Low Sodium Processed Cheese Using Micellar Casein Isolate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional processed cheeses have high sodium content, and existing methods to reduce sodium either compromise taste or require significant changes to the production process.
Innovation Solution
Replacing some natural cheese with micellar casein isolate (MCI) reduces the need for melting salts and sodium content, allowing for the production of tasty, low-sodium processed cheeses with reduced sodium levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional natural cheese is used as starting material, then desirable taste and texture are achieved, but high sodium content (1.7 g/100g or more) results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing natural cheese with micellar casein isolate, which has fundamentally different sodium content characteristics. This parameter change allows achieving low sodium content (≤1.5 g/100g) while maintaining acceptable taste through controlled addition of sodium chloride and melting salts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining micellar casein isolate with controlled amounts of sodium chloride and melting salts. This composite approach allows independent optimization of each component's contribution to taste and sodium content, resolving the contradiction between low sodium and good taste
2Quantity of substance
If potassium-based melting salts are used instead of sodium-based melting salts, then sodium content is reduced, but taste quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the concentration parameters of sodium chloride and melting salts to optimized levels that provide sufficient taste without excessive sodium. By controlling these parameters precisely, the patent achieves taste quality comparable to traditional processed cheese while keeping sodium content low through the MCI base
3Quantity of substance
If low sodium natural cheeses are used as starting material, then sodium content is reduced, but significant changes to production process are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental material parameter from natural cheese to micellar casein isolate, which inherently requires fewer processing steps and less complex production equipment. The MCI's stable micellar structure allows direct use in processed cheese formulation without the extensive processing required for low-sodium natural cheeses
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 results in processed cheeses with sodium levels as low as 1.5% w/w, maintaining desirable taste and texture while reducing sodium content, and can be used to produce a variety of cheese products including slices and spreads.
Implementation Method 1
replacing at least some of the natural cheese with micellar casein isolate (MCI), and interestingly they have found that less melting salts are required for producing a MCI-containing processed cheese than for producing a traditional processed cheese
Implementation Method 2
subjecting the dairy mixture to heat treatment at a temperature of 80-150 degrees C. for a period of 2 seconds-10 minutes
Implementation Method 3
processed cheese is a special type of cheese, which is prepared by melting natural cheese in the presence of so-called melting salts (e.g. disodium-hydrogen-phosphate or tri-sodium citrate dihydrate) under moderate heating
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention pertains to a low sodium processed cheese comprising significant amounts of micellar casein isolate and a method of producing it.