GB2440611A

GB2440611A - Production of caseinate

Info

Publication number: GB2440611A
Application number: GB0712635A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon John Cheesmore
Original assignee: ATRITOR Ltd
Current assignee: ATRITOR Ltd
Priority date: 2006-07-31
Filing date: 2007-06-29
Publication date: 2008-02-06
Also published as: GB0615203D0; GB0712635D0

Abstract

A method for producing caseinate comprising: feeding a substance containing casein into a milling station 5; delivering a hot gas into the milling station; feeding an additive into the milling station; and milling. Also claimed is an apparatus for producing caseinate, comprising first feeding means 2 connected to a first duct 4, the first duct being connected to a milling station 5, second feeding 6 means connected by a second duct 7to the milling station and an outlet from the milling station 8.

Description

PRODUCTION OF CASEINATE

This invention is concerned with the production of caseinate.

Casein is the predominant phosphoprotein found in fresh milk. In addition to being ingested in milk, it has a number of uses in industry; for instance it is used in the manufacture of additives in the food industry, particularly the dairy industry.

In common with many other nutritional compounds, casein is typically bound to a metal because the molecule is more stable in this form. In particular, casein is commonly bound to calcium or sodium ions, both of which are naturally occurring in milk. From a nutritional point of view, both of these forms, known as calcium caseinate and sodium caseinate respectively, are effective sources of protein.

Calcium caseinate is a high protein, high calcium nutrient derived from milk, It is used to boost the protein content of baked goods, yoghurts, processed cheese, biscuits and spreads. It is also used by athletes and bodybuilders as a dietary supplement, because it is more slowly absorbed by the body than whey protein, thus providing a more sustained release of protein.

Sodium caseinate is used in a variety of food and pharmaceutical applications where binding and emulsification properties are important.

Another fairly common form of caseinate is ammonium caseinate, which has a bland flavour and a high nutritional value.

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UK patent application number 44000/77, published as GB 1594104, discloses a method of preparing caseinate and coprecipitate solutions along with apparatus for use 3D in the method. The method comprises raising the pH of an aqueous suspension of casein or coprecipitate to around 5.0-5.3 by adding a hydroxide solution. Following this, with the suspension at a temperature of at least 60 C, the pH is rapidly increased to at least 6.5 through the addition of a hydroxide solution having a nomality of at least 2N to the suspension in a colloid mill. The hydroxide is introduced via the rotating rotor of the colloid mill.

In GB 1594104 the so-formed solution is spray dried so as to provide caseinate in a dry powder form.

It is an object of the present invention to produce substantially dry caseinate either from a wet curd containing casein, or from substantially dry casein, which, in contrast with the prior art, does not require any additional drying steps, e.g. spray drying or mechanical removal of water by extrusion prior to drying. Hence, because it does not require any additional drying steps to be formed, the present invention provides considerable time, energy and cost savings in comparison with the prior art.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for producing caseinate comprising: (a) feeding a substance containing casein into a milling station; (b) delivering a hot gas into the milling station; (c) feeding an appropriate additive into the milling station; and (d) milling The substance containing casein may comprise substantially dry casein. Alternatively, it may comprise a wet curd containing casein.

The substantially dry casein may have a water content of less than 30%, preferably 5-20%, most preferably 10%. Furthermore, it may have a bulk density of around 0.30-0.70 g/cm3, preferably 0.45-0.60 9/cm3, more preferably 0.54 9/cm3.

The substantially dry casein may have been produced from a wet curd containing casein using a multi-rotor cell mill to simultaneously dry and mill the curd.

The wet curd containing casein may have a water content of 20-80%, preferably s. 40-60%, more preferably 50%. I.. * * 30 *S.

The substance containing casein may be fed using feeding means, e.g. a screw feeder.

The substance containing casein may be fed at a controlled rate, say 1000-1500 kg/hour, into a duct before the milling station through which hot gas is flowing. The hot gas helps to dry the substance containing casein, which is particularly advantageous if a wet curd containing casein is being used.

In some instances it may, however, be advantageous to introduce the substance containing casein directly into a chamber within the milling station.

The hot gas may have a temperature of up to around 180 C, which is the temperature that it is said represents a limit above which product damage can occur. Subject to this limitation, the use of higher temperatures allows faster feed rates to be employed. A preferable temperature range is 150-180 C, with a preferable temperature being 160 C.

Advantageously1 the gas may be air. Alternatively, other gases may be used, for instance steam.

The substance containing casein and gas travel along the duct into the milling station.

A vertical shaft multi rotor design is suitable for the milling station.

The appropriate additive may contain a salt. The salt may be a sodium salt, e.g. sodium chloride. Alternatively, the appropriate additive may contain a calcium salt, e.g. calcium chloride. As a further alternative, the additive may contain an ammonium salt.

Any alkaline salt would, in fact, be suitable. The additive may be in powder or liquid form, or in the form of a solution.

The additive may be added directly into a chamber within the milling station.

The additive may be transported by an air stream along a duct directly into the milling station.

The rate at which the additive is added to the milling station may be metered by a * venturi device. S. * . .. *

* 30 While in the milling station, substantially dry casein or wet curd containing casein may *** * be simultaneously milled, de-agglomerated, dried and converted into a caseinate product.

Caseinate product may be extracted from the milling station by extraction means, e.g. by the action of a fan.

The caseinate product exits the milling station at a temperature below that at which the substance containing casein entered the milling station. Preferably this temperature may be within the range 50-120 C, with a more preferable temperature being 80 C.

The caseinate product produced by a method of the invention may have a p11 of 6.2-6.9, preferably 6.6-6.7. The caseinate product may have a solubility in water of more than 95%, preferably more than 99%, more preferably more than 99.5%.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for producing caseinate in accordance with a method disclosed herein.

The apparatus may comprise first feeding means connected to a first duct, the first duct being connected to a milling station, second feeding means connected by a second duct to the milling station and an outlet from the milling station.

The apparatus may further comprise a third duct connected to the outlet of the milling station. Extraction means for extracting caseinate product from the milling station along the third duct connected to the outlet of the milling station may also be provided.

Advantageously, a product filter may be provided for filtering the caseinate product after it has been extracted from the milling station.

The first feeding means may be for feeding either wet curd containing casein or : ... substantially dry casein. The first feeding means may be a screw feeder. **5* * * S..

Preferably, a stream of hot gas, which may be air, is caused to flow along the duct a', connecting the first feeding means to the milling station. A heater may be provided for heating the gas.

The second feeding means is disposed for delivery of the appropriate additive into the *1S * second duct which runs directly into the milling station. The second feeding means may be a screw feeder. A venturi device may be provided to meter the flow of the additive.

Within the second duct an air stream is caused to flow for aiding the delivery of the additive into the milling station.

As stated above the miffing station may be a vertical shaft multi rotor design.

The apparatus may be provided with a control panel.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the process flow for producing caseinate according to the invention.

A preferred arrangement 1 of the apparatus and process flow of the invention is shown inFigurel.

The apparatus 1 comprises a feed port 2 for the starting material, a heater 3, a duct 4, a milling station 5, feeding station 6, second duct 7, exit duct 8, collection chamber 9 a fan 10 to move gas through the apparatus I and a hopper 11 for collection of product.

A screw feeder 2a feeds 1260 kg/hour of wet curd containing casein SM with a water content of 50% from the feed port 2 into a duct 4. Hot air, heated by heater 3, flows * along the duct 4 towards the milling station 5 and the wet curd and hot gas enter milling station 5 near its base and at a temperature of approximately 160 C. The feeder 2a *...

and hot air maybe arranged to feed 1260 kg/hour of wet curd containing casein with a water content of 50% into milling station 5.

* The milling station 5 may comprise a cell mill with a number of rotors (e.g. 8) with a s. plurality of blades per rotor (e.g. 96) and operating at 1500 rpm. The wet curd is ** . * 30 simultaneously milled and dried within the milling station 5. **.

Powder salts PS are fed from feeding station 6 into air stream 7 which transports the salts directly into the chamber of the milling station 5. The rate of feeding the powder salts PS from the feeding station 6 into air stream 7 is metered by a venturi device.

The powder salts PS convert the wet curd containing casein SM into caseinate within the milling station 5.

A 20 kW fan 10 which may be capable of extracting 20000 m3/hour of air, acts to extract caseinate product from the close to the top of the milling station 5 along outlet duct 8. The material exiting the milling station 5 is at a temperature of approximately 80 C at the milling station end of outlet duct 8. The milled, dried and extracted caseinate product PP is collected in chamber 9 -the caseinate product PP has a pH of 6.6-6.7 and a solubility in water of more than 99.9%. The product PP may be collected in a hopper 11 for transportation to a site of use.

A suitable example of a vertical shaft multi rotor design is the Atritor 1500 Cell Mill.

This mill is capable of 1500 rpm and typically has eight rotors with between 96 and 144 blades per rotor. * * * *** * a * **. a. * . * a.. a a..

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Claims

CLAIMS

1. A method for producing caseinate comprising: a) feeding a substance containing casein into a milling station; b) delivering a hot gas into the milling station; C) feeding an additive into the milling station; and d) milling.
2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the substance containing casein comprises substantially dry casein.
3. A method as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the substantially dry casein has a water content of less than 30%.
4. A method as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the substantially dry casein has a water content of 10%.
5. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the substantially dry casein has a bulk density of between 0.3 to 0.7 grams/cm3.
6. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the substantially dry casein has a bolt density of 0.54 grams/cm3.
7. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 6, wherein the substantially dry 25 casein is produced from a wet curd containing casein.

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8. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the substance containing casein comprises a wet curd containing casein. * **

:.:.* 30
9. A method as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the wet curd containing casein has a * water content of 20-80%.
10. A method as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the wet curd containing casein has a water content of 50%.
11. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, comprising feeding the substance containing casein into a duct leading to the milling station.
12. A method as claimed in Claim 11 comprising delivering the hot gas to the milling station through the duct.
13. A method as claimed in Claim 12, comprising drying the casein using the hot gas before entering the milling station.
14. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, comprising feeding the substance containing casein directly into the milling station.
15. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, comprising feeding the substance containing casein using a screw feeder.
16. A method as claimed in any preceding Claims, comprising feeding the substance containing casein at a controlled rate.
17. A method as claimed in Claim 16, comprising feeding the substance containing casein at a rate of 1000-1500 kg/hour.
18. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the hot gas is air.
19. A method as claimed in any one of Claims Ito 17, wherein the hot gas is steam. * 25 Is
20. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the milling station is a vertical shaft multi-rotor design. S..

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21. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the additive is or contains * 30 a salt. I..

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22. A method as claimed in Claim 21, wherein the salt is sodium chloride.

23. A method as claimed in Claim 21, wherein the salt is calcium chloride.

24. A method as claimed in Claim 21, wherein the salt is an ammonium salt 25. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the additive is a powder.

26. A method as claimed in any one of Claims I to 24, wherein the additive is a liquid.

27. A method as claimed in any one of Claims I to 24, wherein the additive is in solution.

28. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, comprising adding the additive directly to the milling station.

29. A method as claimed in any one of Claims II to 13, comprising transporting the additive through the duct.

30. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, comprising adding the additive at a measured rate.

31. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, comprising milling, de-agglomerating, drying and converting into caseinate the substance containing casein within the milling station.

32. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, comprising extracting the caseinate from the milling station by the action of a fan.

33. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the caseinate exits the milling station at a temperature below that at which the substance containing : casein entered the milling station. ** 30

34. A method as claimed in Claim 33, wherein the caseinate exits the milling station at a temperature of 50-120 C.

35. A method as claimed in Claim 33, wherein the caseinate exits the milling station at a temperature of 80 C.

36. Apparatus for producing caseinate, comprising first feeding means connected to a first duct, the first duct being connected to a milling station, second feeding means connected by a second duct to the milling station and an outlet from the milling station.

37. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 38, further comprising a third duct connected to the outlet of the milling station.

38. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 37 to 38, comprising extraction means for extracting caseinate after production.

39. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 40, wherein the extraction means comprises a fan.

40. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 41, when dependent on Claim 39 wherein the fan is situated within the third duct.

41. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 40 to 42, comprising a product filter extracting with the means.

42. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 38 to 43, wherein the first feeding means is arranged to carry either wet curd containing casein or substantially dry casein. S. S. * S..

43. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 45, wherein the first feeding means is a screw feeder. S. * *5*

44. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 39 to 45 further comprising heating * ,* means. ** S

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