Dry-powdered cheese compositions with naturally-derived color blends, method of making and cheese product

A dry powdered composition which may be reconstituted to provide a cheese product or cheese analog comprising:

• at least one cheese component or cheese analog;
• and
• a color blend comprising:
• from about 38.5 ppm to about 733.9 ppm curcumin compounds by weight based on the powdered composition;
• from about 3.6 ppm to about 165.7 ppm annatto carotenoids by weight based on the powdered composition;
• and
• from about 5.8 ppm to about 90.7 ppm paprika carotenoids by weight based on the powdered composition,
• wherein the curcumin compounds are present in an amount from about 2 to about 15 times the amount of annatto carotenoids by weight, and the annatto carotenoids comprise greater than about 51% norbixin by weight.

A method of making a dry powdered cheese composition comprising:

• mixing one or more cheese components with a color blend comprising:
• from about 49.7% to about 87.1% curcumin compounds by weight based on a total amount of a color portion of the color blend;
• from about 2.1% to about 42.8% annatto carotenoids by weight based on the total amount of the color portion of the color blend;
• and
• from about 7.5% to about 10.8% paprika carotenoids by weight based on the total amount of the color portion of the color blend;
• wherein the color portion of the color blend including the curcumin compounds, the annatto carotenoids, and the paprika carotenoids is present in an amount from 47.9 ppm to about 990.3 ppm by weight based on the powdered composition, the curcumin compounds are present in an amount from about 2 to about 15 times the amount of annatto carotenoids by weight, and the annatto carotenoids comprise greater than about 51% norbixin by weight.

A cheese product comprising:

• from about 38.5 ppm to about 733.9 ppm curcumin compounds by weight based on total solids in the cheese product;
• from about 3.6 ppm to about 165.7 ppm annatto carotenoids by weight based on total solids in the cheese product;
• and
• from about 5.8 ppm to about 90.7 ppm paprika carotenoids by weight based on total solids in the cheese product,
• wherein the color blend is free of synthetically derived colorants, the curcumin compounds are present in an amount from about 2 to about 15 times the amount of annatto carotenoids by weight, and the annatto carotenoids comprise greater than about 51% norbixin by weight.