Cooking-Stable Cheese-Like Product via High Dry Matter Coagulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of halloumi-like cheeses is complex and restrictive, requiring multiple steps and resulting in products that are not easily adaptable for cooking and frying without melting, which limits their versatility as meat substitutes.
Innovation Solution
A method for preparing a cooking- and/or frying-stable cheese-like product by creating a liquid composition with a high dry matter content, protein content, and specific micellar casein ratio, which is coagulated and heat-treated to maintain shape and texture, allowing for direct packaging and coagulation, reducing whey release, and enabling flexible production and use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cheese making process is used to produce halloumi-like cheeses, then the cheese can be grilled or fried without melting, but the production process is complex and restrictive with multiple steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the liquid composition, specifically setting dry matter content to at least 34% w/w, protein content to at least 12% w/w, and micellar casein content to at least 8% w/w. These parameter changes enable the cheese-like product to achieve cooking stability without requiring the complex conventional halloumi production process with multiple steps including rennet coagulation, hot whey treatment, and brining
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary production steps from the conventional halloumi making process. By using a pre-formulated liquid composition with optimized protein and micellar casein content, the method removes steps such as rennet addition, curd cutting, hot whey heating, and brining, while still achieving the desired cooking-stable product
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional halloumi production method is used, then the cheese has good texture, but whey is released and drained requiring multiple processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-formulating the liquid composition with optimized protein content (at least 12% w/w) and micellar casein content (at least 8% w/w) before coagulation. This preliminary preparation ensures that the coagulated composition maintains stable texture without requiring subsequent whey draining steps, thereby improving production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the protein content parameter to at least 12% w/w and micellar casein content to at least 8% w/w in the liquid composition, the patent achieves a product that maintains its texture stability without whey separation, eliminating the need for whey draining operations
3Ease of manufacture
If the liquid composition has high dry matter and protein content with specific micellar casein ratio, then the production process is simplified, but the ratio control is more critical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes specific parameter ranges for the liquid composition: dry matter content of at least 34% w/w, protein content of at least 12% w/w, and micellar casein content of at least 8% w/w. These parameter specifications provide clear manufacturing targets that balance process simplicity with composition control requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by specifying different protein component ratios (whey protein to micellar casein) based on the desired product characteristics. The micellar casein to total protein ratio is controlled within 12:88 to 0:100, allowing optimization of local protein structure for the desired texture and cooking stability
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
The method simplifies the production process, maintains the cheese's shape and texture during cooking and frying, and allows for 100% yield without whey separation, making it suitable as a meat substitute with improved texture and taste.
Implementation Method 1
subjecting the liquid composition to a coagulation step by adding a milk-clotting enzyme, and allowing the liquid composition to coagulate to obtain a coagulated composition
Implementation Method 2
subjecting the coagulated composition from step b) or c) to heating to obtain a core temperature of the coagulated composition of at least 70 degrees C.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for preparing a cooking- and/or frying-stable cheese-like product, the cooking- and/or frying-stable cheese-like product and use of the cooking- and/or frying-stable cheese-like product.