A clean-label cheese stick formed by endogenous acid and its preparation method

Abstract

This invention discloses a cheese stick with a self-generated acid-promoted molding process and its preparation method, belonging to the field of dairy processing technology. This invention adds milk and fermentation strains to the raw materials for making cheese sticks, eliminating the need for exogenous acidity regulators. The acidity of the cheese sticks is adjusted through the fermentation of milk by the fermentation strains. The cheese sticks obtained by this invention have textural properties close to existing cheese sticks, and compared to others, they simplify the formula while improving the nutritional quality of the cheese sticks, increasing the protein content by 1.2%, and possessing a unique yogurt flavor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a clean-label cheese stick formed by endogenous acid and its preparation method, belonging to the field of dairy processing technology. Background Technology

[0002] Cheese, often called "dairy gold," is a natural and nutritious food made from fermented and concentrated milk. It is rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, and healthy fats. Cheese contains a large amount of casein, which has excellent emulsifying and foaming properties. Cheese is often processed into various products, such as cheese sticks. Cheese sticks are a relatively new snack that has emerged in recent years, categorized as either processed cheese or cheese products based on their cheese content. Companies often add sugar, cream, and other ingredients to cheese sticks to improve the flavor and appeal to consumers. Cheese sticks are an emulsion gel system, requiring casein gel as a support in the aqueous phase. Currently, all cheese sticks on the market heavily rely on exogenous acidity regulators to promote protein aggregation and help the cheese sticks solidify. GB2760-2011 "Standards for the Use of Food Additives" and GB7718-2011 "General Rules for Labeling of Prepackaged Foods" strictly regulate food additives. Acidity regulators, as a type of food additive, should not be added unless necessary or if other solutions exist, making food additive labeling more natural and clean. Therefore, developing a new method for preparing cheese sticks using endogenous acid production from milk can reduce the over-reliance on acidity regulators, making food additive labels cleaner and formulas more natural. It will also impart a unique yogurt flavor to the cheese sticks, enhance their nutritional value, develop new processing technologies, and promote diversified and high-quality development in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of the existing technology, this invention provides a cheese stick formed by endogenous acid and its preparation method, which eliminates the need for exogenous acidity regulators, simplifies the cheese stick formula, enhances its nutritional value, and introduces a rich yogurt flavor.

[0004] The first technical solution provided by the present invention is a cheese stick, comprising the following components by weight: 15-55 parts natural cheese, 8-20 parts butter, 8-20 parts sucrose, 1.5-2.6 parts food additives, 30-50 parts milk, and 0.1-0.2% fermentation strains by weight of milk, wherein the fermentation strains are one or both of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus.

[0005] In some implementations, the natural cheese is one or more of Parmesan, Cheddar, Gouda, and Mozzarella.

[0006] In some embodiments, the food additive includes a thickener and an emulsifying salt; the amount of the thickener added is 0.5%-1.2%, and the amount of the emulsifying salt added is 1.0%-1.4%.

[0007] Furthermore, the thickener includes a first thickening colloid and a second thickening colloid, wherein the first thickening colloid is selected from carrageenan, gelatin or xanthan gum, and the second thickening colloid is one or two of saponin gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, taro gum and konjac gum.

[0008] Furthermore, the emulsified salt is sodium citrate, sodium pyrophosphate, or sodium hexametaphosphate.

[0009] The second technical solution provided by this invention is a method for preparing cheese sticks, comprising the following steps:

[0010] (1) Mix the milk, natural cheese and emulsified salt evenly;

[0011] (2) Inoculate with bacterial strains and ferment to obtain acidified emulsion;

[0012] (3) Centrifuge the acidified emulsion from step (2) to separate it into supernatant and concentrated cream;

[0013] (4) Add butter, thickener and sucrose to the concentrated cream in step (3), mix and stir and heat to sterilize to obtain cheese stick puree;

[0014] (5) Pour the cheese stick syrup into a mold and let it cool to obtain cheese sticks.

[0015] In some embodiments, in step (1), the chopping speed is 1500-2500 r / min and the temperature is 35-45°C.

[0016] In some implementations, 1 to 1.5 parts of water are added in step (1). Adding water is necessary during the mixed fermentation stage to ensure successful fermentation.

[0017] In some implementations, in step (2), the fermentation temperature is 35-45°C and the fermentation time is 7-14 hours.

[0018] In some implementations, the centrifugation parameters in step (3) are: rotation speed 1000-1500 rpm, time 5-10 min.

[0019] In some embodiments, the parameters for stirring and heating sterilization in step (4) are as follows: rotation speed of 1000-2500 r / min, temperature of 85℃-98℃, and time of 8-12 min.

[0020] The third technical solution provided by the present invention is the application of the method described in the second technical solution in the preparation of products containing processed cheese.

[0021] The beneficial effects achieved by this invention are as follows:

[0022] This invention incorporates milk and fermentation strains into the raw materials for making cheese sticks, eliminating the need for exogenous acidity regulators. The acidity of the cheese sticks is adjusted through the fermentation of milk by the fermentation strains. The cheese sticks produced by this invention have textural properties similar to existing cheese sticks, and compared to others, they simplify the formula while improving nutritional quality, increasing protein content by 1.2%, and possessing a unique yogurt flavor. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a technical roadmap of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 Images of the finished cheese sticks from Comparative Example 1 and Examples 1-3;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a comparison of the relative content of flavor compounds in cheese sticks from Examples 1 to 3. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below. It should be understood that the embodiments are for better explanation of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0027] Test method:

[0028] 1. Texture testing methods:

[0029] Cut the finished product into 2×3×3 (cm) cubes for testing. The full texture test is a data collection method using the instrument to measure the relationship between sample deformation and force through two compressions.

[0030] A texture analyzer was used to perform full texture testing. Test conditions: speed: 2.5 mm / s, test speed: 2.5 mm / s, post-test speed: 2.5 mm / s. Trigger force: 5 g, test distance: 5 mm. Ambient temperature: 25℃.

[0031] 2. Flavor detection methods:

[0032] The sample was heated to a flow state, and 5g of sample was injected into a headspace extraction vial. After equilibration at 50°C for 30 min and adsorption for 10 min, data were acquired using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

[0033] Flavor compounds were analyzed using GC-MS. Test conditions: (1) Chromatographic conditions: OV1701 quartz capillary column (30mm×0.25mm×0.50μm); Helium (He) flow rate 1ml / min; Temperature program: 55℃ for 2min, increase to 200℃ at 4℃ / min, do not hold, increase to 240℃ at 10℃ / min, hold for 2min; Solvent delay 4min. (2) Mass spectrometry conditions: Electron impact (EI) ion source; Ionization mode: EI+; Energy 70eV; Transfer line temperature: 250℃; Ion source temperature: 230℃; Mass scan range m / z: 15~550.

[0034] 3. Electronic nose flavor analysis:

[0035] Flavor compound analysis was performed using the Super Nose electronic flavor response device from Shanghai ISENSO Co., Ltd. An attempt was made to determine the difference in the amount of volatile flavor compounds in this patented product. A 3g sample was equilibrated in a 50℃ water bath for 30 minutes before testing. The test conditions were: adsorption time 180s.

[0036] Raw materials used in the examples:

[0037] 1. The thermophilic streptococcus is sourced from Peptacon Technology.

[0038] 2. Lactobacillus bulgaricus is derived from Ruimao Biotechnology.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] A cheese stick, the raw materials of which include the following components in weight percentage: 35 parts mozzarella, 50 parts water, 12 parts butter, 10 parts sucrose, 1.2 parts thickener: 0.6 parts carrageenan and 0.6 parts locust bean gum, 1.2 parts emulsifying salt: 1.0 part sodium pyrophosphate and 0.2 parts sodium citrate, 40 parts milk, and 0.1% thermophilic streptococci by weight of milk.

[0041] Preparation method:

[0042] (1) Mix milk, water, cheese, sodium pyrophosphate, and sodium citrate evenly. The mixing speed is 2000 r / min and the temperature is 37℃.

[0043] (2) Inoculate with Streptococcus thermophilus and ferment at 40°C for 7.5 hours to obtain acidified emulsion.

[0044] (3) Centrifuge the acidified emulsion after fermentation to separate it into supernatant and concentrated emulsion. The centrifugation parameters are 1000 rpm and 8 min.

[0045] (4) Add butter, carrageenan, locust bean gum, and sucrose to the concentrated cream, mix and heat to obtain the cheese stick base. The rotation speed is 2500 r / min, the temperature is 95℃, and the stirring and heating sterilization time is 8 min.

[0046] (5) Pour the cheese stick syrup into a mold and let it cool to obtain cheese sticks.

[0047] Example 2

[0048] A cheese stick, the raw materials of which include the following components in weight percentage: 55 parts mozzarella cheese, 55 parts water, 8 parts butter, 8 parts sucrose, 1 part thickener: 0.4 parts carrageenan and 0.6 parts guar gum, 1.2 parts emulsifying salt: 0.8 parts sodium pyrophosphate and 0.4 parts sodium citrate, 27 parts milk, 0.1% Lactobacillus bulgaricus and 0.1% Streptococcus thermophilus by weight of milk.

[0049] Preparation method:

[0050] (1) Mix milk, water, cheese, sodium pyrophosphate, and sodium citrate evenly. The mixing speed is 1500 r / min and the temperature is 45℃.

[0051] (2) Inoculate with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus and ferment at 43°C for 10 hours to obtain acidified emulsion.

[0052] (3) Centrifuge the acidified emulsion after fermentation to separate it into supernatant and concentrated emulsion. The centrifugation parameters are 1100 rpm and 6 min.

[0053] (4) Add butter, carrageenan, guar gum, and sucrose to the concentrated cream, mix and heat to obtain the cheese stick base. The rotation speed is 2000 r / min, the temperature is 90℃, and the stirring and sterilization time is 10 min.

[0054] (5) Pour the cheese stick syrup into a mold and let it cool to obtain cheese sticks.

[0055] Example 3

[0056] The preparation of a fermented yogurt-shaped cheese stick comprises the following components in parts by weight: 25 parts mozzarella cheese, 35 parts water, 15 parts butter, 15 parts sucrose, 1% thickener: 0.5% xanthan gum and 0.5% konjac gum, 0.7% emulsifying salt: 0.2% sodium pyrophosphate and 0.5% sodium citrate, 43 parts milk, and 0.1% Streptococcus thermophilus and 0.05% Lactobacillus bulgaricus by weight of milk.

[0057] Preparation method:

[0058] (1) Mix milk, water, cheese, sodium pyrophosphate, and sodium citrate thoroughly. The mixing speed is 1500 r / min and the temperature is 40℃.

[0059] (2) Inoculate with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus and ferment at 40°C for 12 hours to obtain acidified emulsion.

[0060] (3) Centrifuge the acidified emulsion after fermentation to separate it into supernatant and concentrated emulsion. The centrifugation parameters are 1100 rpm and 6 min.

[0061] (4) Add butter, xanthan gum, konjac gum, and sucrose to the concentrated cream, mix and heat to obtain the cheese stick base. The rotation speed is 2000 r / min, the temperature is 85℃, and the stirring and heating sterilization time is 12 min.

[0062] (5) Pour the cheese stick syrup into a mold and let it cool to obtain cheese sticks.

[0063] Comparative Example 1

[0064] Use water instead of milk in Example 1, and keep other conditions or parameters the same as in Example 1.

[0065] Comparative Example 2

[0066] Commercially available original flavor Myofei cheese sticks.

[0067] Test case

[0068] 1. Texture analysis was performed on the processed cheese products (cheese sticks) obtained in Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-2. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0069] Table 1

[0070] Comparative Example 1 Comparative Example 2 Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Protein content (%) 7.36±0.58 5.74±0.42 8.56±0.36 12.35±0.81 6.549±0.41 PH 6.4 5.8 5.5 4.8 4.4 hardness 154.56±14.90 450.66±39.25 423.04±20.06 579.73±17.11 402.36±18.95 Adhesion -107.84±13.59 -58.49±63 -152.50±22.77 -145.54±22.75 -141.91±12.47 elasticity 0.68±0.0068 0.96±0.013 0.96±0.0070 0.95±0.0044 0.97±0.0091 cohesion 0.55±0.039 0.63±0.028 0.70±0.014 0.60±0.027 0.75±0.024 Adhesion 86±8.47 284.5±12.31 294.86±11.56 349.38±17.25 298.19±9.33 chewing 59±8.93 273.82±9.81 283.54±12.11 332.59±15.60 287.24±14.67 responsive 0.11±0.015 0.33±0.031 0.18±0.012 0.19±0.017 0.19±0.013

[0071] As shown in Table 1, the protein content of Example 1 increased by approximately 1.2% compared to Comparative Example 1 due to the addition of milk. Comparative Example 1 did not add milk, so there was no lactose as a carbon source, and the bacteria could not ferment and produce acid using lactose. Therefore, the pH value of Comparative Example 1 was higher than that of the other examples. Furthermore, the hardness of the cheese sticks in Comparative Example 1 was much lower than that of the other examples. This indicates that at a higher pH value, casein did not form a strong gel structure. This also resulted in a significant difference in adhesion, elasticity, and other related indicators compared to the examples.

[0072] Furthermore, compared to commercially available cheese sticks (Comparative Example 2), except for adhesiveness and resilience, the other textural properties of the cheese sticks in Examples 1-3 are similar to those of commercially available cheese sticks. Compared to Comparative Example 2, the cheese sticks in Examples 1-3 have a higher protein content and higher nutritional value.

[0073] Depend on Figure 2 As can be seen, the left image is Comparative Example 1, where the sample could not ferment to produce acid, so the cheese sticks could not be formed and were in a paste-like state. The middle and right images are sample images of some of the embodiments, which have excellent morphology.

[0074] 2. Flavor compounds were detected in the processed cheese products (cheese sticks) obtained in Examples 1-3, and the results are shown in Table 2.

[0075] Table 2 Comparison of Flavor Compounds

[0076]

[0077] As shown in Table 2, the relevant flavor compounds are basically consistent with those reported in the literature (Solid-phase microextraction GC / MS analysis of volatile flavor compounds in cow and sheep milk yogurt - Ge Wupeng). Acids, alcohols, and ketones, which are the main flavor compounds of yogurt, were abundant in the examples.

[0078] 3. Electronic nose flavor analysis was performed on the cheese sticks from Examples 1-3, and the results are as follows: Figure 3 As shown.

[0079] Figure 3 In this system, S6 represents organic gases, benzophenones, alcohols and aldehydes, and aromatic compounds; S9 represents aromatic compounds and alcohols and aldehydes; and S15 represents alkanes and organic gases. Figure 3 It is known that products made with different processes and formulas exhibit significant differences in the concentration of flavor compounds. However, due to the numerous influencing factors, the exact pattern of variation in the concentration of volatile flavor compounds remains unknown.

[0080] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A cheese stick, characterized in that, By weight, it consists of the following components: 15-55 parts natural cheese, 8-20 parts butter, 8-20 parts sucrose, 1.5-2.6 parts food additives, 30-50 parts milk, and 0.1-0.2% of fermentation strains by weight of milk, wherein the fermentation strains are Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The food additive is composed of a thickener and an emulsifying salt; the thickener is composed of a first thickening colloid and a second thickening colloid, wherein the first thickening colloid is selected from carrageenan, gelatin or xanthan gum, and the second thickening colloid is one or two of saponin gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, taro gum and konjac gum; and the emulsifying salt is sodium citrate, sodium pyrophosphate or sodium hexametaphosphate. The method for preparing the cheese sticks includes the following steps: (1) Mix the milk, natural cheese, and emulsified salt evenly; (2) Inoculate the bacterial strain and ferment to obtain acidified emulsion. The fermentation temperature is 35~45℃ and the fermentation time is 7~14h. (3) Centrifuge the acidified emulsion from step (2) to separate it into supernatant and concentrated cream; (4) Add butter, thickener and sucrose to the concentrated cream in step (3), mix and stir and heat to sterilize to obtain cheese stick puree; (5) Pour the cheese stick syrup into a mold and let it cool to obtain cheese sticks.

2. The cheese stick according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (1), the chopping speed is 1500~2500 r / min and the temperature is 35~45℃.

3. The cheese stick according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (1), 1 to 1.5 parts of water are also added.

4. The cheese stick according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (4), the parameters for stirring and heating sterilization are as follows: rotation speed is 1000~2500r / min, temperature is 85℃-98℃, and time is 8~12min.

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