Cottage Cheese Yield via CPS-Producing Lactococcus Strains

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing cottage cheese using Streptococcus thermophilus strains can experience a temporary decrease in acidification speed due to urease production, leading to suboptimal fermentation and yield, necessitating improved bacterial strains for enhanced acidification and yield.

Innovation Solution

Inoculating milk with lactic acid bacteria from Lactococcus species that produce capsular polysaccharides (CPS), specifically urease-negative strains like those deposited under accession numbers DSM24650, DSM24648, and DSM24649, to ferment and separate the cheese curd, resulting in improved yield and physical properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If Streptococcus thermophilus strains are used to ferment milk, then fermentation time is shortened, but acidification speed temporarily decreases due to urease production

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefermentation timeVSAvoidacidification speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful urease enzyme function is extracted and removed from the bacterial strain. The patent uses urease-negative (ur-) strains of S. thermophilus that have had the urease gene deleted or are naturally lacking this enzyme, thereby eliminating the temporary decrease in acidification speed while preserving the shortened fermentation time benefit

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the biochemical parameter of the bacterial strain by selecting urease-negative variants. This parameter change (urease activity level) resolves the contradiction by eliminating the harmful effect (temporary acidification slowdown) while maintaining the beneficial effect (shortened fermentation time)

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If traditional Lactococcus strains are used, then fermentation process is simple, but cottage cheese yield is suboptimal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecottage cheese yieldVSAvoidfermentation process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical-chemical parameter of the Lactococcus strain by selecting strains that produce capsular polysaccharides (CPS). This parameter change increases cottage cheese yield through improved curd retention and reduced syneresis, while the fermentation process itself remains fundamentally simple and unchanged

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 use of CPS-producing Lactococcus strains significantly increases cottage cheese yield and improves the physical properties, such as mouth feel and reduced residual whey, compared to traditional methods, with fermentation times between 3 to 10 hours and optimal inoculation levels of 10^4 to 10^12 cfu/ml.

Implementation Method 1

fermenting the milk with the bacteria

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFermentation: Fermentation

Implementation Method 2

which is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea into carbon dioxide (CO2) and ammonia (NH3)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Implementation Method 3

lactic acid bacteria belonging to a Lactococcus species that produce capsular polysaccharides (CPS)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPolysaccharide production:

Data Source

PatentEP2723181B2Manufacture of cottage cheese

Publication Date: 2023.06.28 CHR HANSEN AS

Figure 1~2

AI summary

The present invention relates to the manufacture of cheese, especially cottage cheese, by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria.