Cheese-like product
AssigneeLand O'Lakes, Inc.
InventorDennis I. Gronfor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for making a cheese-like product includes blending shredded cheese with a composition containing water, milk solids and functional whey proteins to form a mixture. Starch is added to the mixture up to 10% of the weight of the mixture. The mixture is then heated to an approximate temperature range of 140.degree. F. to 190.degree. F. and the starch and functional whey protein are permitted to gel and the cheese permitted to melt. The gelled mixture is then processed to reduce the cheese protein to an approximate particle size range of 5 to 325 microns.
Claims30
A process for producing a cheese-like product comprising:
- mixing cheese particles with a composition containing water, milk solids and functional whey protein along with a starch, the starch being added up to 10% of the weight of the entire mixture;
- heating the mixture to a temperature range between approximately 140.degree. F. and 190 .degree. F.;
- holding the mixture between 140.degree. F. and 190.degree. F., until the starch and the functional whey protein react with the water and the cheese particles melt within the starch and functional whey protein to form a starch/whey protein matrix containing cheese particles;
- processing the matrix containing cheese particles after the starch/whey protein matrix is formed to reduce in size the cheese particles to an approximate size range between 5 and 325 microns.
A cheese-like product comprising cheese particles in an approximate size range between 5 and 325 microns randomly interspersed with a matrix consisting of starch, milk solids and whey protein, the starch and the whey protein having been fully reacted with water and the starch being below approximately 10% of the weight of the entire mixture.
A cheese-like product comprising cheese particles interspersed in a food composition, the cheese particles being below approximately 325 microns in size, the cheese particles and the food composition being substantially free of emulsifiers and being characterized with a smooth texture and no separation of the product upon cooking.
An improved process for producing a cheese-like produce wherein cheese particles are mixed with a composition containing water, milk solids and functional whey protein along with a starch and heated to a temperature range that melts the cheese particles and does not burn the starch, and holding the mixture at said temperature range until the starch and the functional whey protein react with the water and the cheese particles melt with the starch and functional whey protein to form a starch/whey protein matrix containing cheese particles;
- the improvement comprising:
- processing the matrix containing cheese particles to reduce in size the cheese particles to an approximate size range between 5 and 325 microns.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.