Ingredion adds potato starches to processed cheese portfolio

The company said CheeseApp 50, 70 and 80 enable recipe cost-savings in analog block and block-processed cheeses, while delivering the texture and sensory qualities consumers expect.

This is the first time Ingredion has brought potato-based starches to the processed cheese market, bringing its total portfolio of solutions to 12. With the addition of the three CheeseApp starches, food producers can improve the meltability, firmness and gratability of analog block and block-processed cheeses for applications including pizza toppings, processed cheese slices and individually wrapped slices.

Vegan applications

Available in the UK, Ireland, Turkey, Africa and the Middle East, the CheeseApp range is also suitable for vegan and vegetarian dairy alternative cheeses, enabling manufacturers to tap into new and growing consumer trends.

Severine Bensa, senior marketing manager at Ingredion EMEA said, “Cheese is generally made up of three significant components - fat, protein and moisture - which together deliver the texture and flavour consumers have come to enjoy. ​

“However, when developing processed and analog cheese, manufacturers often look to replace expensive ingredients such as protein, while being careful not to affect the eating experience. This is particularly the case in emerging markets where affordability is key for consumers and producers alike.” ​

Bensa said with the CheeseApp solutions, manufacturers can substitute protein and still produce a high-quality product with appealing texture at a lower cost.

“They also help to facilitate cost-effective gelling and melting properties at different protein levels and we have already developed a number of successful prototype recipes in our Idea Labs innovation centers.”​

The three potato starches give strong gelling capacity or melting and can be listed as ‘modified starch’ on the label. Based on potato, Ingredion said they deliver a neutral taste that makes them suitable for a broad range of applications.

Different properties

Ingredion said CheeseApp 50 modified potato starch provides firmness and strong gelling, while CheeseApp 70 provides a soft texture and melt for pizza shreds and cheese slices. CheeseApp 80 can be used alone to give processed and analog block cheese a low firmness and good melting behavior.

The company added the potato-based starches are easy to use and incorporate into formulations, gelatinizing even at low processing temperatures, and shear with improved meltability and extended texture stability over shelf life.

The portfolio extension follows Ingredion’s strategic alliance with Swedish potato-based starch and fiber manufacturer Lyckeby in September 2017. 

Lyckeby is a registered trademark owned by Sveriges Stärkelseproducenter, förening u.p.a.  The CheeseApp 50, CheeseApp 70 and CheeseApp 80 product names are owned by Lyckeby Starch AB.