Dry Blend for Extended Cheese with Reduced Casein
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Solution Overview
Problem
The cheese industry faces challenges in producing cheeses with desired performance characteristics and nutritional qualities due to difficulties in achieving desired ingredient concentrations and maintaining functional properties, particularly with the increasing demand for reduced casein protein and low trans-fat content, while maintaining desirable properties like melt, stretch, and firmness.
Innovation Solution
A dry blend comprising 40%-70% food starch, 3%-18% whey, 5%-25% emulsifiers, and 0%-8% gums, with less than 15% casein, is used to create an extended cheese product that can be easily formulated to reduce casein protein and trans-fat content while maintaining or improving functional and organoleptic properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If casein protein content is reduced to lower cost and improve health characteristics, then nutritional quality improves, but functional properties like melt and stretch deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing casein protein with alternative proteins (whey protein, soy protein, pea protein) and adjusting the protein source composition. This substitution maintains the functional properties through careful selection of alternative proteins that can provide similar melt and stretch characteristics while reducing casein content to meet health and cost requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite cheese composition by combining multiple protein sources (whey protein, soy protein, pea protein, and/or other plant-based proteins) with fats, water, and other cheese ingredients. This composite approach allows the formulation to achieve desired functional properties through synergistic interactions between different protein sources, compensating for reduced casein while maintaining or improving overall performance.
2Quantity of substance
If trans-fat content is reduced to improve health characteristics, then nutritional quality improves, but processing properties and stability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fat composition parameters by eliminating or reducing trans-fat content and replacing it with healthier fat sources such as vegetable oils, milk fats, or blended fats. The formulation adjusts the types and ratios of fats to maintain processing properties, stability, and functional performance without relying on trans-fats, thereby improving nutritional quality while preserving technological functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive or problematic ingredients (trans-fats) with more economical and healthier alternatives (vegetable oils, milk fats). This substitution reduces cost while improving health characteristics, as the alternative fats can be sourced more affordably and provide similar or superior functional properties without the negative health associations of trans-fats.
3Shape
If cheese ingredients are heated and stretched in heated water during pasta filata process, then desired texture is achieved, but significant amounts of cheese ingredients are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates emulsifiers and stabilizers into the cheese composition before processing to prevent ingredient loss during heating and stretching. These additives are added in advance to the formulation, creating a protective matrix that retains cheese ingredients during the pasta filata process, thereby achieving desired texture while minimizing substance loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses emulsifiers and stabilizers as intermediary substances that facilitate the heating and stretching process while preventing loss of cheese ingredients. These intermediaries act as protective agents during processing, allowing the cheese to achieve desired texture and shape without direct contact with heated water that would cause ingredient dissolution and loss.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are dry blends used in the process of making extended cheese products with improved meltability and firmness profiles.