Methods for treating a divided cheese product and compositions thereof

1. An anticaking agent for cheese, comprising:

20-70 wt. % one or more dairy ingredients chosen from milk permeate powder, deproteinized whey, whey permeate powder, and combinations thereof; and

30-80 wt. % one or more non-dairy ingredients comprising starch and fiber and optionally flour;

wherein the anticaking agent when applied to a divided cheddar cheese has little to no visibility on the divided cheddar cheese compared to the divided cheddar cheese without the anticaking agent, prevents caking of the divided cheddar cheese, and browns similarly to divided cheddar cheese without the anticaking agent when baked in an impinger oven at between 425° F. and 450° F. for 5 minutes.

2. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 46-70 wt. % milk permeate powder.

3. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 20-70 wt. % whey permeate powder.

4. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 60-65 wt. % deproteinized whey.

5. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 2-15 wt. % calcium sulfate.

6. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 9.5-40 wt. % cellulose.

7. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 48-80 wt. % starch.

8. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , wherein the starch is chosen from potato starch, tapioca starch, and modified food starch.

9. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 25-30.2 wt. % sugarcane fiber.

10. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 9.7-20 wt. % dextrose and 0.04-0.05 wt. % glucose oxidase.

11. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 0.06-0.08 wt. % natamycin.

12. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 10 wt. % potassium sorbate.

13. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 0.02-1.5 wt. % silicon dioxide.

14. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising 0.01-5 wt. % mineral oil.

15. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , wherein the fiber comprises sugarcane fiber.

16. The anticaking agent of claim 1 , comprising:

40-70 wt. % one or more dairy ingredients chosen from milk permeate powder, whey permeate powder, deproteinized whey, and combinations thereof;

30-51 wt. % starch; and

30-60 wt. % one or more non-dairy ingredients comprising fiber and optionally flour;

wherein the anticaking agent when applied to a divided cheddar cheese has little to no visibility on the divided cheddar cheese compared to the divided cheddar cheese without the anticaking agent, prevents caking of the divided cheddar cheese, and browns similarly to divided cheddar cheese without the anticaking agent when baked in an impinger oven at between 425° F. and 450° F. for 5 minutes.

17. The anticaking agent of claim 16 , comprising 48-79 wt. % corn starch or potato starch.

18. A food product comprising:

a. a divided cheese comprising a plurality of individual cheese particles; and

b. an anticaking agent of claim 1 dispersed on the plurality of individual cheese particles in an amount sufficient to inhibit caking of the plurality of individual cheese particles.

19. The food product of claim 18 , wherein said anticaking agent is applied at between 1 wt. % and 6 wt. % of the divided cheese.

20. A method of treating divided cheese for anticaking, comprising:

dispersing the anticaking agent of claim 1 over a divided cheese;

wherein the anticaking agent has little to no visibility on the divided cheddar cheese compared to the divided cheddar cheese without the anticaking agent, prevents caking of the divided cheddar cheese, and browns similarly to divided cheddar cheese without the anticaking agent when baked in an impinger over at between 425° F. and 450° F. for 5 minutes.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said anticaking agent is applied at between 1 wt. % and 6 wt. % of the divided cheese.