Cheese Slurry Processing for Ingredient Loss Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cheese manufacturing methods face challenges in producing cheeses with varying performance characteristics and nutritional qualities, such as achieving desired ingredient concentrations and activating latent functional properties, while often resulting in significant losses of cheese components during processing.
Innovation Solution
The methods involve blending cheese curd with various ingredients to form a slurry, which is then processed through cooking, high shear conditions, homogenization, and moisture content adjustment to create soft or firm/semi-hard cheeses, allowing for the incorporation of a wide range of additives to tailor performance and nutritional characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional cheese manufacturing methods are used, then cheese components are preserved, but significant quantities of cheese components are lost during processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes water from the cheese curd through centrifugal separation, isolating the solid cheese components from the liquid whey. This extraction process prevents loss of cheese components by separating them intentionally rather than losing them during subsequent processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and composition parameters of the cheese curd by removing water through centrifugal force. This parameter change (reducing moisture content) stabilizes the cheese components and prevents their loss during processing, while increasing the concentration of desirable cheese solids.
2Strength
If heating and stretching process is applied, then cheese texture is improved, but significant amounts of cheese ingredients are removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary centrifugal separation to remove water and stabilize the cheese curd structure before any heating or stretching operations. This preliminary action prepares the cheese in a state that is more resistant to ingredient loss during subsequent thermal and mechanical processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the moisture content through centrifugal separation before heating. This pre-adjustment of the water content parameter creates a more stable matrix that retains cheese ingredients better during the heating and stretching processes that follow.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional processing methods are used, then cheese is produced, but ingredient concentrations cannot be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by measuring the moisture content of the cheese curd after centrifugal separation and using this information to adjust subsequent processing parameters. This feedback mechanism enables precise control of ingredient concentrations in the final cheese product.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by systematically controlling the degree of water removal through centrifugal separation. By adjusting the centrifugal force, time, and other processing parameters, the manufacturer can precisely control the final moisture content and thereby the concentration of all other ingredients in the cheese.
4Quantity of substance
If various additives are incorporated, then nutritional content is improved, but latent functional properties are not activated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary centrifugal separation to create a stable, concentrated cheese curd matrix before adding functional additives. This preliminary preparation ensures that when additives are incorporated, they are properly integrated into a stable structure that activates and maintains their functional properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the moisture content and physical state of the cheese curd through centrifugal separation. These parameter changes create optimal conditions for incorporating additives, ensuring their functional properties are activated and maintained in the final product.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the production of cheeses with improved meltability, texture, and nutritional content, while minimizing ingredient losses and enhancing the functionality of additives like non-fat dry milk, resulting in higher yields and better product quality.
Implementation Method 1
The slurry is processed by performing one or more processes selected from the group consisting of cooking the slurry, subjecting the slurry to high shear conditions, homogenizing the slurry, and adjusting the moisture content of the slurry
Implementation Method 2
The slurry is processed by performing one or more processes selected from the group consisting of cooking the slurry, subjecting the slurry to high shear conditions, homogenizing the slurry
Implementation Method 3
The slurry is processed by performing one or more processes selected from the group consisting of cooking the slurry
Implementation Method 4
The slurry is processed by performing one or more processes selected from the group consisting of cooking the slurry, subjecting the slurry to high shear conditions, homogenizing the slurry, and adjusting the moisture content of the slurry
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for preparing soft or firm/semi-hard cheese are provided, as well as soft or firm/semi-hard cheese prepared by the methods. The methods typically involve the formation of a slurry that contains blended or molten cheese curd. A variety of ingredients can be introduced into the curd used to prepare the slurry, the slurry that is formed, or at other stages along the manufacturing process to tailor the performance and nutritional characteristics of the final cheese product. The slurry in some methods is directly processed to form a final cheese product. In other methods, the slurry undergoes various types of processing to achieve certain desired composition or performance requirements.