Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23C—DAIRY PRODUCTS, e.g. MILK, BUTTER OR CHEESE; MILK OR CHEESE SUBSTITUTES; MAKING THEREOF
  • A23C19/00—Cheese; Cheese preparations; Making thereof
  • A23C19/02—Making cheese curd
  • A23C19/05—Treating milk before coagulation; Separating whey from curd
  • A23C19/054—Treating milk before coagulation; Separating whey from curd using additives other than acidifying agents, NaCl, CaCl2, dairy products, proteins, fats, enzymes or microorganisms
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23C—DAIRY PRODUCTS, e.g. MILK, BUTTER OR CHEESE; MILK OR CHEESE SUBSTITUTES; MAKING THEREOF
  • A23C19/00—Cheese; Cheese preparations; Making thereof
  • A23C19/02—Making cheese curd
  • A23C19/045—Coagulation of milk without rennet or rennet substitutes
  • A23C19/0455—Coagulation by direct acidification without fermentation of the milk, e.g. by chemical or physical means
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23C—DAIRY PRODUCTS, e.g. MILK, BUTTER OR CHEESE; MILK OR CHEESE SUBSTITUTES; MAKING THEREOF
  • A23C2250/00—Particular aspects related to cheese
  • A23C2250/25—Cheese with fat content lower than 0.5%, including cheese from skim milk, i.e. no addition of fats

Definitions

• the present invention is concerned with an improvement to conventional cheese making methods which provides for cheese having a desirable texture and contains at least as much, if not more, of the nutrients, and particularly proteins, that are in the original milk or cream source, than cheese made by conventional methods. More specifically, this invention is directed to an improved method for curd formation in which carrageenan, and preferably the iota fraction or type carrageenan, is employed in enhancing the harvest of at least some of the proteins, without resorting to high temperature, which would otherwise be sacrificed as part of the whey in conventional cheese making methods.
• Carrageenan is defined as that group of galactan polysaccharides extracted from red algae (Rhodophyceae class) of the Gigartinaceae, Solieriaceae, Hypneaceae, and Phyllophoraceae families, and that have an ester content of 20% or more and are alternately ⁇ 1-3, ⁇ 1-4 glycosidically linked. While carrageenan is a complex mixture of several polysaccharides, it consists essentially of three main fractions, kappa, lambda, and iota, the relative proportions of which vary with the seaweed source.
• the kappa carrageenan fraction contains over 34% of 3, 6-anhydro-D-galactose (3,6-AG) and 25% ester sulfate, by weight.
• a 1.5% by weight concentration thereof in water at 75°C exhibits a viscosity of about 50 mPa.
• Upon cooling, such water solution will gel at a temperature of from about 45 to 65°C, with the gelling temperature and gel firmness being dependent upon the quantity and types of metallic ions, such as K + , NH 4 + , and Ca ++ , in the solution.
• the lambda carrageenan fraction generally contains about 35% ester sulfate, by weight, and no 3,6-AG.
• the lambda carrageenan fractions produce the highest water viscosities of the carrageenan family, for example, a 2.0%, by weight, concentration thereof in water can produce viscosities upwards of 600 mPa.
• the iota carrageenan fraction contains approximately 30% 3,6-AG and 32% ester sulfate, by weight, and upon cooling from a temperature, say 75°C, and in the presence of gel-inducing cations, such as Ca ++ , Mg ++ and K+, the iota carrageenan fraction forms, elastic, syneresis-free, thermally-reversible gels at concentrations as 'low as 0.3%, by weight.
• gel-inducing cations such as Ca ++ , Mg ++ and K+
• carrageenan fractions described above are hereafter each referred to as carrageenan, it being understood that reference, for example, to iota carrageenan, does not preclude the presence of the kappa and lambda fraction, as well as precursors of all fractions, any and all of which would be present in minor amounts relative to the iota fraction or other fraction to which specific reference is made.
• water viscosity shall be taken to mean the viscosity of a water solution at 75°C containing a 1.5%, by weight, concentration of carrageenan.
• carrageenans must have water viscosities (1.5%, by weight, concentration in water at 75°C) which are not less than 5 centipoises (5 mPa).
• one step that is common to many cheese varieties is the selective concentration of the insoluble components of milk.
• This selective concentration or curd formation or "setting" is noriiially carried out while the milk is in a heated condition and may be achieved, for example, by the controlled fermentation, as initiated by streptococci or lactobacilli bacteria of the milk lactose to lactic acid which, in turnj forms an isoelectric casein curd in the milk at a pH of 4.6.
• the insoluble milk components may be coagulated as a calcium paracasein curd at a higher pH.
• both a bacteria starter and rennin may be employed to provide a curd formation.
• a still further alternative is the direct addition of food grade acids, such as, lactic acid, or salts, to pasteurized cream, whole milk, milk of reduced fat content or skim milk.
• food grade acids such as, lactic acid, or salts
• the resulting curd is composed of water, proteins, chiefly casein, fat, milk sugar, and salts, such as, calcium phosphate ⁇ while the remaining serum or watery portion, whey, may contain perhaps 45% of the nutrients of the cream or milk from which the cheese is made, including perhaps 25% of the available proteins, such as, albumin and globulin.
• the formed curd is then subjected to "cutting" or breaking to increase the curd surface area and thus enhance whey expulsion and facilitate a more uniform distribution of heat throughout the curd during a following "cooking" stage if, indeed, such cooking stage is employed.
• the cooking stage serves to develop the curd texture. In the direct set method of curd formation, a cooking stage is generally not necessary.
• the curd is permanently separated from the whey during a "draining stage,” afterwhich the recovered curd is transformed, as by hooping, pressing and “curd knitting,” and other well known techniques, into the desired texture and other characteristics of the particular cheese which is being made.
• the present invention is primarily concerned with the basic step in the cheese making method ⁇ curd formation, and provides for the capture; during such curd formation, of milk proteins and other nutrients which would otherwise be part of the whey. It is well known that simply increasing the temperature of the cream or milk during this basic step of curd formation will provide for a corresponding increase in the amount of protein contained in the resulting curd. It is also well recognized with such increasing temperatures the curd retains not only more protein but also more moisture and has an undesirably soft texture. Significantly, the desired protein retention by the curd which is achieved by the improved method of this invention does not entail a sacrifice in curd texture for its success is not dependent upon temperatures which are higher than those conventionally employed.
• the improved method of the present invention facilitates the use of lower temperatures, and thus a curd of improved texture, yet without sacrifice in the amount of protein captured within the curd.
• the present invention is hereafter described using milk and particularly in connection with the making of cottage cheese by the conventional direct set method; that is, by the direct acidification of skim milk, and employing temperatures less than milk pasteurization temperatures (161°F/72°C) and preferably not greater than about 120°F (49°C).
• the milk insolubles precipitate instantaneously, after which the whey is quickly removed and the curd is then salted and pressed.
• Blanco cheese making methods is deemed most appropriate for the use of the improvement .
• provided by this invention in such methods will illustrate, on the one hand, the manner of providing a cottage cheese curd having higher protein content without resorting to high temperatures and, on the other hand, the making of Queso Blanco cheese having a protein content generally as high as that made by the conventional high temperature (180°F) method, but a more desirable texture.
• such cottage cheese and Queso Blanco cheese making methods can be readily controlled, provide rapid results, and will make apparent to those skilled in the art the applicability of the teachings of the present invention to methods of making other varieties of cheese.
• the method of the present invention is particularly significant as it provides for the harvest of valuable proteins which would otherwise be lost in the whey.
• the presence of proteins in whey is a waste for whey, and particularly the acid whey which results from the direct set methods of curd formation, finds very limited uses, notwithstanding its high nutrient value.
• Relatively small amounts of whey find use in animal and. poultry feeds and the disposal of the remainder of such whey is an ecological problem.
• the discharge of whey into streams is closely regulated as its organic content greatly influences the biological oxygen demand (BOD) and too often results in loss of marine life.
• Sir-Jay process which involves pasteurization of skim milk, containing a stabilizer, at 195-200°F ( 90-93° C), cooling the pasteurized milk to a setting temperature and adding a mineral solution, coagulator, and culture (mucor pusillus lindt), cutting the cheese curd while at a pH of 4.95-5.0, heating it for 30 minutes and cooking out the cheese curd at a temperature above 125°F (52°C).
• the "Sir-Jay process” is predicated upon the theory that by denaturing the milk proteins at the high pasteurization temperature employed, the stabilizer, a blend of sodium caseinate and carrageenan, interconnects chains of the proteins.
• Another object of this invention is the provision of an improved method for making cheese having a desirable texture and high nutrient value using iota carrageenans as a preferred carrageenan for capturing milk proteins during curd formation.
• Still another object is to provide an improvement to conventional cheese making methods wherein carrageenan, and preferably essentially the iota fraction of carrageenan, is utilized in precipitating casein along with proteins which, in conventional cheese making methods, are contained within the whey that results during curd formation.
• a further object of this invention is to provide an improved method for making cheese having a high nutrient content, yet is soft, but not weak or mushy, and fluffy in texture and palatable.
• a still further and more specific object of this invention is an improvement to conventional, direct set cheese making methods wherein carrageenan, and preferably the iota fraction of carrageenan, is utilized in capturing, as part of the curd, nutrients, and particularly proteins, which are normally sacrificed with the whey that results.
• a still further object of this invention is an improved method for making Queso Blanco cheese at lower temperatures than conventionally employed, yet result in a cheese which possesses a more desirable texture with little, if any, sacrifice in protein content.
• iota carrageenan is a cation selected from the group consisting of sodium (Na + ), calcium (Ca ++ ), and potassium (K + ), such cation being a constituent of the milk or additive incorporated and, preferably by providing such iota carrageenan in the form of one or more salts having as a cation Na + , Ca ++ , or K + .
• the improvement involves setting milk in the presence of carrageenan to form cheese curd and whey, the milk having a solubilized calcium, i.e., ionic calcium (Ca ++ ), content of from about 40 to 110 ppm and the carrageenan being present in an amount effective to bind to the curd at least some of the protein which would otherwise be lost with the whey.
• the solubilized calcium ion content of the milk, at the time the carrageenan is introduced, is critical so the solubilized calcium ion content is preferably adjusted to be within the desired range, when necessary, prior to the addition of the carrageenan.
• a solubilized calcium ion content of from 50 to 100 ppm Ca ++ is preferred.
• Another aspect of the invention involves use of a sequestrant to adjust, or control, the concentration of solubilized calcium ion, as necessary.
• the sequestrant is introduced in amounts as needed to reduce the level of solubilized calcium; typically not more than 250 ppm is required. Normally the sequestrant, when required, is introduced in an amount of 50 to 200 ppm.
• sequestrants are the polyphosphates and metaphosphates, with sodium hexametaphosphate being most preferred.
• the specified levels of calcium ion, present in solubilized form in the milk that is being set, are one factor that greatly influences the effectiveness of carrageenans in capturing or binding protein that would otherwise be lost with the whey.
• Unduly low levels of solubilized calcium in the milk can interfere with formation of casein resulting in lowered overall curd yields.
• Controlled addition of calcium chloride, in measured amounts as necessary, can correct a solubilized calcium ion deficiency.
• Excessively high levels of solubilized calcium may cause complexing with the carrageenan in a manner that results in excessive moisture retention in the curds, an undesirable result.
• Another factor that influences the effectiveness of carrageenan in this invention is the pH of the milk at the time the carrageenan is introduced.
• Fresh milk typically has a pH in the range of 6.5-6.7.
• Reactivity of the carrageenan with whey protein is enhanced at the lower pH values, so milk whose pH is above 6.7 is desirably acidulated prior to introduction of the carrageenan. This can be accomplished by simply introducing the carrageenan after the (acidic) culture has been added to the milk.
• Suitable acidulants include commercial culture media, as well as dilute lactic, phosphoric and acetic acids and other food grade acids.
• Carrageenan performance in this invention is enhanced by the carrageenan's protein reactivity characteristics and is adversely affected by its water-binding or gel-forming characteristics, so the choice of a specific carrageenan must balance these two factors.
• an effective amount of carrageenan is such as to provide for the harvest of at least some of the nutrients, and especially proteins, which would otherwise be included with, or lost, as part of the whey.
• carrageenan in an amount as low as 10 parts per million (ppm) to a source milk will provide, during the setting step, for the precipitation of at least some of the protein which would otherwise be contained in the whey and is, therefore, "an effective amount.”
• the iota carrageenan is most reactive with the nutrients which, if not denatured and precipitated under high temperatures, would otherwise collect within the whey formed by conventional cheese making methods, and has been found to be particularly effective in causing the coprecipitation of whey proteins with casein in the curd while maintaining desirable textural properties.
• carrageenans in the presence of a cation selected from the group consisting of Na + , Ca ++ , and K + have water viscosities of not less than 5 mPa) their use in food products is permitted, and carrageenans having water viscosities within the range of from 5 to about 25 mPa have served well in accordance with the present invention.
• the water viscosities of the carrageenans employed in the present invention will vary with the molecular weight thereof, within the range of from about 80,000 to about 250)000 and the cation which is present, with the latter having a greater influence than the molecular weight.
• carrageenans of increasing molecular weight will exhibit progressively higher water viscosities in the presence of the same cation, Na +, Ca ++ , or K + ,- or, stated differently, carrageenans of essentially the same molecular weight will exhibit progressively lower water viscosities in the presence of the respective cations K + , Ca ++ , and
• the carrageenans used in this invention in the form of a salt containing a cation selected from the group consisting of Na + , Ca ++ , and K + , are preferably solubilized) as for example) in water) before addition to the milk or within the milk prior to heating the same in preparation for the setting step.
• Such presolubilization provides for increased harvest of proteins, especially as curd formation is almost instantaneous during the direct set cottage method and the Queso Blanco method described.
• the sodium salt form of the preferred iota carrageenan is cold water soluble, it is preferably presolubilized in water heated to perhaps 100-150°F, as is necessary for the calcium and potassium salt forms, to insure rapid and complete solubilization thereof.
• one or more of salts of iota carrageenan are added to the milk before the pasteurization thereof.
• the water viscosities will vary with the molecular weight of the carrageenan employed and. the dominant cation, Na + , Ca ++ , and K + , which is present.
• carrageenans of high water viscosities appear to be less reactive with milk proteins than carrageenans of lower water viscosities when present in relatively low concentrations, and more reactive with such proteins than the lower viscosity carrageenans when present in high concentrations.
• the higher concentrations of the high water viscosity carrageenans are capable of harvesting more of the milk proteins, the resulting cheese exhibits less desirable characteristics.
• cottage cheese prepared by the direct-set method in the presence of 500 ppm of iota carrageenan having a water viscosity of 10 mPa is soft and sweet and contains less protein than a cottage cheese containing 750 ppm of iota carrageenan having a water viscosity of 25 mPa which is of desired consistency but acid in taste.
• the preferred iota carrageenan exhibits better reactivity; that is, a greater harvest of milk proteins, when fresh pasteurized milk is employed as compared reconstituted non-fat dry milk (NFDM).
• rennet extract is employed in combination with the iota carrageenans to take advantage of its well-known properties of contributing to the formation of a smooth curd, providing for desirable curd contract during cooking and is tolerant to changes in heat and pH.
• Rennet the enzymatic extract from the fourth stomach of a butchered) 2-week-old) milk-fed calf, is described as being dominant among coagulators for cheese making. Its use in making Queso Blanco cheese in accordance with the present invention may be in amounts as used in conventional methods where 0.9 ml. per 1000 pounds of milk is common, although the concentration may vary within a wide range without adversely af fecting the flavor of the resulting cheese.
• the preferred iota carrageenans in the presence of a cation selected from the group consisting of Na + , Ca ++ , and K + , as heretofore described, facilitate the use of significantly lower temperatures of from about 88 to 125°F (31 - 53°C) and provide Queso Blanco cheese having a good protein yield and good textural properties.
• rennet extract when employed with such iota carrageenans, it contributes to the formation of a hard curd.
• NFDM non-fat dried milk
• the yield of cottage cheese, made with direct acidification was increased by 10% and 17%, when 250 ppm and 500 ppm of iota carrageenan was added to the milk respectively.
• PROCEDURE 1 In 90 pounds of water, 10 pounds of one-year-old Non-Fat Dry Milk (NFDM) was added. 2. In another series of experiments, Fresh Skim
• Table VI sets forth a comparison of the yields and other characteristics of cottage cheese which resulted when using fresh skim milk and reconstituted non-fat dry milk; the results shown in Table VII illustrate the improved yields of cottage cheese provided by solubilization of the sodium iota carrageenan prior to the addition to the milk.
• l/5, l/10 and l/25 refer to the sodium iota carrageenans having molecular weights of about 80,000, 163,000 and 250,000 and water viscosities of 5, 10, and 25 mPa respectively. Yield at 80% H 2 O is the yield of curd containing 80% water which is the accepted standard for uncreamed cottage cheese.
• Curd texture and taste are described in terms generally used by cheese makers and consumers as follows:

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• 1985
  • 1985-07-10 EP EP19850903630 patent/EP0187831A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1985-07-10 WO PCT/US1985/001323 patent/WO1986000786A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1985-07-10 JP JP60503129A patent/JPS61501066A/ja active Pending
  • 1985-07-10 AU AU45458/85A patent/AU4545885A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1985-07-12 ZA ZA855285A patent/ZA855285B/xx unknown
  • 1985-07-19 ES ES545394A patent/ES8703249A1/es not_active Expired
• 1986
  • 1986-03-19 NO NO861082A patent/NO861082L/no unknown

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