阅读说明：本技术 减脂再制干酪及其制备方法 (Fat-reducing processed cheese and preparation method thereof ) 是由 许颖 杜辉 何剑 张颖 张静 徐军 于 2020-05-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及减脂再制干酪及其制备方法。所述减脂再制干酪包含改性膳食纤维组合物和按所述减脂再制干酪的总重量计8-18wt％的脂肪,其中所述改性膳食纤维组合物通过将膳食纤维在第一含乳原料和任选的水的存在下预先进行均质处理而得到。本发明的减脂再制干酪通过添加改性膳食纤维而在降低脂肪含量的同时保持脂肪口感,提高了持水性从而避免在货架期期间出现的口感变干、变硬的不良现象。本发明还提供一种减脂再制干酪及其制备方法,所述减脂再制干酪包含膳食纤维和按所述减脂再制干酪的总重量计8-18wt％的脂肪,其中所述膳食纤维为从柑橘类水果获得的柑橘纤维。(The invention relates to fat-reducing processed cheese and a preparation method thereof. The reduced fat processed cheese comprises a modified dietary fiber composition and 8-18 wt% fat based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese, wherein the modified dietary fiber composition is obtained by pre-homogenizing dietary fiber in the presence of a first milk-containing raw material and optionally water. The fat-reducing processed cheese disclosed by the invention keeps the mouthfeel of fat while reducing the fat content by adding the modified dietary fiber, and improves the water retention property, so that the bad phenomena of dried and hardened mouthfeel during the shelf life are avoided. The invention also provides a fat-reduced processed cheese comprising dietary fiber and 8-18 wt% of fat based on the total weight of the fat-reduced processed cheese, wherein the dietary fiber is citrus fiber obtained from citrus fruits, and a method for preparing the same.)

1. A reduced fat processed cheese comprising a modified dietary fiber composition and 8-18 wt% fat based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese, wherein the modified dietary fiber composition is obtained by pre-homogenizing dietary fiber in the presence of a first milk-containing raw material and optionally water.

2. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 1, wherein the dietary fiber is citrus fiber obtained from citrus fruit.

3. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 2, wherein the citrus fruit is selected from the group consisting of oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits, and combinations thereof.

4. A reduced fat processed cheese according to claim 2, wherein the citrus fiber is derived from lemon.

5. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 1, wherein the reduced fat processed cheese comprises 3-10 wt% of the modified dietary fiber composition, based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

6. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 1, wherein the reduced fat processed cheese comprises 10-13 wt% fat based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

7. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 1, wherein the first milk-containing material is selected from the group consisting of whole milk, low fat milk, skim milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cream, butter, and combinations thereof.

8. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 1, wherein the first dairy-containing material is a cream and the modified dietary fiber composition is obtained by homogenizing the dietary fiber in the presence of the cream and water.

9. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 1, wherein the homogenization process has a pressure of 150bar to 300 bar; the temperature of the homogenization treatment is 40-75 ℃; and the number of the homogenization treatment is one or more.

10. A reduced-fat processed cheese of claim 9, wherein the number of homogenization treatments is from 3 to 10.

11. A reduced fat processed cheese as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first milk-containing raw material and optionally water are heated to 50-55 ℃ with stirring prior to the homogenisation treatment.

12. The fat-reduced processed cheese of claim 11, wherein after the heating under agitation, the dietary fiber is added and the agitation is continued at a temperature of 50-55 ℃, at a speed of 300-700r/min, for a time of 10-60 min.

13. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 1, wherein the reduced fat processed cheese further comprises calcium caseinate and starch.

14. A reduced fat processed cheese as claimed in claim 11 wherein the calcium caseinate is present in an amount of 2-8 wt% and the starch is present in an amount of 1-8 wt% based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

15. A method of making a reduced fat processed cheese comprising the steps of:

homogenizing dietary fiber in the presence of a first milk-containing material and optionally water to obtain a modified dietary fiber composition;

mixing a second milk-containing raw material and the modified dietary fibre composition to obtain a mixture;

heating and stirring the mixture, then cooling to obtain the fat-reduced processed cheese,

wherein the first milk-containing material and the second milk-containing material are the same or different.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the dietary fiber is citrus fiber obtained from citrus fruit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the citrus fruit is selected from the group consisting of oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits, and combinations thereof.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the citrus fiber is derived from lemon.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first milk-containing material and the second milk-containing material are independently selected from the group consisting of whole milk, low-fat milk, skim milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cheese, cream, butter, milk protein, whey protein, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first milk-containing material is cream, the dietary fiber is homogenized in the presence of the cream and water, and the second milk-containing material is selected from the group consisting of cheddar cheese, skim milk powder, concentrated milk protein powder, whey powder, and combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the homogenization process is at a pressure of 150bar to 300 bar; the temperature of the homogenization treatment is 40-75 ℃; and the number of the homogenization treatment is one or more.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the number of homogenization treatments is 3-10.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first milk-containing raw material and optionally water are heated to 50-55 ℃ with stirring before the homogenization treatment.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein after the heating under agitation, the dietary fiber is added and the agitation is continued at a temperature of 50-55 ℃ at a speed of 300-700r/min for a period of 10-60 min.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising evacuating the mixture and stirring at 80-150r/min for 1-4 min.

26. A reduced fat processed cheese comprising dietary fiber and 8-18 wt% fat based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese, wherein the dietary fiber is citrus fiber obtained from citrus fruit.

27. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 26, wherein the citrus fruit is selected from the group consisting of oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits, and combinations thereof.

28. A reduced fat processed cheese according to claim 26, wherein the citrus fiber is derived from lemon.

29. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 26, wherein the reduced fat processed cheese includes 0.05-05 wt% of the dietary fiber, based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

30. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 26, wherein the reduced fat processed cheese includes 10-13 wt% fat based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

31. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 26, wherein the reduced fat processed cheese further comprises a milk-containing material.

32. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 31, wherein the milk-containing material is selected from the group consisting of whole milk, low fat milk, skim milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cheese, cream, butter, milk protein, whey protein, and combinations thereof.

33. The reduced fat processed cheese of claim 26, wherein the reduced fat processed cheese further comprises calcium caseinate and starch.

34. A reduced fat processed cheese as claimed in claim 33 wherein the calcium caseinate is present in an amount of 2-8 wt% and the starch is present in an amount of 1-8 wt% based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

35. A process for preparing a reduced fat processed cheese comprising dietary fibres and 8-18 wt% fat based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese, wherein the process comprises the steps of:

mixing the dietary fiber and a milk-containing raw material to obtain a mixture;

heating and stirring the mixture, then cooling to obtain the fat-reduced processed cheese,

wherein the dietary fiber is citrus fiber obtained from citrus fruit.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the citrus fruit is selected from the group consisting of oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits, and combinations thereof.

37. The method according to claim 35, wherein the citrus fiber is derived from lemon.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the reduced fat processed cheese includes 0.05-05 wt% of the dietary fiber, based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the reduced fat processed cheese includes 10-13 wt% fat based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the milk-containing material is selected from the group consisting of whole milk, low-fat milk, skim milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cheese, cream, butter, milk protein, whey protein, and combinations thereof.

41. The method of claim 35, further comprising evacuating the mixture and shear stirring at 80-150r/min for 1-4 min.

Technical Field

The invention belongs to the technical field of cheese, and particularly relates to fat-reducing processed cheese containing fat substitutes and a preparation method thereof.

Background

The processed cheese is also called processed cheese, processed cheese or recombined cheese, and is a product which is prepared by taking one or more natural cheeses with different maturity as main raw materials, grinding the raw materials, adding an emulsifier and the like, and melting the raw materials. Processed cheese generally has the characteristics of high fat and high protein.

In recent years, with the health concerns, the intake of fat has been receiving more and more attention. Due to health concerns, consumers are increasingly inclined to select low-fat, high-quality protein foods, and concerns about high fat in cheese, so there is a need to develop a fat-reduced processed cheese containing fat substitutes to meet consumer needs.

The fat content of the currently marketed flaky fat-reducing processed cheese is about 12 percent mostly. The existing researches on fat substitutes of low-fat or fat-reduced cheese mainly comprise two main types of protein matrixes or carbohydrate matrixes, wherein the protein matrixes are mainly researched by modified whey protein, WPC80 and the like; most studied carbohydrate substrates are inulin, polydextrose, pectin, corn starch, pea starch, beta-cyclodextrin and the like. However, these fat substitutes have poor water retention, water can lubricate, and starch retrogradation can cause the fat-reduced processed cheese to become dry and hard during shelf life.

Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a fat substitute with stronger water holding capacity to prepare fat-reduced processed cheese to avoid the undesirable phenomena of dry and hard mouthfeel during shelf life.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to solve the product problem of the conventional reproduced fat-reduced cheese, and designs a fat-reduced reproduced cheese containing a fat substitute and a preparation method thereof.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a reduced fat processed cheese comprising a modified dietary fiber composition and from 8 to 18 wt% fat, preferably from 10 to 13 wt% fat, more preferably from 11.5 to 12.5 wt% fat, based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese, wherein the modified dietary fiber composition is obtained by pre-homogenising dietary fibers in the presence of a first milk-containing raw material and optionally water.

According to one embodiment of the reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the dietary fiber may be derived from food and may be fiber extracted from food, such as citrus fiber, inulin, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the dietary fiber is citrus fiber obtained from citrus fruits, non-limiting examples of which include oranges, tangerines, limes, lemons, grapefruits, and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the citrus fiber is derived from lemon.

According to another embodiment of the reduced fat processed cheese of the invention, the reduced fat processed cheese comprises 3-10 wt% of the modified dietary fiber composition, preferably 5-9 wt% of the modified dietary fiber composition, more preferably 6-8 wt% of the modified dietary fiber composition, based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

According to another embodiment of the reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the first milk-containing material is selected from the group consisting of whole milk, low fat milk, skim milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cream, butter, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the first milk-containing raw material is cream, and the modified dietary fiber composition is obtained by homogenizing the dietary fiber in the presence of the cream and water.

According to another embodiment of the fat-reduced processed cheese of the invention, the pressure of the homogenization treatment is 150bar to 300bar, preferably 190 bar to 210 bar; the temperature of the homogenization treatment is 40-75 ℃, preferably 60-70 ℃, and more preferably 65 ℃; and the number of the homogenization treatment is one or more, preferably two or more, more preferably 3 to 10, and more preferably 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8.

According to another embodiment of the reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the first milk-containing raw material and optionally water are heated to 50-55 ℃ with stirring before the homogenization process. After the stirring and heating, the dietary fiber is added and the stirring is continued, the temperature of the continuous stirring is 50-55 ℃, the speed is 300-700r/min, and the time is 10-60 min.

According to another embodiment of the reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the reduced fat processed cheese further comprises a second milk-containing material, wherein preferably the second milk-containing material is selected from the group consisting of whole milk, low fat milk, skim milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cheese, cream, butter, milk protein, whey protein and combinations thereof.

According to another embodiment of the reduced fat processed cheese of the invention, the reduced fat processed cheese further comprises cheese, wherein preferably the cheese is comprised in an amount of 15-30% by weight based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese. The cheese material is typically a variety of hard and semi-hard cheeses such as Edam cheese, Cheddar cheese, Gada cheese, Tilsit cheese, Provolone cheese, etc. which are available from a good source, are easy to process, and have low loss. The easiest to process is cheddar cheese, one of the most commonly used raw materials in the production of processed cheese.

According to another embodiment of the reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the reduced fat processed cheese further comprises calcium caseinate and starch, wherein the calcium caseinate is present in an amount of 2 to 8 wt% and the starch is present in an amount of 1 to 8 wt% based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

According to another embodiment of the reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the reduced fat processed cheese further comprises other ingredients such as thickeners, emulsifiers, acidulants, preservatives, colorants, flavors, and the like. Preferably, the thickening agent is selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, starch, agar, carrageenan, guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, pectin, microcrystalline cellulose, gellan gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, and combinations thereof. The emulsifier may be selected from the group consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, lecithin, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate, sodium tartrate, sodium metaphosphate, and the like, and combinations thereof, and preferably the emulsifier may be an emulsifying salt such as sodium citrate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate, sodium tartrate, sodium metaphosphate, and combinations thereof. The acidulant may be selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid, and the like, and combinations thereof. The preservative may be selected from sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, nisin, and broad spectrum antibiotics based on milk powder fermentation, such as Micro Guard, and the like, and combinations thereof.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making reduced fat processed cheese comprising the steps of: homogenizing dietary fiber in the presence of a first milk-containing material and optionally water to obtain a modified dietary fiber composition; mixing a second milk-containing raw material and the modified dietary fibre composition to obtain a mixture; heating and stirring the mixture, and then cooling to obtain the fat-reduced processed cheese, wherein the first milk-containing raw material and the second milk-containing raw material are the same or different.

According to one embodiment of the method of making fat-reduced processed cheese of the present invention, the dietary fiber may be derived from food and may be fiber extracted from food, such as citrus fiber, inulin, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the dietary fiber is citrus fiber obtained from citrus fruits, non-limiting examples of which include oranges, tangerines, limes, lemons, grapefruits, and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the citrus fiber is derived from lemon.

According to another embodiment of the method of making reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the first milk-containing material and the second milk-containing material are independently selected from the group consisting of whole milk, low fat milk, skim milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cheese, cream, butter, milk protein, whey protein, and combinations thereof.

According to another embodiment of the method of making a reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the first milk-containing material is cream, the dietary fiber is homogenized in the presence of the cream and water, and the second milk-containing material is selected from the group consisting of cheddar cheese, skim milk powder, concentrated milk protein powder, whey powder, and combinations thereof.

According to another embodiment of the method for preparing fat-reduced processed cheese according to the invention, the pressure of the homogenization treatment is 150bar to 300bar, preferably 190 bar to 210 bar; the temperature of the homogenization treatment is 40-75 ℃, preferably 60-70 ℃, and more preferably 65 ℃; the number of homogenization treatment is one or more, preferably two or more, more preferably 3 to 10, and still more preferably 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8.

According to another embodiment of the method of making reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the method further comprises heating the first milk-containing raw material and optionally water to 50-55 ℃ with stirring prior to the homogenizing process. After the stirring and heating, the dietary fiber is added and the stirring is continued, the temperature of the continuous stirring is 50-55 ℃, the speed is 300-700r/min, and the time is 10-60 min.

According to another embodiment of the method of making fat-reduced processed cheese of the present invention, the method further comprises evacuating the mixture, heating to 75-95 ℃, and stirring at 80-150r/min for 1-4 min.

According to one embodiment of the method of making reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the method further comprises adding other ingredients to the mixture, such as one or more of thickeners, emulsifiers, acidulants, preservatives, colorants, flavors, and the like. Preferably, the thickening agent is selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, starch, agar, carrageenan, guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, pectin, microcrystalline cellulose, gellan gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, and combinations thereof. The emulsifier may be selected from the group consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, lecithin, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate, sodium tartrate, sodium metaphosphate, and the like, and combinations thereof, and preferably the emulsifier may be an emulsifying salt such as sodium citrate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate, sodium tartrate, sodium metaphosphate, and combinations thereof. The acidulant is selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid, sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, and the like, and combinations thereof. The preservative may be selected from sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, nisin, and broad spectrum antibiotics based on milk powder fermentation, such as Micro Guard, and the like, and combinations thereof.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of modifying dietary fibre, the method comprising the steps of: providing a feedstock composition comprising dietary fibre and a first milk-containing feedstock; homogenizing the dietary fiber in the presence of the first milk-containing raw material and optionally water.

According to one embodiment of the method for modifying dietary fiber, the content of the dietary fiber is 0.5-2.5 wt% based on the total weight of the raw material composition. Wherein the dietary fiber may be derived from food and may be fiber extracted from food, such as citrus fiber, inulin, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the dietary fiber is citrus fiber obtained from citrus fruits, non-limiting examples of which include oranges, tangerines, limes, lemons, grapefruits, and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the citrus fiber is from lemon.

According to another embodiment of the method of modifying dietary fibers according to the present invention, the first milk-containing raw material is independently selected from the group consisting of whole milk, low-fat milk, skim milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cream, butter and combinations thereof. Preferably, the first milk-containing raw material is cream, and the dietary fiber is subjected to homogenization treatment in the presence of the cream and water.

According to another embodiment of the method for modifying dietary fibers of the present invention, the pressure of the homogenization treatment is 150bar to 300bar, preferably 190 bar and 210 bar; the temperature of the homogenization treatment is 40-75 ℃, preferably 60-70 ℃, and more preferably 65 ℃; the number of homogenization treatment is one or more, preferably two or more, more preferably 3 to 10, and still more preferably 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8.

According to another embodiment of the method of modifying dietary fibres according to the invention, the method further comprises heating the first milk-containing raw material and optionally water to 50-55 ℃ with stirring before the homogenisation treatment; after the stirring and heating, the dietary fiber is added and the stirring is continued, the temperature of the continuous stirring is 50-55 ℃, the speed is 300-700r/min, and the time is 10-60 min.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a modified dietary fiber composition prepared by the above method of modifying dietary fiber.

According to one embodiment of the modified dietary fiber composition of the present invention, the dietary fiber may be derived from food and may be fiber extracted from food, such as citrus fiber, inulin, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the dietary fiber is citrus fiber obtained from citrus fruits, non-limiting examples of which include oranges, tangerines, limes, lemons, grapefruits, and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the citrus fiber is from lemon.

According to another embodiment of the modified dietary fiber composition of the present invention, the content of the dietary fiber in the modified dietary fiber composition is 0.2 to 3.0 wt%, the content of fat is 4.8 to 25 wt%, and the content of water is 69 to 95 wt%, based on the total weight of the modified dietary fiber composition.

The dietary fiber modification method and the modified dietary fiber composition obtained by the method can also be used in products such as fermented milk, ice cream, milk beverage, modified milk and the like.

The inventor believes that the soluble dietary fibre in dietary fibre such as citrus fibre is mainly pectin, which has a high apparent viscosity and can form a gel, and has an important effect on maintaining the structure and physicochemical properties of citrus fibre. Insoluble dietary fiber in citrus fiber includes cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, etc. Although the cellulose has low solubility in water, the cellulose has certain expansibility, can absorb more water and has good water retention property, so that the effect of improving the mouthfeel and improving the water retention property can be achieved by directly adding the citrus fiber, but the effect is limited.

However, the present invention modifies dietary fiber such as citrus fiber by subjecting it to a homogenization treatment by a conventional homogenizer in the presence of a milk-containing raw material such as milk and cream, opens the hydrogen bonds of the dietary fiber to form a network structure, significantly improves the ability to bind water (i.e., water-holding capacity), and the particles of fatty protein in the milk-containing raw material are concentrated to the surface of the three-dimensional fiber network structure. When the obtained modified dietary fiber composition such as the modified citrus fiber composition is added to the fat-reduced processed cheese as a fat substitute, the fat protein particles added in the production process of the fat-reduced processed cheese are further enriched on the surface of the fiber mesh structure, so that the fat feeling of the fat-reduced processed cheese is obvious, the mouthfeel of the fat-reduced processed cheese is smooth and fine, and the water holding capacity of the fat-reduced processed cheese can be greatly improved, so that the drying and hardening of the product during the shelf life are avoided.

In addition, calcium caseinate is added, the contents of whey powder, skim milk powder and concentrated milk protein are simultaneously adjusted, the addition amount of starch is reduced, the calcium content of the product is increased, and protein and starch components are simultaneously adjusted to form a stable water holding system with dietary fibers such as citrus fibers.

The modified citrus fiber is applied to the reproduced fat-reduced cheese (such as cheese slices) to replace partial starch, make up the taste of fat, increase the water retention property and avoid the drying of products in a shelf period, the functions of the starch and the protein in the reproduced fat-reduced cheese need to be considered instead of directly and simply adding the modified citrus fiber, and the influence of a complex emulsification system of the reproduced fat-reduced cheese and the addition of the modified citrus fiber on the flavor and the texture of the products needs to be considered, so that the formula of the conventional fat-reduced cheese needs to be adjusted. In addition, compared with the direct feeding of the citrus fiber, the addition of the modified citrus fiber can greatly improve the water retention capacity of the fat-reduced cheese and can better compensate the fat taste of the product, so the addition amount and the addition process of the modified citrus fiber need to be adjusted, and the optimal formula and the optimal process are determined to realize the optimal comprehensive performances of flavor, taste, shelf life performance and the like.

Compared with the fat-reduced processed cheese prepared by directly adding dietary fiber raw materials (such as citrus fiber raw materials and inulin), the fat-reduced processed cheese containing the modified dietary fiber composition further improves the quality of the product, such as milk fragrance, water retention, smoothness, fineness, entrance melting degree and the like, can reduce the undesirable quality of the product, such as hardness, chewing feeling, sticky mouthfeel, sticky tooth feeling, astringent taste and the like, effectively improves the product flavor and mouthfeel of the fat-reduced processed cheese, and solves the problem that the existing fat substitute causes the product to become dry and hard during the shelf life of the fat-reduced processed cheese.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a reduced fat processed cheese comprising dietary fibre and 8-18 wt% fat, preferably 10-13 wt% fat, based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese, wherein the dietary fibre is citrus fibre obtained from citrus fruit, non-limiting examples of which include orange, tangerine, lime, lemon, grapefruit and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the citrus fiber is derived from lemon.

According to one embodiment of the reduced fat processed cheese of the invention, the reduced fat processed cheese comprises 0.05-05 wt% of the dietary fiber, based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

According to one embodiment of the reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the reduced fat processed cheese further comprises a milk-containing material, wherein the milk-containing material is selected from the group consisting of whole milk, low fat milk, skim milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cheese, cream, butter, milk protein, whey protein and combinations thereof.

According to one embodiment of the reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the reduced fat processed cheese further comprises calcium caseinate and starch, wherein the content of the calcium caseinate is 2-8 wt% and the content of the starch is 1-8 wt% based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a process for preparing a reduced fat processed cheese comprising dietary fibres and 8-18 wt% fat, preferably 10-13 wt% fat, based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese, the process comprising the steps of: mixing the dietary fiber and a milk-containing raw material to obtain a mixture; heating and stirring the mixture, and then cooling to obtain the reduced fat processed cheese, wherein the dietary fiber is citrus fiber obtained from citrus fruit, non-limiting examples of which include orange, tangerine, lime, lemon, grapefruit, and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the citrus fiber is derived from lemon.

According to one embodiment of the process for making reduced fat processed cheese according to the invention, the reduced fat processed cheese comprises 0.05-05 wt% of the dietary fiber, based on the total weight of the reduced fat processed cheese.

In accordance with one embodiment of the method of making reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the milk-containing material is selected from the group consisting of whole milk, low fat milk, skim milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cheese, cream, butter, milk protein, whey protein, and combinations thereof.

According to one embodiment of the method of making reduced fat processed cheese of the present invention, the method further comprises evacuating the mixture and shear stirring at 80-150r/min for 1-4 min.

Detailed Description

Technical features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. It should be understood that the following detailed description or examples are only exemplary, and the technical solution of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments or examples listed below.

The term "dietary fiber" as used herein refers to food nutrients that are generally not easily digested, mainly from the cell wall of plants, and include cellulose, hemicellulose, gums, pectin, lignin, and the like. Dietary fiber can be classified into water-soluble fiber and water-insoluble fiber according to solubility in water. Pectin and the like belong to water-soluble fibers, are mostly present in plant cell walls and cell inner layers, and are abundantly present in peels of oranges, lemons, grapefruits and the like. Cellulose, part of hemicellulose, lignin and the like belong to water-insoluble fibers and are commonly found in whole grain grains, including wheat bran, oatmeal, whole wheat flour, brown rice, oat whole grain food, beans, vegetables, fruits and the like.

In some embodiments of the invention, the dietary fiber may be derived from food and may be fiber extracted from food, such as citrus fiber, inulin, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the dietary fiber is citrus fiber obtained from citrus fruits, non-limiting examples of which include oranges, tangerines, limes, lemons, grapefruits, and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the citrus fiber is from lemon.

The term "modified dietary fiber composition" as used herein refers to a composition obtained by mixing and stirring a dietary fiber raw material with a milk-containing raw material such as milk and/or cream, and then homogenizing the mixture. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the homogenization treatment is carried out at a pressure of from 150bar to 300bar, preferably 190 bar and 210 bar; a temperature of 40-75 ℃, preferably 60-70 ℃, more preferably 65-75 ℃; the number of times is one or more, preferably two or more, more preferably 3 to 10 times, and still more preferably 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 times.

The term "citrus fiber" as used herein refers to a dietary fiber obtained from the citrus pulp, citrus peel and combinations thereof of natural citrus fruits. Non-limiting examples of citrus fruits include oranges, tangerines, limes, lemons, grapefruits and combinations thereof. The citrus fiber is a natural dietary fiber, contains soluble fiber and insoluble fiber, has water retention property, can open the binding hydrogen bond of the citrus fiber after multiple homogenization, and has remarkably improved water retention property. Meanwhile, the citrus fiber has the fat taste, and the fat taste of the fat-reduced processed cheese can be compensated. The Citrus fibre raw material used in the present invention is commercially available, for example from Herbacel AQ Plus Citrus-N, available from Herbafood Ingredients GmbH, Germany; or Lem-cifi100, available from Guangdong Lelemon Biotechnology, Inc.

In some embodiments of the invention, the citrus fiber is substantially non-hydrolyzed, 100% derived from citrus fruit, the dietary fiber content is 88-93%, and the fiber particle size is less than 250 microns.

As used herein, the term "modified citrus fiber composition" refers to a composition obtained by mixing and agitating a citrus fiber material with a milk-containing material, such as milk and/or cream, and then homogenizing the resulting mixture. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure of the homogenization treatment is 150bar to 300bar, preferably 180 bar and 220bar, more preferably 190 bar and 210 bar; a temperature of 40-75 ℃, preferably 60-70 ℃, or more preferably 65 ℃; and the number of times is one or more, preferably two or more, preferably 3 to 10 times, more preferably 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 times.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the modified citrus fibre composition is an oil-in-water composition which has been homogenised a number of times at 180-220 bar.

The expression "milk-containing raw material" in the present invention refers to whole milk, milk concentrate or milk derivative.

The expression "whole milk" in the present invention refers to milk, whey and combinations of milk and whey obtained from animals without concentration or separation. The animal is for example a cow, sheep, goat, camel, mare or any other animal that produces milk suitable for human consumption.

The expression "milk concentrate" in the present invention refers to a concentrate of whole milk, such as concentrated milk and powdered milk.

The expression "milk derivative" in the present invention refers to a derivative of whole milk, such as a fat, protein or sugar moiety or the like, e.g. butter, cream, condensed milk, cheese, fermented milk, recombined milk, low-fat or skim milk, ultrafiltered milk, diafiltered milk, microfiltered milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, milk protein, whey protein.

In one embodiment of the invention, citrus fiber fat-reduced processed cheese (e.g., cheese chips) is prepared by the method of the invention and has a composition of: 27.8-46.8% of water, 15-30% of Cheddar cheese, 2-9% of cream, 3-10% of modified citrus fiber composition, 1-10% of skim milk powder, 1-10% of concentrated milk protein, 2-8% of resistant dextrin, 2-8% of calcium caseinate, 1-8% of starch, 1-5% of sodium citrate, 0.5-5% of whey powder, 1-2% of edible essence, 0.4-0.8% of lactic acid, 0.2-0.8% of edible salt, 0.06-0.14% of sorbic acid and 0.02-0.06% of colorant.

In one embodiment of the invention, the citrus fiber fat-reduced processed cheese has the following product indexes: 14-15% of protein, 11.5-12.5% of fat and 45-47% of solid content.

It is to be understood that the values provided are percentages based on the total weight of the citrus fiber fat reduced processed cheese.

Examples

The experimental methods and devices used in the examples described below, such as homogenizers, cheese pots, etc., are conventional methods and devices, unless otherwise specified.

Materials, reagents and the like used in the following examples are commercially available unless otherwise specified.

Example 1 preparation of reduced fat reconstituted cheese chips from citrus fiber by modification of citrus fiber

The citrus fiber fat-reduced processed cheese slices were prepared according to the raw material formulation of example 1 described in table 1 below, and the specific steps were as follows:

step 1: providing a raw material according to the formulation of table 1, wherein lactic acid is dissolved with water to obtain an acidity regulator solution;

step 2: weighing 50g of cream, and heating and melting at 55 ℃;

and step 3: stirring 86g water and 12.5g butter in 55 deg.C water bath, adding 1.5g citrus fiber, and stirring for 20min to obtain citrus fiber composition solution;

and 4, step 4: heating the citrus fiber composition solution obtained in the step 3 to 65 ℃, and homogenizing at 190-210bar for five times to obtain a modified citrus fiber composition;

and 5: adding cheddar cheese, cream, the modified citrus fiber composition obtained in step 4, skimmed milk powder, concentrated milk protein powder, starch, resistant dextrin, sodium citrate, whey powder, edible salt, sorbic acid and essence into a cheese pot according to the formula in table 1;

step 6: covering a cover, vacuumizing, and shearing at a high speed of 100r/min for 2 min;

and 7: heating to 85 deg.C, and stirring for 3 min;

and 8: after the product was formed into an integral mass, the vacuum was released, the lid opened, and the colorant and the acidity regulator solution obtained in step 1 were added according to the formulation of table 1.

And step 9: covering a cover, vacuumizing, heating to 90 ℃, stirring at low speed for 1min for 30s to ensure that the materials are in a uniform flowing state, and stopping heating and stirring.

Step 10: and (5) releasing the vacuum, opening the cover and filling.

Step 11: the sample was cooled and stored in a refrigerator at 4 ℃.

In the preparation process, the stirring is to uniformly mix the materials, the heating is to melt the cheese and the cream, the materials are emulsified at a higher temperature, and the homogenization of the citrus fiber is to open the bonding hydrogen bonds of the citrus fiber, so that the water holding performance of the citrus fiber is enhanced.

Example 2 preparation of reduced fat reconstituted cheese chips from Citrus fiber by direct application of Citrus fiber

The citrus fiber fat-reduced processed cheese slices were prepared according to the raw material formulation of example 1 described in table 1 below, and the specific steps were as follows:

step 1: the raw materials were provided according to the formulation of table 1 below, in which lactic acid was dissolved with water to obtain an acidity regulator solution.

Step 2: cheddar cheese, cream, citrus fiber, skim milk powder, concentrated milk protein powder, starch, resistant dextrin, sodium citrate, whey powder, table salt, sorbic acid, and essence were added to the cheese kettle according to the formula in table 1.

And step 3: covering a cover, vacuumizing, and shearing at a high speed of 100r/min for 2 min.

And 4, step 4: heating to 85 deg.C, and stirring for 3 min;

and 5: after the product was formed into an integral mass, the vacuum was released, the lid opened, and the colorant and the acidity regulator solution obtained in step 1 were added according to the formulation of table 1.

Step 6: covering a cover, vacuumizing, heating to 90 ℃, stirring at low speed for 1min for 30s to ensure that the materials are in a uniform flowing state, and stopping heating and stirring.

And 7: and (5) releasing the vacuum, opening the cover and filling.

And 8: the sample was cooled and stored in a refrigerator at 4 ℃.

Example 3 preparation of reduced fat reconstituted cheese pieces from Citrus fiber by modification of Citrus fiber

Citrus fiber fat-reduced processed cheese slices were prepared according to the raw material formulation of example 3 described in table 1 below. The specific preparation procedure was the same as in example 1, except that the proportion of modified citrus fiber composition was changed from 6.7% to 8%.

Comparative example 1 preparation of inulin fat-reducing processed cheese sheet

Inulin fat-reduced processed cheese slices were prepared according to the raw material formulation of comparative example 1 described in table 1 below. The specific preparation procedure was the same as in example 2, except that inulin was substituted for citrus fiber.

Comparative example 2 preparation of ordinary reproduced cheese sheet

Ordinary reconstituted cheese sheets were prepared according to the raw material formulation of comparative example 2 described in table 1 below. The specific preparation procedure was the same as in example 2, except that no fat substitute and no calcium caseinate were added.

TABLE 1 raw materials formulation tables for examples 1-3 and comparative examples 1-2 of the present application

Texture analysis

The reconstituted cheese sheets of examples 1-3 and comparative examples 1-2 were subjected to texture analysis using a TMS-PRO texture analyzer simulating the penetration measurement of oral chewing muscles using a cylindrical probe (diameter 10mm) compressed twice at a probe down speed of 1mm/s, a probe return speed of 1mm/s and a deformation amount of 50%, with 3 repetitions of measurement per sample.

The results of the texture analysis are shown in table 2 below.

TABLE 2 texture index of the reproduced cheese sheets of examples 1-3 and comparative examples 1-2

Texture index	Example 1	Example 2	Example 3	Comparative example 1	Comparative example 2
						Hardness 1(N)	8.83	9.34	8.45	9.88	10.24
Hardness 2(N)	7.36	7.69	7.04	8.02	8.14
						Elasticity	0.87	0.86	0.87	0.86	0.86
Cohesiveness of	0.68	0.67	0.69	0.67	0.67
						Chewiness (mJ)	5.22	5.38	5.07	5.69	5.9

In the context of table 2, the following,

hardness 1: peak pressure at the first sample puncture;

hardness 2: pressure peak at the second sample puncture;

elasticity: the ratio of the second extrusion distance to the first extrusion distance is a ratio and has no unit;

cohesiveness: the ratio of the positive peak area of the second extrusion cycle to the positive peak area of the first extrusion cycle (which must be a push-down test) is a ratio, without units;

chewiness: the product of hardness, elasticity and cohesiveness is expressed in millijoules (mJ).

Sensory evaluation

Sensory evaluation of the reproduced cheese sheets of examples 1-3 and comparative examples 1-2 was conducted by the present invention, and the results are shown in the following Table 3.

TABLE 3 sensory evaluation results of the reproduced cheese sheets of examples 1-3 and comparative examples 1-2

Sensory index	Example 1	Example 2	Example 3	Comparative example 1	Comparative example 2
						Degree of saltiness	+++	+++	+++	+++	+++
Hardness of	+	++	+	+++	+++
						Elasticity	++	+	++	+	+

The evaluation results show that inulin can not effectively improve the hardness of the fat-reduced cheese slices, while the citrus fiber with the same addition amount can improve the hardness of the fat-reduced cheese slices, and the modified dietary fiber has the best mouthfeel, so the professional sensory evaluation of one month of shelf life is carried out by selecting the example 1 and the comparative example 3.

The product was stored at 4 ℃ for 30 days, 14 panelists, analysis software SPSS, at a confidence level of 5%, and the results are shown in table 4 below.

Table 4 professional sensory evaluation results of 30-day storage of the reproduced cheese sheets of example 1 and comparative example 2

In table 4, downward arrows indicate a decrease or decrease in the corresponding sensory attributes, boxes indicate no significant difference in the corresponding sensory attributes, and upward arrows indicate an increase in the corresponding sensory attributes.

The results show that example 1 and comparative example 2 have no significant difference in the cheese-like and butter-like attributes. Example 1 the intensity of the overall flavor, sweetness, saltiness, astringency, aftertaste was reduced, and the hardness, chewiness, sliminess, and tooth-sticking intensity of the fat-reduced processed cheese were reduced, wherein the improvement effects of chewiness, sliminess, and tooth-sticking were significant. The milk of example 1 had enhanced flavor, dryness, wetness, smoothness and melting upon entry.

Therefore, the modified citrus fiber can improve the qualities of the fat-reducing reproduced cheese slice such as milk fragrance, water retention, smoothness, fineness, melting degree in mouth and the like, can reduce the bad qualities of the product such as hardness, chewing feeling, sticky mouthfeel, sticky tooth feeling, astringent taste and the like, effectively improves the product flavor and mouthfeel of the fat-reducing cheese slice, and solves the problem that the existing fat substitute causes the product to become dry and hard during the shelf life of the fat-reducing cheese.

The foregoing is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It will be appreciated that various modifications, combinations, alterations, and substitutions of the details and features of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and nature of the invention. Such modifications, combinations, alterations and substitutions are also to be understood as being included within the scope of the invention as claimed.