Method for manufacturing a powder of serum extracted from Greek style yogurt
AssigneeHellenic Protein SA
InventorsPanteleimon Rapanakis, Konstantinos Tsakmakidis
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Abstract
A method of making a powder of serum extracted from a Greek style yogurt is disclosed. The total solids concentration of the serum is increased to at least 35% by weight to produce a concentrated serum. The concentrated serum is crystallized by adding lactose crystals whose average size is less than 100 microns. The crystallized serum is then spray dried to produce a serum powder. The resulting powder is non-hygroscopic, less likely to form lumps in storage, retains the initial characteristics of the serum and is of sufficiently high quality to be fit for human consumption.
Claims17
A method of making a powder of serum extracted from a Greek style yogurt comprising:
- increasing the total solids concentration of the serum to at least 35% by weight to produce a concentrated serum;
- crystallizing the concentrated serum by:
- adding monohydrate lactose crystals having an average size of less than 80 microns;
- lowering the temperature of the concentrated serum to between 10° C. and 16° C. at a rate of no greater than 2.5° C./hr over at least 5 hours from the time the lactose crystals are added such that an average size of the lactose crystals in the crystallized serum is less than 15 microns and the degree of crystallization is at least 70%;
- and
- preheating the crystallized serum to a temperature between 14° C. and 20° C. to improve its rheological properties;
- spray drying the crystallized serum to produce a free-flowing, non-hygroscopic serum powder with an acidity level of at least 0.35% without using any acid neutralizing agent so as to maintain the acidity level of the serum.
A powder of serum extracted from a Greek style yogurt comprising:
- a protein content of at most 5.5% by weight;
- a moisture content of at most 5.5% by weight;
- and
- lactic acid of at least 4.5% by weight, wherein the powder has an acidity level of at least 0.35% and has a hygroscopicity of at most 10%, wherein the powder is made by the following steps:
- increasing the total solids concentration of the serum to at least 35% by weight to produce a concentrated serum;
- crystallizing the concentrated serum by:
- adding monohydrate lactose crystals having an average size of less than 80 microns;
- lowering the temperature of the concentrated serum to between 10° C. and 16° C. at a rate of no greater than 2.5° C./hr over at least 5 hours from the time the lactose crystals are added such that an average size of the lactose crystals in the crystallized serum is less than 15 microns and the degree of crystallization is at least 70%;
- and
- preheating the crystallized serum to a temperature between 14° C. and 20° C. to improve its rheological properties;
- spray drying the crystallized serum to produce a free-flowing, non-hygroscopic serum powder with an acidity level of at least 0.35% without using any acid neutralizing agent so as to maintain the acidity level of the serum.
A method of making a powder of serum extracted from a Greek style yogurt comprising:
- increasing the total solids concentration of the serum to at least 35% by weight to produce a concentrated serum;
- crystallizing the concentrated serum by:
- adding monohydrate lactose crystals having an average size of less than 80 microns;
- lowering the temperature of the concentrated serum to between 10° C. and 16° C. at a rate of no greater than 2.5° C./hr over at least 5 hours from the time the lactose crystals are added such that an average size of the lactose crystals in the crystallized serum is less than 15 microns and the degree of crystallization is at least 70%;
- preheating the crystallized serum to a temperature between 14° C. and 20° C. to improve its rheological properties;
- spray drying the crystallized serum by passing the crystallized serum through nozzles each having an orifice of between 0.99 mm and 1.09 mm and at the pressure of at least 170 bar to produce a free-flowing, non-hygroscopic serum powder with an acidity level of at least 0.35% without using any acid neutralizing agent so as to maintain the acidity level of the serum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.