Dry blend for making extended cheese product

Abstract

Disclosed herein are dry blends used in the process of making extended cheese products with improved meltability and firmness profiles.

1 .- 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A dry blend free of casein comprising:
 a. 40%-70% starch comprising one or more chosen from acetylated starch, hydroxypropyl phosphate starch, oxidized starch, and octenyl succinic anhydride starch;   b. 3%-18% whey; and   c. 5%-25% emulsifiers;   wherein an analogue cheese, free of casein and formed from 8%-62% dry blend, 10-84% water, and 8-62% of a fat at between 45 ° F. and 160 ° F., is firm enough for shredding and slicing at 40 ° F., and is emulsion and color stable during processing and melting.   
     
     
         29 . The dry blend of  claim 28 , wherein the starch comprises octenyl succinic anhydride starch and oxidized starch. 
     
     
         30 . The dry blend of  claim 28 , further comprising up to 8% gums. 
     
     
         31 . The dry blend of  claim 28 , comprising:
 a. 45%-65% starch comprising one or more chosen from acetylated starch, hydroxypropyl phosphate starch, oxidized starch, and octenyl succinic anhydride starch;   b. 5%-16% whey; and   c. 8%-22% emulsifiers.   
     
     
         32 . The dry blend of  claim 28 , comprising:
 a. 50%-60% starch comprising one or more chosen from acetylated starch, hydroxypropyl phosphate starch, oxidized starch, and octenyl succinic anhydride starch;   b. 13%-16% whey;   c. 9%-20% emulsifiers; and   d. 2%-6% gums.   
     
     
         33 . The dry blend of  claim 28 , further comprising up to 5% of an acidulant. 
     
     
         34 . The dry blend of  claim 33 , wherein the acidulant is chosen from acetic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, and tartaric acid. 
     
     
         35 . The dry blend of  claim 33 , wherein the acidulant is chosen from citric acid, lactic acid, and acetic acid. 
     
     
         36 . The dry blend of  claim 28 , further comprising a native food starch. 
     
     
         37 . The dry blend of  claim 28 , wherein the emulsifier is chosen from alkaline sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium citrate, trisodium phosphate, and disodium phosphate. 
     
     
         38 . The dry blend of  claim 37  wherein at least half of the emulsifier is alkaline sodium aluminum phosphate. 
     
     
         39 . The dry blend of  claim 28 , containing less than 10% water. 
     
     
         40 . The dry blend of  claim 39 , containing less than 5% water. 
     
     
         41 . A method of making an analogue cheese free of casein comprising:
 combining 8%-62% dry blend of claim  28 ,  8 %- 62 % of a fat, and 10%-84% water to form a mixture;   heating the mixture at between 45 ° F. and 160 ° F.; and   cooling the mixture to provide an analogue cheese that is free of casein, firm enough for shredding and slicing at 40 ° F., and emulsion and color stable during processing and melting.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  further comprising adding casein, cheese, cheese curds, or combinations thereof; cooking the mixture to at least 150-155 ° F.; and forming an extended cheese product. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising after the cooking step, adding additional water and cooking the resulting mixture to 160-170 ° F. 
     
     
         44 . An extended cheese product comprising the analogue cheese of  claim 28  and cheese and/or cheese curds. 
     
     
         45 . The extended cheese product of  claim 44 , wherein the cheese and/or cheese curds are chosen from cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, Swiss, Gouda, Manchego, and pepper jack. 
     
     
         46 . The extended cheese product  claim 44 , wherein the cheese and/or cheese curds comprise between about 10% and about 50% by weight of the extended cheese product. 
     
     
         47 . The extended cheese product  claim 44 , wherein the cheese and/or cheese curds comprise between about 30% and about 90% by weight of the extended cheese product.