Kraft Foods, Inc.

Kraft General Foods, Inc.

Joseph E Spradlin

Xiao-Qing Han

Steven J Leusner

Maurice Nasrallah

Mark V Hembling

Helena S Soedjak

Parviz Ghossi

Francis Agbo

John R Magnifico

Albert D Bolles

Osama O Ibrahim

Thomas L Carpenter

The invention provides a dairy composition containing a complex of a casein-complexing whey protein digestion product and casein micelles, and methods for their preparation. Also provided are the digestion product and methods for its preparation. The digestion product is provided by the action of a non-rennet protease on whey protein, such that the digestion product remains with the curds when a composition including the complex is subjected to a renneting process that provides curds and a supernatant. The resulting curds also include casein degradation products. The non-rennet protease is the bacterial protease Novo SP 446. The invention additionally provides a cheese composition and a cheese product obtained by renneting a dairy composition containing the casein-complexing whey protein digestion product described herein and casein micelles. The resulting cheese composition includes whey protein digestion products and casein degradation products. Methods of preparing the cheese composition and the cheese product are also provided. Additionally, the casein-complexing whey protein digestion product may be added directly to a cheese substance such as a processed cheese, a cottage cheese, and a cream cheese to provide a cheese product.

Whey protein digestion products in cheese

The present invention provides a process cheese product made with a cheese and dairy liquid that includes casein, whey protein, and lactose, wherein at least a portion of the casein and/or whey protein in the dairy liquid is crosslinked via &ggr;-carboxyl-&egr;-amino crosslinks prior to being combined with the cheese, and wherein the lactose in the process cheese product remains dissolved in the aqueous phase upon storage. According to the invention, this product is provided by a process that includes the important step of contacting the dairy liquid with a transglutaminase for a time, and under conditions, sufficient to crosslink at least a portion of the casein and/or whey protein to provide crosslinked protein conjugates in the dairy liquid. The invention furthermore provides the process for making the process cheese product. Advantageously, the process permits replacing part of the cheese proteins with the crosslinked proteins of the dairy liquid. Additionally, crystallization of lactose in the process cheese product is significantly inhibited such that lactose levels higher than commonly introduced in cheese products may be employed in the process cheese of the invention.

Incorporation of whey into process cheese

The present invention provides a cheese curd that contains protein products originating from a dairy liquid containing casein and whey protein. In order to obtain the cheese curd, the dairy liquid is acted upon by a transglutaminase and a non-rennet protease, resulting in a substantial proportion of whey protein products being retained in the cheese curd. The invention also discloses a method of making the cheese curd that retains a substantial proportion of whey protein products. This invention further provides a cheese product, such as a soft cheese, a semi-soft cheese, or a hard cheese, that contains protein products originating from a dairy liquid containing casein and whey protein, and a method of making the cheese product.

Cheese curd made using transglutaminase and a non-rennet protease

The present invention provides a cheese curd containing a substantial proportion of whey protein products and curded proteins originating from a dairy liquid containing casein, as well as a process for making the cheese curd. The process includes the significant step that a dairy liquid fortified with whey protein is contacted with a transglutaminase to provide a modified dairy liquid containing whey protein products. The modified dairy liquid is then blended with a second dairy liquid and renneted to provide the curd, whereby a high proportion of whey protein products is retained in the curd. The curd can be used to prepare cheese products, including soft, semi-soft, and hard cheeses, where the cheese products contain a substantial proportion of whey protein products and curded proteins originating from dairy liquids.

Process for incorporating whey proteins into cheese using transglutaminase

The present invention discloses a method of preparing a process cheese containing lactose wherein the cheese remains free of lactose crystals. The method includes a step in which a dairy liquid is heated at a temperature, and for a duration in time, that are sufficient to inhibit or prevent crystallization of the lactose after formation of the process cheese. The ratio of dairy liquid to cheese is from about 1:1 to about 3:1 by weight. The invention additionally discloses the lactose-containing process cheese stabilized against the formation of lactose crystals, prepared by the process of the invention.

Incorporation of supersaturated lactose in process cheese and product thereof

Process for making cheese using transglutaminase and a non-rennet

D-tagatose is manufactured from cheese whey and/or milk. The cheese whey and/or milk is hydrolyzed to prepare a mixture comprising galactose and glucose. Galactose is separated from the glucose by fermentation and subjected to isomerization using L-arabinose isomerase, thereby producing D-tagatose. The D-tagatose can be used as a reduced calorie food sweetening and bulking agent, as an intermediate for the synthesis of optically active compounds, and as an additive in detergent, cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations.

Process for manufacturing D-tagatose

A quick-setting gel mix suitable for preparing dessert gels with improved clarity contains sodium and/or potassium alginate, a slowly-soluble calcium salt, an anti-oxidant, such as ascorbic acid, and a catalyst, such as copper gluconate and/or ferric sulfate, in amounts effective to promote clarity within the gel.

Quick-setting gel mix

A process for producing a tea extract which forms little or no haze when stored at refrigeration temperatures. The process comprises incubating a mixture of oxidase, tannase and tea extract, and then separating insoluble solids from the tea extract. The tea extract is preferably a concentrate which is subsequently diluted to provide a ready-to-drink beverage. Haze which develops on cold storage of the extract or of tea beverages prepared from the extract is significantly reduced.

Enzymatic clarification of tea extracts

Multi-component (e.g., multi-layered) and multi-colored gelled products, such as gelatin dessert gels, are prepared using water-soluble colorants and complexing agents for the colorants which will prevent the colorant from migrating within the gelled layer. The complexing agents are polyamino acids and protein materials which fluoresce with ANS.

Ready-to-eat, multi-component, multi-colored gels

Improved yield and gelatin quality is obtained by extracting conditioned collagen-containing material with water at lower temperature and shorter time conditions than previously used to remove high quality gelatin as quickly as possible. Very high quality gelatin is extracted initially. Acid conditioning yield is also improved by controlling pH between 1.5-2.0.

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Hot Springs, AR, United States of America

Joseph E Spradlin