Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Basic ingredient lacteal derived other than butter...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-15
2004-03-16
Wong, Leslie (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Basic ingredient lacteal derived other than butter...
C426S492000, C426S519000, C426S522000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06706308
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of an evaporated milk substitute which can be used as a dairy coffee whitener. It is based on whole milk which is partially substituted with whey and/or lactose and wherein, if desired, the lactic fat may be partially replaced with vegetable fat.
The use of whey is known in the manufacture of reconstituted dairy products. The advantage of using whey as a partial substitute for milk is essentially linked to its low price. However, the use of whey even as a partial replacement for milk is a delicate operation. It is indeed difficult to offer the product heat stability and a good shelf life with whey proteins. Another problem which is difficult to solve is to preserve the organoleptic qualities of the fresh milk in such a product, that is to say attenuate and if possible avoid the presence of a cooked flavor normally associated with the concentration of milk by evaporation.
European Patent Application EP 0,627,169 relates to a process for packaging milk which makes it possible to partially achieve these set objectives. In the context of this patent application, the product to be packaged may be in the form of a whole milk, partially skimmed milk, skimmed milk or whey. The process comprises one stage, but this method present certain disadvantages. In particular, the packaging process does not make it possible to avoid sedimentation after packaging, in particular when the product is sterilized. Furthermore, a cooked flavor is evident.
European Patent Application EP 0,832,565 relates to a milk substitute containing an appreciable quantity of whey proteins in which the storage properties are satisfactory. The process of preparation is based on a sequential dissolution of the whey proteins, and then of milk with no evaporation stage as it is a recombination. It is not possible in this case to preserve the organoleptic qualities close to those which characterize fresh milk.
The present invention now seeks to overcome these deficiencies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of an evaporated milk product whose organoleptic qualities are similar to those of fresh milk. This process includes the steps of mixing a whey product with fresh whole milk to form a lactic solution; pasteurizing and concentrating the lactic solution to form a concentrate; thermally treating and homogenizing the concentrate; and cooling, packaging and sterilizing the concentrate as the evaporated milk product.
Preferably, the lactic solution is concentrated by evaporation, and the whey product includes up to 50% by weight of lactose. The whey product can be formed by dissolving whey solids in an aqueous medium in which free Ca
2+
ions are buffered with a calcium-sequestering agent. Alternatively, the whey product can be formed by dissolving, in a first stage, whey solids in an aqueous medium that includes carrageenan and a calcium-sequestering agent at a temperature of about 30 to 65° C. for a time sufficient to allow the whey solids to moisten, and mixing the milk and the whey product in a second stage.
The whey solids are allowed to moisten for a time period of 10 min to 4 h, and the milk and the whey product are mixed together at a temperature of about 30 to 65° C. Dissolution of the carrageenan and sequestering agent may take place batchwise, in that the carrageenan is first dissolved in cold water, and the sequestering agent is dissolved separately before being placed in a vessel containing all the water and comprising a mixer, with moderate stirring at a temperature of about 60 to 65° C. Alternatively, the dissolution of the whey solids in the aqueous solution can take place in a vessel batchwise by recirculation of the aqueous solution through a powder dispenser that delivers whey powder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of an milk product in the form of a substitute evaporated milk whose organoleptic qualities are similar to those of fresh milk. Preferably, a liquid whey product is mixed with fresh whole milk and then the mixture is pasteurized, it is concentrated by evaporation, heated and then the concentrate is thermally treated, the thermally treated concentrate is homogenized, it is cooled, it is packaged and the packaged product is sterilized.
According to a variant of the process, applicable in particular to fresh whole milk, an additional homogenization of the concentrate is carried out before heating it and treating it thermally.
The product obtained contains a substantial portion of whey as a replacement for the milk in the composition of the milk substitute. This substitution allows a substantial reduction in the cost of the raw materials used. It also has the advantage that the substitute raw material is of a lactic origin. The whey can be partially substituted and preferably up to an amount of approximately half with lactose. In the text which follows, in the context of the present patent application, the term “whey product” will comprise the concepts of whey and whey supplemented with lactose, it being possible for the whey to in fact be demineralized to a greater or lesser degree.
Although the whey is present in large proportions in the milk substitute, and thus the whey proteins, the heat stability of the product is not reduced as a result, which is unexpected. Thus, at high temperatures, the milk substitute substantially reacts like normal milk packaged by conventional processes from the point of view of the color, taste and consistency.
Moreover, the milk substitute has no or few calcium ions capable of precipitating to form an undesirable deposit. Indeed, the free calcium ions are either buffered with the sequestering agent which is at least partially dissociated, or are alternatively bound in the casein micelles. In order to promote the low presence of calcium ions in the milk substitute, it is in addition appropriate to use deionized or demineralized water in its composition.
The sequestering agent or stabilizing salt is preferably a phosphate or citrate, for example mono-, di- or trisodium phosphate or mono-, di- or trisodium citrate or mixtures thereof.
To prepare the milk substitute, the following quantities by weight of raw materials are preferably used: about 10 to 12% of fresh whole milk solids, about 5 to 9% of whey powder, about 7 to 10% of lactic or vegetable fat which may be any vegetable fat and is preferably selected from palm oil, coconut oil, maize oil or a combination of the latter.
Furthermore, there is required preferably about 0.1 to 0.3% of lecithin, about 0.02 to 0.03% of carrageenan, about 0.10 to 0.15% of sequestering agent for the dissolution and about 0 to 0.15% of sequestering agent for the sterilization, and about 68 to 80% of deionized water or preferably demineralized water.
An advantage of this process is that it makes it possible to guarantee in the finished product a temperature stability comparable to that of milk in spite of the substantial presence of whey proteins.
Before starting to dissolve the whey powder, it is necessary to prepare the aqueous dissolution medium. This solution comprises, by weight, about 68 to 80% of water, about 0.01 to 0.03% of carrageenan and about 0.1 to 0.15% of sequestering agent. The sequestering agent and the carrageenan may be incorporated into the water at a temperature of 30 to 65° C., preferably at about 60 to 65° C. in a first vessel in two ways: by recirculation of the water through a powder dispenser supplying the sequestering agent and the carrageenan, or alternatively, by separate predissolution of the carrageenan and the sequestering agent in a small quantity of water before mixing them with all the water with moderate stirring in order to form the aqueous dissolution medium.
Two methods may be envisaged for incorporating the whey powder into the aqueous solution present in the first vessel at 30 to 65° C., preferably at about 60 to 65° C. The solution is recirculated through a powder dispenser with th
Engel Hans
Wyss Heinz
Nestec S.A.
Winston & Strawn LLP
Wong Leslie
LandOfFree
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