CA2161713C

CA2161713C - Imitation cheese containing an admixture of modified and unmodified ungelatinized starches

Info

Publication number: CA2161713C
Application number: CA002161713A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Barbara Eva Rybinski; Larry Edward Woodford; Douglas George Bixby
Original assignee: ACH Food Companies Inc
Current assignee: ACH Food Companies Inc
Priority date: 1994-11-15
Filing date: 1995-10-30
Publication date: 2007-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 2015-10-30
Also published as: NZ280444A; CN1068179C; CA2161713A1; AU3779795A; AU691352B2; CN1130023A

Abstract

An imitation cheese product is produced, which contains natural cheese and an admixture of modified and unmodified, ungelatinized, low-amylose starch. The ratio of the modified, ungelatinized starch to the unmodified ungelatinized starch ranges from 1:1 to 5:1. The imitation cheese product also contains water, gelatin, salt, emulsifier salts and, optionally, a bulking agent and oil. The imitation cheese product contains no added casein and/or caseinates (other than that present in the natural cheese) and is preferably a restricted melt cheese.

Description

Y
2161713 Case 21265 IMITATION CHEESE CONTAINING AN ADMIXTURE OF
MODIFIED ANI) UNMODIFIED UNGELATINIZED STARCHES
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to the production of imitation cheese products containing an admixture of a modified and unmodified low amylose starch which is ungelatinized.
The imitation cheese replicates the characteristics typical of an imitation cheese product which has incorporated casein or caseinates.
BACKGROUND ART
Cheese analogs and/or imitation cheese products were developed to produce cheese products of lower cost.
These analog products were manufactured from casein or casein derivatives, vegetable oil, salt, acids and flavoring. The fabricated cheese analogs were referred to as imitation cheeses because the casein derivatives were legally defined as non-dairy ingredients. Imitation cheese products gained considerable consumer appeal, due to the fact that they were available at reduced costs, and, in addition, were typically lower in calories and cholesterol, since the animal fat, which is present in a natural cheese product, has been replaced in the imitation cheese product with vegetable oil. Sodium, potassium and calcium caseinates, as well as those salts generated in situ by treating acid casein and rennet casein with the appropriate alkali, are used in the production of imitation cheese products. These caseinate ingredients possess unique setting, textural and emulsification properties that make them ideal for incorporation in imitation cheese products.
Prior art workers have been attempting to decrease or eliminate totally casein and caseinates as ingredients in imitation cheese products because of their high cost and scarcity. Additionally, these ingredients will contribute objectionable off-flavors to the imitation cheese products. U.S. Patent 4,499,116 issued to Zwiercan et al. discloses an imitation cheese product containing modified starches which are able to replace up to 80% by weight of the caseinate normally present within the typical imitation cheese. The starch base is said to have an amylose content of about 15% to 40% and the starch must be converted and pregelatinized. Suitable converted starches include acid- or enzyme-converted starches (often referred to as fluidity starches) and oxidized starches. Non-converted starches (other than the high amylose corn starches which have the required water fluidity without conversion) even when pregelatinized or derivatized and pregelatinized are said not to be useful in the starch base.
U.S. Patents 4,608,265 and 4,695,475, issued to Zwiercan et al., disclose the replacement of part or all of the casein normally present within an imitation cheese product with edible pregelatinized starch having an amylose content of at least 40% by weight. These patents further teach that the high amylose starch, which can be either modified or unmodified, may be used in admixture with up to 80% by weight of an edible modified or unmodified, pregelatinized low amylose starch. U.S.
Patent 4,937,091, issued to Zallie et al., dislcoses that an imitation cheese product where edible caseinates are replaced by gelatinized starches, which have been enzymatically treated with an enzyme capable of cleaving a-1, 6-D-glucosidic linkages to a starch to partially debranch the starch and yield a mixture comprising partially debranched amylopectin and short-chain amylose.
Commercially manufactured imitation cheese products have also been formulated to decrease the casein and%or caseinate component by the addition of ungelatinized acid modified fluidity corn starch. However, these products typically must contain casein or caseinates at levels exceeding 7% and these products do not incorporate mixtures of modified and unmodified ungelatinized starches. Additionally, these products suffer from a noticeable dry texture and objectional taste contributed by the casein or caseinates.
There remains a need in the art to produce high quality imitation cheese products containing little or no added casein and/or caseinates which possess the taste and eating qualities typical of the imitation cheese products which have incorporated casein and/or caseinates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a imitation cheese product which contains water in an amount of about 40% to about 60% by weight of the total imitation cheese product, low amylose containing food starch in an amount of from about 10% to about 30% by weight, said food starch comprising an admixture of a fluidity starch which is ungelatinized~and an unmodified, ungelatinized starch.
The admixture of the fluidity starch and unmodified, ungelatinized starch is within a ratio of from 1:1 to 5:1. The imitation cheese product also incorporates a natural cheese in an amount of from 1% to about 55%, gelatin in an amount of from about 1% to about 5% by weight, salt in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 3%
by weight and emulsifier salts in an amount of from about 0.5% to about 3% by weight. The imitation cheese product may also contain oil in an amount of from 0% to about 20%
by weight and a bulking agent in an amount of from 0% to about 5% by weight.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Low amylose food starch for the purpose of this invention shall constitute an amylose content of about 15% to below about 40%. The imitation cheese product of the present invention is a functionally equivalent product to an imitation cheese containing added casein or caseinate. The term "added casein and/or caseinate"
should refer to the addition of casein and/or caseinate as an ingredient by itself in an imitation cheese product (to be contrasted to the situation where an ingredient may contain casein or caseinate as a constituent therein). The type of imitation cheese product which is produced is selected from the group consisting of mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, monteray jack cheese, Mexican style cheeses and processed American cheese.
The admixture of modified and unmodified, ungelatinized, low amylose containing starches for use in the present invention may be derived from any plant source other than waxy starches or high amylose starches Containing an amylose content of 40% or above. Suitable starches should have an amylose content of above 15% and below 40%, preferably below 30% by weight. Suitable starches include starches such as corn, potato, sweet potato, wheat, rice, sago, tapioca, sorghum or the like having amylose contents of up to about 30% and starches such as smooth pea, Canadian pea, cocoa bean, wing bean or the like having amylose contents up to about 40% by 21617)3 weight. The preferred starches are derived from corn starch, wheat starch and combinations thereof.
As previously discussed, the starch component is an admixture of a modified, ungelatinized starch and an unmodified, ungelatinized starch. The modified starch is referred to by those skilled in the art as a fluidity starch. The fluidity starch should have a water fluidity (WF)of about 5 to 90, preferably 20 to 80, and most preferably 40 to 60. The fluidity starches include acid-or enzyme-modified starches. In the preparation of the modified starches by acid treatment, the starch base is hydrolyzed in the presence of an acid, such as sulfuric or hydrochloric acid at a temperature below the gelatinization point of the starch. The starch is slurried in water and the acid is then added. Typically, the reaction takes place over an 8 to 16 hour period after which the acid is neutralized with alkali (e.g., to a pH of 5.5), and the starch recovered by filtration.
Since the acid-modified starch must be ungelatinized, the modified starch is not subject to a temperature which would be sufficient to gelatinize the starch. In a similar manner, the modified starch may be produced by enzymatic treatment. In such a system, the starch base would be slurried with water and the pH would be adjusted to approximately 5.6 to 5.7 with alkali or acid. A small amount of a-amylase enzyme (e.g., about 0.02% based on the weight of the starch) can be added to the slurry and the temperature raised but to a point below the gelatinization point of the starch. When the desired conversion (WF) is reached, the enzyme is deactivated in any number of ways known to those skilled in the art.
The preferred fluidity starch is an acid-modified starch.
The preferred ratio of acid-modified, ungelatinized starch to unmodified, ungelatinized starch is from about 2:1 to about 3:1 and the most preferred ratio is about 2.5:1. The preferred amount of low amylose food starch is from about 20% to about 25%.
Natural cheese is incorporated into the imitation cheese product at a level of from about 1% to about 55%
by weight. The natural cheese will contribute a beneficial flavor, to the ultimate product and it is for this reason that high flavor profile natural cheese be incorporated as the natural cheese component. Suitable natural cheeses include: American cheese, cheddar cheese, enzyme-modified cheeses, granular cheese, parmesan cheese, romano cheese and blue cheese. Preferably the natural cheese is incorporated at a level of from about 1.5% to about 8% by weight.
Gelatin is incorporated in the imitation cheese product at a level of about 1% to about 5% by weight of the total product. Gelatin is an important ingredient in that it will help produce the necessary firmness in the final product. Preferably, gelatin is incorporated in an amount of from about 1.5% to about 3% by weight.
Salt is incorporated in the imitation cheese product at a level of from about 0.1% to about 3%. It functions to modify the taste of the imitation cheese product to more closely mimic the taste of the imitation cheese product containing casein or caseinates or a totally natural cheese product. Preferably, the amount of salt which is incorporated in the imitation cheese product ranges from about 1.5% to about 2.5%.
The imitation cheese product contains emulsifier salts in an amount of from about 0.5% to about 3% based on the total weight of the imitation cheese product.
Emulsifier salts typically function in an imitation cheese product to emulsify the fat conventionally used in these cheese formulations. In the absence of fat, the emulsifying salts act as salivating agents or hydrating agents to dissolve or hydrate the dry mix ingredients, specifically, the starch base. Typically, the emulsifier salts are selected from the group consisting of alkali, metal phosphates, citrate salts and combinations thereof.
Examples of these include mono, di or triphosphate salts, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium citrate and calcium citrate. Preferably, the amount of emulsifying salts ranges from about 1% to about 2.5%.
The imitation cheese product according to the present invention can contain oil or alternatively a fat-free product can be produced. Where oil is incorporated into the formula, it is preferably within the range of from about 12% to about 18%. Typically, the oil is derived from vegetable oil which may be hydrogenated to give the product desirable characteristics. Oil is typically incorporated into the natural cheese and, as a result, the above ranges relate to added oil not contained in the natural cheese.
The imitation cheese product of the present invention may also incorporate a bulking agent. A
bulking agent can be incorporated in the cheese product from 0% to 5% by weight. Typically, the bulking agent is selected from the group consisting of whey, tricalcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose and combinations thereof. Preferably, the bulking agent is sweet whey.
The preferred level of bulking agent, which is incorporated into the imitation cheese product of the present invention, will vary from approximately 3% to about 5 % .
Water is incorporated into the imitation cheese product of the present invention at a level of from about 40% to about 60% by weight of the imitation cheese product. Imitation cheese products in general are known _g_ to contain fairly high moisture contents and the present level is typical of the water content of imitation cheese products. Preferably, the amount of water which is incorporated will vary from about 45% to about 55%.. The water content, which is described, is the combination of free water, which is added to the product as well as~any moisture contained with any of the other ingredients within the formulation.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention where the imitation cheese incorporates from 1.5% to 8%
natural cheese, the imitation cheese product which is produced contains a level of protein below approximately 5%. The amount of protein in the product is a function of the amount of natural cheese which is incorporated into the formulation as well as the amount of gelatin since both of these materials contribute protein.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the imitation cheese is a restricted melt cheese. A restricted melt cheese is a cheese product which will soften upon elevated temperatures but it holds its identity and will not run or become fluid in nature.
Preferably, the imitation cheese product of the present invention is free of added casein and/or caseinates. While casein and/or casinates may be contained as an ingredient within the natural cheese, which is incorporated into the formula, casein and/or caseinates are not incorporated as a separate ingredient into the formulation.
The imitation product of the present invention is manufactured by a fairly simple process. Where tricalcium phosphate is incorporated into the formula it is preferred that it be added to the water with agitation. Thereafter all of the other dry ingredients are added with continued agitation. Alternatively it is possible to add all dry ingredients to water with agitation. In either case it is important that all dry ingredients should be thoroughly mixed with and wetted by the water before any materials containing lipids are added to the mixture to provide maximum hydration of the dry ingredients. The vegetable oil and natural cheese are then added to the above mixture and heat is applied while agitating the mixture. Heat may be added via indirect means such as a jacketed heat exchanger, or via direct steam injection. The product is elevated to temperatures sufficient to gelatinize substantially all of the starch. When utilizing a commercial sized cooker-mixer such as the equipment specified in Example 1, the temperature of the agitated product is typically raised up to about 190°F and held there for approximately 130 seconds. If acid is incorporated into the formula, it is added after this hold time and the product is agitated for an additional period of time, typically around 30 seconds, i.e., long enough to distribute the acid uniformly through the product. Thereafter the product is packaged and cooled down in the package. During this period the product is also exposed to elevated temperatures which functions at least partially to gelatinize the starch.
The following examples are presented to illustrate the present invention but are not to be construed in any manner as limiting the scope of the invention.

2161 l13 Imitation restricted melt cheese products possessing the taste of a typical American cheese were produced from the formulas set forth below in Table I. All weight percentages are based upon the final weight percentage of the final product. All of these products incorporate Midsol 50 which is an ungelatinized, unmodified wheat starch having a water fluidity of from 40-50 and an amylose content of about 27%. Midsol 50 is manufactured by Midwest Grain Products, Inc. (Atchison, Kansas). Also incorporated is Flo-Gel Starch which is an ungelatinized, acid-modified corn starch having a water fluidity of from 58-68 and an amylose content of about 27%. Flo-Gel Starch is manufactured by National Starch and Chemical Company (Bridgewater, New Jersey). The four formulas differ primarily in their content of natural cheese;
Example 1 incorporates 5.1% natural cheese; Example 2 incorporates 2.5% natural cheese; Example 3 incorporates 5% natural cheese and Example 4 incorporates 6.3% natural cheese. The percentage of water represents additional added water plus condensate but does not include water contributed by other ingredients. Final Moisture represents the total water content of the product (added water + water contained within ingredients). Minor ingredients include color, stabilizers, sweeteners, flavors, etc., which do not form any part of the present invention. The natural cheese ingredient is club cheese consisting of a blend of American cheeses sold under the tradename Supercurd K manufactured by Kraft Food Ingredients Corporation (Memphis, TN).

TABLE I
Example Example Example Example Ingredien 1 2 3 4 t Water 46.1% 46.2% 45.7% 45.2%

Partially Hydrogenated 15.3% 16.5% 15.5% 15.3%

Soybean oil Flo-Gel Starch , 15.3% 16.2% 15.3% 15.3%

Midsol 50 6.4% 7.4% 6.5% 6.5%

Natural Cheese 5.1% 2.5% 5.0% 6.3%

Sweet Whey 3.5% 3.5% 4.0% 3.5%

Gelatin 2.0% 2.0% 2.2% 2.2%

Salt 2.4% 2.0% 2.5% 2.4%

Disodium Phosphate 1.2% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0%

% 0.5% 0.5%
Tricalcium Phosphate 0.4% 0.50 Guar Gum 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3%

Lactic Acid 0.7% - . - -Minor Ingredients 1.3% 1.9% 1.9% 1.5%

TOTAL 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Final Moisture 51% 50.3% 50.6% 50.6%

The following procedure was utilized to manufacture the imitation cheese products of the present example.
Water heated to 190QF and all dry ingredients were added to a 500 pound sized cooker-mixer manufactured by NATEC (Heimenkirch, West Germany) and mixed for 60 seconds. Thereafter, liquid heated oil and the natural cheese were added and mixed for an additional 30 seconds.
Thereafter, steam is injected into the mixture until the mixture reaches a final temperature of 190QF. The resultant heated combination was mixed for an additional 130 seconds. If acid is incorporated into the formula, it is added at this point and the acidified product is mixed for an additional 30 seconds. The smooth fluid mass was then filled into containers and rapidly cooled to room temperature. The imitation cheese product possessing the formula of Example 1 had a protein content of 3.6%. The imitation no added-casein cheese products containing the above formulations had a pH of about 5.0 to 6.0 and possessed an appearance, taste, texture and eating quality very similar to the imitation cheese product containing casein and/or caseinates. The product was evaluated by trained experts skilled in the art of testing and grading cheeses and processed cheeses and was found to have characteristics similar to processed cheeses and superior to most commercially-available imitation cheeses.

In a similar manner, as set forth in Example 1-4, a restricted-melt imitation cheese product, which incorporated 51% natural cheese was prepared from the formula produced in Table II below. The imitation cheese was manufactured utilizing the same equipment and process previously described in Examples 1-4.

21b1113 Table II
Ingredient Peraentage Water 27.0 Partially-Hydrogenated Soybean Oil 7.4 Flo-Gel Starch 5.0 Midsol 50 5.0 Natural Cheese 51.0 Sweet Whey -Gelatin 1.0 Salt 2.0 Disodium Phosphate 0.5 Tricalcium Phosphate 0.5 Guar Gum 0.3 Lactic Acid -Minor Ingredients 0.3 TOTAL 100%

Final Moisture 47.7 The product was evaluated by the same trained experts, who evaluated the products produced in Examples 1-4, and they had similar comments on the present product, with the exception that the present product possessed more cheese flavor, due to the incorporation of the higher natural cheese content.

EXAMPLES 6 and 7 Imitation restricted melt cheese products possessing the taste of a typical American cheese were 5 produced in a similar manner as described in Examples 1-4. The one significant difference was that an ungelatinized, acid-modified wheat starch having an amylose content of about 28% and a water fluidity of about 60 to 70 was substituted for the FLO-GEL starch (acid-modified corn starch). The two acid.-modified starches utilized in the two examples differ in the amount of time that they were subjected to acid modification. The formulas used to manufacture the imitation cheese products are set forth in Table III
below:
Table III
Example 6 Example 7 Incredient Water 46.1% 46.1%

Partially Hydrogenated 15.3% 15.3%

Soybean Oil Acid-Modified Wheat Starch 15.3% 15.3%

Midsol 50 6.4% 6.4%

Natural Cheese 5.1% 5.1%

Sweet Whey 3.5% 3.5%

Gelatin 2.0% 2.0%

Salt 2.4% 2.4%

Disodium Phosphate 1.2% 1.2%

Tricalcium Phosphate 0.4% 0.4%

Guar Gum 0.3% 0.3%

Lactic Acid 0.7% 0.7%

Minor Ingredients 1.3% 1.3%

TOTAL 100.0% 100.0%

Final Moisture 51.0% 51.0%

The products were manufactured in accordance with the procedure set forth in Example 1.
The two products were evaluated by trained 5 experts skilled in the art of testing and grading cheeses and processed cheese. Both products were found to have characteristics similar to processed cheeses and superior to most commercially-available imitation cheeses. The imitation cheese represented by Example 6 in the opinion 10 of the tasters possessed a slightly soft texture and a very clean flavor with a creamy mouthfeel; the imitation cheese of Example 7 had a softer texture, a flavor which was judged to be good and clean and a creamy mouthfeel.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. An imitation cheese product which comprises:
water in an amount of from about 40% to about 60% by weight;
low amylose containing food starch in an amount of from about 10% to about 30% by weight, said food starch comprising an admixture of a fluidity starch which is ungelatinized and unmodified, ungelatinized starch in a ratio of from 1:1 to 5:1;
natural cheese in an amount of from about 1.0%
to about 55% by weight;
oil in an amount of from 0 to about 20% by weight;
gelatin in an amount of from about 1.0% to about 5% by weight;
bulking agent in an amount of from 0 to about 5% by weight;
salt in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 3.0% by weight; and emulsifier salts in an amount of from about 0.5% to about 3% by weight.

2. The product according to claim 1 wherein the imitation cheese product comprises food starch in an amount of from about 20% to about 25% by weight.

3. The product according to claim 1 wherein the food starch is derived from corn starch, wheat starch and combinations thereof.

4. The product according to claim 1 wherein the fluidity starch is an acid-modified starch or enzyme-modified starch.

5. The product according to claim 4 wherein the fluidity starch is an acid-modified starch.

6. The product according to claim 1 wherein the food starch contains less than 30% amylose.

7. The product according to claim 5 wherein the ratio of acid-modified, ungelatinized starch to unmodified, ungelatinized starch is from 2:1 to 3:1.

8. The product according to claim 7 wherein the ratio is about 2.5:1.

9. The product according to claim 1 wherein said bulking agent is selected from the group consisting of whey, tricalcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, and combinations thereof.

10. The product according to claim 9 wherein the bulking agent is whey.

11. The product of claim 9 wherein the bulking agent is incorporated into the imitation cheese in an amount of from about 3% to about 5%.

12. The product according to claim 1 wherein the emulsifier salts are selected from the group consisting of alkali metal phosphates, citrate salts and combinations thereof.

13. The product of claim 12 wherein the emulsifier salts range from 1% to 2.5%.

14. The product according to claim 1 wherein the imitation cheese contains natural cheese in an amount of from about 1.5 to about 8%.

15. The product according to claim 1 which contains less than 5% protein.

16. The product according to claim 1 wherein said imitation cheese is a restricted melt cheese.

17. The product according to claim 1 wherein the imitation cheese is free of added casein and caseinates.

18. The product of claim 1 wherein the imitation cheese product comprises oil in an amount of from about 12% to 18%.

19. The product of claim 1 wherein the imitation cheese product comprises gelatin in an amount of from about 1.5% to 3%.

20. The product of claim 1 wherein the imitation cheese product comprises salt in an amount of from about 1.5% to 2.5%.