Potato-Based Cheese Analogue Using High-Shear Refining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cheese substitutes and analogues often require complex production processes, substantial non-potato-based ingredients, and do not adequately replicate the properties of commodity cheeses, such as firmness, slicability, melt-flow behavior, and mouthfeel.
Innovation Solution
A process involving high-shear refining of cooked potato tuber material followed by cooling under mixing conditions to produce a potato-based cheese analogue with specific composition and properties, including a mixture of potato tuber cell wall material, intercellular substances, and optional non-potato-based ingredients, without hydrolyzed starch, carrot, egg yolk, or casein.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex production processes with substantial non-potato-based ingredients are used, then cheese-like properties (firmness, slicability, melt-flow behavior) can be achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for substantial non-potato-based ingredients (casein, vegetable fats, oils, modified starches) from the cheese analogue formulation, achieving cheese-like properties using primarily potato-based materials while minimizing additives to simple salts and flavorings
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of potato material through controlled processing (heating to gelatinize starch, cooling to set texture, pH adjustment with salt) to achieve cheese-like firmness, slicability, and melt-flow behavior without complex ingredient formulations
2Reliability
If more non-potato-based ingredients are used, then desired texture and melt-flow behavior can be achieved, but sustainability and simplicity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables potato material to self-generate cheese-like melt-flow behavior through its inherent starch and protein content when properly heated and processed, eliminating the need for external fat and protein additives that would complicate manufacturing
3Reliability
If traditional cheese analogue formulations are used, then cheese-like properties can be achieved, but environmental sustainability and resource efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes animal-derived casein and extensive vegetable fat/oil components from traditional cheese analogue formulations, replacing them with potato-based materials to reduce environmental impact and resource consumption associated with animal agriculture and intensive crop processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms potato material through controlled heating and cooling to achieve functional properties previously requiring resource-intensive ingredients, thereby reducing the environmental footprint while maintaining cheese functionality
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 process results in a potato-based cheese analogue with desired hardness at 20°C and low viscosity at 80°C, replicating cheese-like properties like slicability and meltability, using a simplified and sustainable method.
Implementation Method 1
The resulting mixture is heated to a temperature of between 7° and 90° C., cooled until a solid is formed
Implementation Method 2
cooling the refined potato-tuber-based material to a temperature of 15° C. or less under mixing conditions
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a potato-based cheese analogue and to a method for its manufacture, said potato-based cheese analogue consisting of a mixture of 100 parts (by weight) of a composition (A) and 0-10 parts (by weight) of a composition (B):wherein composition (A) consists of between 20.7 and 30 wt. % of dry matter and between 70 and 79.3 wt. % of water, based on the weight of composition (A), wherein the dry matter is potato-based material,wherein the dry matter comprises between 3 and 9.6 wt. % of potato tuber cell wall material and potato tuber intercellular substances, based on the weight of the dry matter, andwherein the dry matter comprises more than 72 wt. % of potato tuber starch, preferably more than 75 wt. %, based on the weight of the dry matter;wherein composition (B) consists of one or more non-potato-based, preferably non-aqueous, further ingredients, with the proviso that the one or more non-potato-based further ingredients do not comprise hydrolysed starch, carrot, egg yolk, flour, casein or combinations thereof,wherein the potato-based cheese analogue has a hardness at 20° C. characterized by a Peak Positive Force of at least 6 kg and a Positive Area of at least 75 kg·s, and wherein the viscosity of the potato-based cheese analogue at 80° C. and at a shear rate of 1 s−1 is less than 400 Pa·s.