 200 rpm for 1 minute using a mixer,

[0030] - heating the mixture at 85°C for 2 minutes,

[0031] - adding apricot kernel oil oleogel to the mixture and heating while stirring at 200 rpm at 85°C for 1 minute,

[0032] - adding apricot kernel press cake, water, salt, starch, citric acid to the mixture and stirring at 200 rpm at 85 °C for 10 minutes,

[0033] - pouring the prepared plant cheese into molds, packaging, and storing at 4 °C for 60 days at the end of the process.

[0034] The structural and characteristic features of the invention and all its advantages will be more clearly understood from the figures and the detailed description below. Therefore, the evaluation should be made considering these figures and detailed description.

[0035] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0036] In this detailed description, the preferred embodiments of the invention, specifically apricot kernel cheese and its production method, are explained only for better understanding of the subject and without any limiting effect.

[0037] The smooth apricot kernel-based plant cheese with a rich protein content, which is the subject of the invention, comprises:

[0038] - 50 to 70% w / w, water,

[0039] - 0.7 to 1.5% w / w, salt,

[0040] - 4 to 6% weight sugar,

[0041] - 1 to 2.5% w / w, agar,

[0042] - 3 to 5% - w / w, starch,

[0043] - 8 to 15% w / w, hulled apricot kernel press cake,

[0044] - 0.5 to 1% w / w, citric acid,

[0045] - 7 to 12% w / w, apricot kernel oil oleogel,

[0046] - 0.5 to 2% w / w, nutritional yeast. In the preferred embodiment of the plant-based cheese subject to the invention:

[0047] - 11.8% w / w, apricot kernel press cake,

[0048] - 68% w / w, water,

[0049] - 1% w / w, salt,

[0050] - 4.3% w / w, sugar,

[0051] - 1.5% w / w, agar,

[0052] - 0.5% w / w, citric acid,

[0053] - 3.5% w / w, starch,

[0054] - 8.4% w / w, apricot kernel oil oleogel,

[0055] - 1% w / w, nutritional yeast.

[0056] The production method of the apricot kernel plant-based cheese subject to the invention includes:

[0057] - Obtaining press cake and oil from hulled apricot kernels using a cold press extraction machine,

[0058] - Pulverizing the apricot kernel press cake using a grinder,

[0059] - Applying an oleogelation process to the apricot kernel oil using a water bath, heated stirrer, and glass tubes,

[0060] - Mixing agar and water at 200 rpm for 10 min using a mixing machine,

[0061] - Adding sugar to the dissolved agar and water mixture and mixing at 200 rpm for 1 min using a mixing machine,

[0062] - Heating the mixture at 85°C for 2 minutes,

[0063] - Adding the apricot kernel oil oleogel to the mixture and heating while stirring at 200 rpm at 85°C for 1 min,

[0064] - Apricot kernel press cake, water, salt, starch, citric acid were added to the mixture and mixed at 200 rpm 85°C for 10 minutes (this is important both for structure and to prevent microbial spoilage),

[0065] - The process steps include pouring the herbal cheese prepared at the end of the period into molds, packaging and keeping it at 4°C for one day and then offering it for consumption and storing it under the same conditions for 60 days without deterioration.

[0066] The apricot kernel press cake is obtained as a result of the extraction of the oil by cold pressing method of the kernel separated during the production of dried apricots or different processing of apricots. Apricot kernel press cake has higher level of protein, vitamins and antioxidants than apricot kernel. The composition of the press cake was determined by analyses of apricot kernel press cake produced by cold pressing technique. In the analyses, 43.4% crude protein, 16.9% crude fat, 10% crude cellulose, 3.41% starch and 5.75% carbohydrate were determined.

[0067] Due to all these properties, apricot kernel press cake was used as a protein source in plant-based cheese production. In addition, the use of this by-product, which is generally considered as waste, released during the cold press extraction technique of apricot kernel, contributes to the zero-waste approach.

[0068] If the organic liquid used in an oleogel system developed by oleogelation technique is edible vegetable oil, the resulting product is called “oleogel”. In a broader sense, oleogels can be defined as thermo-transformable, anhydrous, viscoelastic semi-solid systems formed by trapping a low polarity organic liquid in a three-dimensional gel network. Since the source of oleogels is liquid vegetable oils with low saturated fat content, the saturated fat content of the oleogels obtained is low and this is an important criterion in plant-based cheeses.

[0069] In the formulation of many plant-based cheeses produced, oils such as coconut oil and palm oil, which are in solid form and high in saturated fat, are used to replace milk fat. It is a great advantage that apricot kernel oil oleogel can provide the physical structures provided by saturated or trans fats to the cheese and at the same time, it shows similar properties to unsaturated fats without the health risks or problems seen in solidified oils. Considering all these reasons, oleogelation process was applied to the apricot kernel oil in liquid form and added to plant-based cheese.

[0070] In addition, the fact that both the oil source and the protein source come from the same plant adds originality to our study and provides the advantage of being the first product with these properties. In oleogel production, it is important to heat apricot kernel oil and oleogelators (75% candelila-25% carnauba waxes) at 90°C for 25 min at room temperature in order to make the oleogel suitable for addition to cheese formulation. The prepared oleogel should be kept at 4°C for 1 day for crystallization. It is also important to melt the oleogel at 85 °C for 1 min before adding to the cheese formulation.

[0071] Agar is a type of gelatine derived from seaweed species. Agar has a wide range of uses and some of them are as follows:

[0072] - Gelling and thickening: Agar is used as a thickening and gelling agent in many food products due to its ability to gel liquids. It is often used in the production of jellies, desserts, fruit purees, resins, various beverages and various cold foods.

[0073] - Use in vegan and vegetarian diets: Agar is used as a vegetable substitute for animal gelatine. Therefore, it is often preferred in vegan and vegetarian diets. By using agar in the production of apricot kernel-origin plant-based cheese, it is ensured that the cheese reaches the desired thickness in terms of structure and does not move away from the vegan cheese category we want to reach because it is vegan-type.

[0074] Mixing water and agar at 200 rpm for 10 min is important for the agar to gel.

[0075] Starch is one of the polysaccharides, the storage carbohydrate of plants, and is often used as a carbohydrate source in foods. The use of starch in plant-based cheese was chosen because of the following properties. Starch is added to the hot mix of apricot kernel-origin plant-based cheese to help increase the consistency, maintain and improve the texture of the cheese.

[0076] - Gelatinizing ability: Starch has the ability to gel or thicken when mixed with water when heated. This feature enables it to be used as a thickener in foods.

[0077] Colorless and odorless: Starch is generally colorless and odorless. This makes it usable in many different food products. Nutritional yeast, which contains high levels of protein, fiber, vitamins Bl, B2, B3, B3, B5, B6, B12, zinc, folic acid and is a source of biotin, has been used in the production of plant-based cheese. Since it is suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets, it does not break the category of plant-based cheese. In addition, it provides cheesy taste by improving the low flavour profile, which is a major problem in plant-based cheeses, and increases the nutritional properties of cheese with the vitamins it contains.

[0078] The use of citric acid varies depending on the cheese production process and the desired product characteristics. However, in general, the use of citric acid helps to control the pH, stabilize the product and obtain the desired properties in cheese production. In addition to pH regulation, citric acid helps to control microbial / bacterial activity. It is also widely used to stabilize the flavour of plant-based cheeses and contribute to the taste profile. The fact that it can improve the emulsion properties of plant-based cheese and help to obtain a more stable texture is one of the reasons why citric acid is used in the production of plant-based cheese made from apricot kernel press cake.

Claims

CLAIMS- 50 to 70 %, water, w / w.- 0.7 to 1.5 w / w.% salt,- 4 to 6 % sugar, w / w.- 1 to 2.5 %, w / w, agar.- 3 to 5 %, w / w, starch, is a smooth plant-based cheese with a rich protein content, characterised by;- 8 to 15 %, w / w, unshelled apricot kernel press cake,- 0.5 to 1 %, w / w, citric acid,- oleogenated with 7 to 12 %, w / w, apricot kernel oil,- 0.5 to 2 %, w / w, nutritional yeast comprises.

2. The cheese according to claim 1, characterised in that it is preferably,- 11.8%, w / w, apricot kernel press cake,- 68% water w / w,- 1% salt w / w,- 4.3% sugar w / w,- 1.5%, w / w, agar,- 0.5%, w / w, citric acid,- 3.5%, w / w, starch,- 8.4% w / w, apricot kernel oil oleogenate,- 1.0%, w / w, nutritional yeast contains.

3. It is a lump-free plant-based cheese production method with rich protein ratio , Features;- From apricot kernel without shell by cold press extraction machine obtaining press cake and oil by cold press method,- Pulverise the apricot kernel press cake with a shredder,- Apricot kernel using water bath, heater mixer and glass tubes oleogelation treatment of the oil,- Mixing agar and water with a mixing machine at 200 rpm for 10 min,- Add sugar to the dissolved agar and water mixture and mix with a mixing machine at 200 rpm for 1 min,- heating the mixture in the heater at 85°C for 2 min,- Adding apricot kernel oil oleogel to the mixture and heating and stirring at 200 rpm 85°C for 1 min,- Apricot kernel press cake, water, salt, starch, citric acid are added to the mixture and mixed at 200 rpm 85°C for 10 min,- The process steps include pouring the plant-based cheese prepared at the end of the period into moulds, packaging and storage at 4°C for 60 days.