New spreadable cheese ingredient promises savings

23-Nov-2009 - Last updated on 23-Nov-2009 at 11:51 GMT

National Starch has launched a new ingredient for spreadable processed cheese (SPC) that promises to replace expensive protein and fat without compromising texture or flavour.

Presented for the first time at Food Ingredients Europe (FIE) in Frankfurt, Precisa Spread 03 has been created specifically for emerging dairy markets. It will go on sale in North Africa, the Middle East, and Russia and the Ukraine but may be released in other markets at a later date.

Cost reduction

Corinna Neuwoehner, principal technologist for dairy ingredients, said these regions were chosen as the launchpad for Precisa Spread 03 because of their high dairy growth rates.

Within these markets, National Starch is targeting spreadable cheese makers looking to minimise the impact of osculating dairy ingredient prices.

“Volatile milk ingredient prices can be a barrier to innovation – particularly as most products developed for these regions demand tight margins,” said marketing manager Antje Baumgarten.

Precisa Spread 03 helps reduce the impact of milk ingredient price spikes by allowing manufacturers to cut protein and fat from their products. Neuwoehner said the new ingredient even offers savings when dairy prices are low.

Dry matter reduction

The starch-based blend can reduce dry matter, which everything apart from water, in SPC from 43 per cent to 40 per cent.

This reduction can be achieved, said to Neuwoehner, without compromising on taste or texture. She said some other starch products have been known to reduce the shine and smoothness of SPC and cause it to stick to the foil of cheese triangles.

But the new blend from National Starch has the necessary gelling properties to maintain texture and prevent stickiness, according to the food scientist.

Precisa Spread 03 is the outcome of a three year collaboration with ENIL, the French national dairy industry school. The partnership enabled National Starch to have access to cheese packing facilities and take advantage of the processed cheese expertise at ENIL.