Gum application in wheyless cream cheese systems
View Patent ↗The present invention describes processes that incorporate ionic gums into wheyless cream cheese to reinforce curd structure, thus increasing product firmness. The processes involve adding a relatively small (e.g., about 0.005 to about 0.1 percent) but effective amount of the ionic gum (e.g., xanthan, gellan, carrageenan, alginate gums, low methoxy pectin, or mixtures thereof) before a fermentation step, preferably prior to initial homogenization/heating steps, to provide ionic gum-dairy protein interaction without causing coacervation with protein. In certain preferred embodiments, xanthan gum is used due to its cold water solubility, consistent composition, availability, and low cost.
1. A process for making a wheyless cream cheese or wheyless cream cheese-like product, said process comprising:
(1) providing a dairy mixture containing dairy proteins and fat;
(2) heating the dairy mixture to a temperature from about 120 to about 160° F. to form a first heated dairy mixture;
(3) homogenizing the first heated dairy mixture to form a first homogenized dairy mixture;
(4) heating the first homogenized dairy mixture to about 165 to about 215° F. for about 15 seconds to about 20 minutes to form a second heated dairy mixture;
(5) cooling the second heated dairy mixture to a temperature of about 65 to about 80° F. to form a cooled dairy mixture;
(6) inoculating the cooled dairy mixture with a lactic ferment starter culture to form an inoculated dairy mixture;
(7) incubating the inoculated dairy mixture to reduce the pH to about 4.3 to about 5 to form a cultured dairy mixture;
(8) adjusting the pH of the cultured dairy mixture to about 4.6 to about 5.3 to form a cultured dairy blend;
(9) heating the cultured dairy blend at about 180 to about 205° F. for about 15 seconds to about 30 minutes to form a heated, cultured dairy blend; and
(10) homogenizing the heated, cultured dairy blend to form the wheyless cream cheese or wheyless cream cheese-like product;
wherein an effective amount of an ionic gum is added during or before the incubating step (7).
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein a stabilizer is added after the incubating step (7).
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ionic gum is xanthan, gellan, carrageenan, alginate, low methoxy pectin, or mixtures thereof.
4. The process of claim 2 , wherein the ionic gum is xanthan, gellan, carrageenan, alginate, low methoxy pectin, or mixtures thereof.
5. The process of claim 3 , wherein the ionic gum is xanthan.
6. The process of claim 4 , wherein the ionic gum is xanthan.
7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the effective amount of the ionic gum is about 0.001 to about 0.1 percent and wherein the wheyless cream cheese or wheyless cream cheese-like product has a firmness of greater than about 1000 pascals.
8. The process of claim 2 , wherein the effective amount of the ionic gum is about 0.001 to about 0.1 percent and wherein the wheyless cream cheese or wheyless cream cheese-like product has a firmness of greater than about 1000 pascals.
9. The process of claim 3 , wherein the effective amount of the ionic gum is about 0.001 to about 0.1 percent and wherein the wheyless cream cheese or wheyless cream cheese-like product has a firmness of greater than about 1000 pascals.
10. The process of claim 4 , wherein the effective amount of the ionic gum is about 0.001 to about 0.1 percent and wherein the wheyless cream cheese or wheyless cream cheese-like product has a firmness of greater than about 1000 pascals.