Dairy-Based Anticaking Agent for Divided Cheese
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anticaking agents for divided cheese are expensive, deteriorate cheese performance, and generate dust, posing health hazards during packaging.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising 20-70 wt.% dairy ingredients and 30-80 wt.% non-dairy ingredients, specifically designed to prevent caking in divided cheese without affecting flavor or texture, with low visibility and controlled browning properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional anticaking agents (celluloses, starches, clays, metal carbonates, silicon dioxide) are used to prevent caking in divided cheese, then caking prevention is achieved, but the agents are expensive and may deteriorate cheese performance in finished products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the anticaking agent by using dairy-derived ingredients (whey, milk proteins, lactose) instead of conventional agents. This substitution maintains the anticaking function while improving compatibility with cheese products and reducing costs associated with specialty additives like silicon dioxide and bentonite.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs inexpensive dairy byproducts (whey, milk permeate) as the anticaking agent base, replacing expensive commercial additives. These dairy-derived ingredients are naturally compatible with cheese and provide effective caking prevention without compromising product quality, thereby reducing overall manufacturing costs.
2Reliability
If conventional anticaking agents are used to prevent sticking in divided cheese, then sticking prevention is achieved, but considerable dust is generated during packaging which is a health hazard to workers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite anticaking composition combining dairy-derived ingredients (whey, milk proteins) with functional additives (starch, cellulose, silicon dioxide) in specific proportions. This composite structure reduces dust generation compared to pure conventional agents while maintaining effective sticking prevention through the synergistic properties of the combined materials.
3Reliability
If higher percentages of anticaking agent are applied to divided cheese to improve caking prevention, then caking prevention is enhanced, but flavor and textural properties (mouthfeel, oiling, shredding, stringing) are adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the application rate parameter to a specific range (0.5-5% by weight of cheese) where the dairy-derived anticaking agent provides effective caking prevention without adversely affecting sensory properties. This parameter optimization ensures that the cheese maintains its natural flavor, texture, and functional characteristics while still preventing caking.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an anticaking agent for cheese, comprising one or more dairy ingredients; and one or more non-dairy ingredients. When applied the anticaking agent is applied to a divided cheese, it has low visibility on the divided cheese, prevents caking of the divided cheese, and browns similarly to divided cheese without the anticaking agent when baked in an impinger oven at between 425° F. and 450° F. for 5 minutes. Also disclosed are food products containing an anticaking agent described herein, and methods for treating divided cheese for anticaking using an anticaking agent described herein.