Patented cheese? Impossible! Yes, Impossible™ cheese! Plant or plant-based faux cheese that slices, melts,
grates or cubes. Faux cheese that tastes like real cheese in all of its regional varieties, without the lactose, the cholesterol or high saturated fat content.
Impossible Foods Inc., the same company that is currently experiencing difficulties keeping up with demands for Impossible™ Whoppers®, filed a US patent
application for its faux cheese invention in the document US20140127358A1, titled Methods
and compositions for consumables.
The Impossible Foods Inc., patent application informs us that, for more than 4000 years, humans have been
making cheese, curdling dairy milk, using rennet (animal, vegetable or
microbial), or some combination of acid, like lemon or vinegar, and heat,
depending on the type of dairy cheese being produced. However, Rennet cannot be
used for the process of making cheese from nondairy milk, such as almond milk,
chestnut milk, pecan milk, hazelnut milk, cashew milk, pine nut milk, and
walnut milk. Thus, various prior art
processes have been developed to produce nondairy, plant-based cheese.
While nondairy cheese-making processes may reduce the global energy footprint of dairy cheese making, estimated to generate 4% of greenhouse gases, as well as all risks of lactose allergies and other diet-related health issues, this tradeoff is purported to fail replicating the desirable properties of real cheese. Indeed, prior art plant-based products are deemed quite inadequate in replicating such prized properties as the mouthfeel, aromas, and tastes of real cheese, in all of its immense variety.
While nondairy cheese-making processes may reduce the global energy footprint of dairy cheese making, estimated to generate 4% of greenhouse gases, as well as all risks of lactose allergies and other diet-related health issues, this tradeoff is purported to fail replicating the desirable properties of real cheese. Indeed, prior art plant-based products are deemed quite inadequate in replicating such prized properties as the mouthfeel, aromas, and tastes of real cheese, in all of its immense variety.
The
Impossble Foods Inc., faux cheese invention thus arises primarily as a solution
to the prior art problem of quality (i.e. mouthfeel, taste, and aroma) of the
faux cheese replicas, and by extension various health concerns for allergies
and diet, as well as the global warming costs of producing real cheese.
The detailed description of the Impossible Foods Inc., patent application is divided into 4 sections:
I - Formulation of the plant-based milk [0052]
II - Curdling process of plant or plant-based milk [0084]
III - Production process of cheese replicas using the curdled plant milk [0095], and
IV - Varieties and uses of the invention cheese replicas, both for human and animal consumption, and veterinary purposes [0112]
The four sections of the detailed description conclude with seven Examples [0129 - 0239], covering such items as:
Example 1 - Comparative effectiveness of transglutaminase in curdling various sorts of nut milk [0129]
Example 2 - Preparation of almond and macadamia nut milk [0130]
Example 3 - Preparation of a soft fresh cheese replica [0145]
Example 4 - Preparation of a salted soft cheese replica [0159]
Example 5 - Preparation of a ripened soft cheese replica [0185]
Example 6 - Production of a goat cheese replica [0201]
Example 7 - Alternative production of cultured gels using purified or synthesized protein emulsions, in contrast to the more ancestral dairy cheese-making process, informing the production of faux cheese [0215]
The detailed description of the Impossible Foods Inc., patent application is divided into 4 sections:
I - Formulation of the plant-based milk [0052]
II - Curdling process of plant or plant-based milk [0084]
III - Production process of cheese replicas using the curdled plant milk [0095], and
IV - Varieties and uses of the invention cheese replicas, both for human and animal consumption, and veterinary purposes [0112]
The four sections of the detailed description conclude with seven Examples [0129 - 0239], covering such items as:
Example 1 - Comparative effectiveness of transglutaminase in curdling various sorts of nut milk [0129]
Example 2 - Preparation of almond and macadamia nut milk [0130]
Example 3 - Preparation of a soft fresh cheese replica [0145]
Example 4 - Preparation of a salted soft cheese replica [0159]
Example 5 - Preparation of a ripened soft cheese replica [0185]
Example 6 - Production of a goat cheese replica [0201]
Example 7 - Alternative production of cultured gels using purified or synthesized protein emulsions, in contrast to the more ancestral dairy cheese-making process, informing the production of faux cheese [0215]
In the first section of the detailed description of the invention [0052-0083], in regards to the
formulation of plant milk, the application discloses various processes for
obtaining the plant-based emulsion or nut milk, comprising collection of the raw, roasted, dry roasted, toasted or baked nuts (e.g.;
almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, chestnuts, coconuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts,
peanuts, pecans, pistachios or walnuts) or seeds (e.g.; legumes, cereals, and
gymnosperms); surface sterilization
of the nuts or seeds to remove contaminants, decompounding (i.e.; grinding, blending, milling or other processes) of
the nuts or seeds in water to form a slurry, and centrifugation of the plant slurry to remove at least 85% of the suspended insoluble solids,
otherwise hindering the formation of curds. A discovery that was found to
explain the grainy or pasty mouthfeel of the prior art cheese
replicas.
The invention centrifugation process thus results in a “cream layer” and “skim layer” from which insoluble particles have been substantially removed. The creamy layer is an emulsion that comprises proteins, fats, and water. The “skim layer” is a solution that comprises proteins in water. The layers might be separated and recombined in different ratios, or used separately, depending on the type of cheese preparation. The nut milk obtained might then be pasteurized.
The invention centrifugation process thus results in a “cream layer” and “skim layer” from which insoluble particles have been substantially removed. The creamy layer is an emulsion that comprises proteins, fats, and water. The “skim layer” is a solution that comprises proteins in water. The layers might be separated and recombined in different ratios, or used separately, depending on the type of cheese preparation. The nut milk obtained might then be pasteurized.
Proteins might otherwise be isolated, purified
or enriched or even synthesized in vitro, then mixed with fats to produce plant
milk. In this case, the resulting plant milk ultimately does not contain
insoluble solids, or any of the mouthfeel disadvantages associated with the insoluble
solids.
Bacteria
of one or several sources are also added to the plant milk emulsion and grown
for flavor. In some embodiments, the plant milk emulsion comprises sugars from
various sources (non-dairy glucose, sucrose, fructose or other sources) used to promote
the cheese microbial culture. Other ingredients may include an organic acid to adjust the plant milk pH and create the characteristic
sour taste of cheese.
In the second section of the detailed
description of the invention [0084-0094], the application discloses the process and its
variations of curdling plant milk. In general, the process invoked comprises denaturing the plant proteins or crosslinking them with a transglutaminase enzyme to form curds.
The application describes all the different sorts of transglutaminase, their source
or production, and the quantities that can be used to induce curdling of plant
milk. Denaturation processes of plant proteins to form curds, such as heat, the
adjunction of solvents or acids, or other agents, are also briefly described.
In the third section of the detailed
description of the invention [0095-0111], the application discloses the processes for
transforming plant milk curds to cheese replicas, including reference to the
more detailed cheese replica compositions found in the patent application Examples. The processes
described are borrowed from ancestral processing of dairy curds,
including cutting, draining, forming, pressing, waxing, aging, scalding, smoking,
salting or ripening. Interestingly, the application points out that, because the
cheese replicas contain no dairy, production does not necessarily have to be associated
with dairy farms or dairy producing regions. In turn, the planned location of production facilities might be designed to reduce transportation costs of the cheese replicas, and consequently the extent of their energy
footprint.
In the fourth section of the detailed description of the invention [0112-0128], the uses of the cheese replicas disclosed are described as suitable for both animal and human consumption, as well as veterinary purposes. For animal consumption, cheese
replicas may be used as treats. For veterinary uses, the cheese replicas may include medication. For human
consumption, the cheese replicas are designed to look, taste and smell like all varieties of real
cheese (e.g.; cheddar, goat, cream cheese, yogurts, etc.), in such a way that a human
might not be able to distinguish between the real cheese and the replica. In
other instances, the cheese replicas are marked explicitly with "no lactose" information intended specifically for people intolerant to lactose. The application also describes
the various criteria according to which cheese replicas might be evaluated, and rated, in
comparison to real cheese, for the purposes of improving the replicas.
The abstract of this invention is included below together with
patent Figures 7, 8 and 9, respectively showing a soft ripe cheese replica (Fig. 7), a
waxed cheese replica (Fig. 8) and two goat cheese replicas (Fig. 9), A with black pepper, and B
with chives.
Provided herein are methods and compositions for the production of cheese replicas. Generally the cheese replicas are produced by inducing the enzymatic curdling of non-dairy milks. [Abstract US20140127358A1]
Figure 7 - Soft ripe cheese replica
Figure 8: Waxed cheese replica
Figure 9: Two goat cheese replicas,
A with black pepper and B with chives
________
Vegan or not, if you cannot envision life
without cheese, and you have dietary restrictions that exclude the consumption of cheese, then
Impossible™ cheese might just be your salvation. However, in July 2019, the
more complex issue is finding Impossible™ Cheese, considering that the company
is strategically focused on rolling out
Impossible™ burgers first. So, hang in there for the Impossible™ faux brie,
faux camembert, faux cheddar, faux goat crotins, faux Gouda or faux Swiss, you are craving for! Inventions
take time to make their way to market.
Reference
No comments:
Post a Comment