Stauffer Chemical Company

Nutrisearch Company

Nicholas Melachouris

Robert M Lauck

Chang R Lee

Chifa F Lin

Constance R Corbett

Dominick J Chirafisi

Brenda B Fracaroli

Cheryl J Lynch

A clear, calcium-fortified aqueous acidic beverage is provided which can contain large amounts of dietary calcium while remaining clear and storage stable even during pasteurization and refrigeration. The beverage can comprise a clear aqueous solution of an organic calcium compound such as calcium gluconate at a pH of about 4 and below wherein the calcium compound content does not exceed the solubility limit of the compound in water. An inorganic calcium salt can be used alone or in combination with an organic calcium compound to form an acidic beverage provided the pH is adjusted with an organic acid.

Calcium fortified acid beverages

A cheese flavor product can be prepared by incubating cheese or cheese curd with a lipase enzyme, preincubating the mixture to partially digest the cheese or curd, incubating the partially digested cheese to develop the flavor and admixing cream with the product after preincubation or incubation. The product has an intense cheese flavor which is usable as an additive to cheese or imitation cheese to improve the flavor characteristics thereof.

Process for preparing intensified cheese flavor product

A dried blend of deproteinized whey by-product and casein or its salts is produced by forming an admixture of 5 to 50% of casein, sodium caseinate or potassium caseinate and a deproteinized whey by-product selected from the group consisting of (1) the low molecular weight fraction obtained by gel fractionation of whey, (2) the permeate resulting from the ultrafiltration concentration of whey and (3) the delactosed permeate resulting from the ultrafiltration concentration of whey, and drying the admixture, preferably by spray drying. The dried blend has reduced hygroscopicity, and is useful in food products as a flavor enhancing agent, flavor agent or binding agent.

Preparation of a dried blend of whey by-product and casein or its salts

Comminuted meats can be effectively bound using a blend of water soluble protein-containing material, such as alkali metal caseinates, and a hydrocolloid. Preferably, the blend also includes a byproduct resulting from the concentration of whey protein from whey. The products are effective meat binders for comminuted meats and particularly non-specific loaves.

Process for binding comminuted meat

An improved milk replacer for caramels is provided comprising 13.75% to 17.25% whey protein from a whey protein concentrate, 35-45% dry whey solids, and 8-12% sodium caseinate. The milk replacer is an effective dry substitute for the milk solids normally used in preparing high quality caramels. Caramels of equivalent quality are provided.

Milk replacer for caramels

Comminuted meat products are prepared containing a blend of a whey by-product and about 5 to 50% of casein or its salts. The whey by-product is selected from a low molecular weight fraction derived from the molecular sieve fractionation of whey, a permeate obtained from the ultrafiltration of whey or a delactosed form of the permeate. The blend functions as a binder, flavor enhancer and/or extender. Blends containing the permeate or delactosed permeate are particularly effective in flavor enhancing and extending of non-specific meat loaves.

Preparation of comminuted meat products

A cheese product containing a non-fat dry milk substitute product. The non-fat dry milk substitute product contains therein lactalbumin, a modified whey solids product, and a texture improving amount of sodium hexametaphosphate. The protein content of the non-fat dry milk substitute product is from about 17% to about 30%, by weight, dry basis.

Non-fat dry milk substitute product

Comminuted meats can be effectively extended using, in place of non-fat dry milk, the partially soluble modified whey solids derived by either (1) adding a divalent metal ion to a cheese whey solution and adjusting the pH to between about 6.0 and about 8.0 or (2) by adjusting the pH of a cheese whey solution containing at least 20% acid cheese whey to a value of between about 6.0 and about 8.0 to cause precipitation of the modified whey solids. Extension is equivalent or slightly better than that achieved using non-fat dry milk and/or modified non-fat dry milk with the added advantages of more uniform flavor and lower cost.

Method for making comminuted meats and extenders

A process for recovering protein having improved solution clarity at acid pH from proteinaceous aqueous solutions comprising admixing with a proteinaceous aqueous solution a phosphate to form a phosphate complexed solution, adjusting the pH of the phosphate complexed solution to a neutral range of from about 6.0 to about 8.0 by the addition of base to form a precipitate and a pretreated proteinaceous aqueous solution, separating the precipitate from the pretreated proteinaceous aqueous solution to provide a separated precipitate and a separated pretreated proteinaceous aqueous solution, admixing with the separated pretreated proteinaceous aqueous solution a medium chain length polyphosphate to form a protein-phosphate complexed solution, adjusting the pH of the protein-phosphate complexed solution to an acid range of from about 4.5 to about 2.0 by the addition of acid to form a protein-phosphate precipitate and a supernatant solution, separating the protein-phosphate precipitate from the supernatant solution, dispersing the separated protein-phosphate precipitate in water having a final pH from about 5.0 to about 10.0 to form a protein-phosphate dispersion, contacting the protein-phosphate dispersion with an anionic ion exchange resin, and recovering the effluent containing protein. The effluent containing protein is useful for preparing fortified acidic beverages, which require protein solubility and maintenance of clear solutions at acid pH.

Growing community of inventors

White Plains, NY, United States of America

Nicholas Melachouris