Methods for making high-protein Greek yogurt using membrane systems before and after fermentation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11051526-B2
Application number	US-201816052789-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2018
Priority date	Aug 10, 2017
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed are processes for producing high protein, Greek yogurt products. Such processes can include a step of concentrating a skim milk product to produce a protein-enriched milk fraction, which then can be combined with one or more additional milk fractions to form a yogurt base. The yogurt base is inoculated with a yogurt culture and fermented, and at least a portion of the acid whey is removed from the fermented product using a ceramic ultrafiltration membrane system to form the Greek yogurt product.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for making a yogurt product, the method comprising:
(a) concentrating a skim milk product to produce a protein-enriched milk fraction containing from about 3.5 to about 6 wt. % protein, wherein concentrating the skim milk product comprises ultrafiltering the skim milk product with a polymeric membrane system;
(b) combining the protein-enriched milk fraction with an additional milk fraction comprising cream and/or skim milk to produce a standardized yogurt base containing from about 3.5 to about 6 wt. % protein;
(c) inoculating the standardized yogurt base with a yogurt culture and fermenting the inoculated yogurt base to produce a fermented product; and
(d) removing at least a portion of acid whey from the fermented product to form the yogurt product, wherein removing comprises ultrafiltering the fermented product with a ceramic membrane system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the additional milk fraction further comprises, a lactose-rich fraction, a mineral-rich fraction, water, or combinations thereof; and
the protein-enriched milk fraction and the standardized yogurt base, independently, contain from about 3.8 to about 5.5 wt. % protein.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the standardized yogurt base is characterized by:
a solids content in a range from about 9 to about 20 wt. %;
a calcium content in a range from about 1100 to about 1800 ppm;
a phosphorus content in a range from about 800 to about 1200 ppm;
a weight ratio of calcium to protein in a range from about 0.02 to about 0.04; or
a weight ratio of phosphorus to protein in a range from about 0.013 to about 0.033;
or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of separating a raw milk product into the skim milk product and cream, before step (a).

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of pasteurizing the standardized yogurt base between step (b) and step (c).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inoculated yogurt base is fermented until a pH of the fermented product is in a range from about 4.4 to about 4.7.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fermented product is ultrafiltered at a temperature in a range from about 35 to about 55° C.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least about 90 wt. % of the acid whey is removed in step (d).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the acid whey is characterized by a solids content of less than or equal to about 8 wt. %; and
a weight ratio of the yogurt product to acid whey in the fermented product is in a range from about 35:65 to about 70:30.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the yogurt product contains
from about 7 to about 25 wt. % protein;
from about 0.5 to about 3 wt. % lactose; and
from about 10 to about 30 wt. % solids; and

the yogurt product is characterized by a weight ratio of protein:lactose of greater than or equal to about 4:1.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of combining the yogurt product with an ingredient and packaging in a container, wherein the ingredient comprises a sugar/sweetener, a flavorant, a preservative, a stabilizer, an emulsifier, a prebiotic substance, a special probiotic bacteria, a vitamin, a mineral, an omega 3 fatty acid, a phyto-sterol, an antioxidant, a colorant, or any combination thereof.

12. A method for making a yogurt product, the method comprising:
(i) concentrating a skim milk product to produce a standardized yogurt base containing from about 3.5 to about 6 wt. % protein and from about 1100 to about 1800 ppm calcium, wherein concentrating the skim milk product comprises ultrafiltering the skim milk product with a polymeric membrane system;
(ii) inoculating the standardized yogurt base with a yogurt culture and fermenting the inoculated yogurt base to produce a fermented product; and
(iii) removing at least a portion of acid whey from the fermented product to form the yogurt product, wherein removing comprises ultrafiltering the fermented product with a ceramic membrane system.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the standardized yogurt base is characterized by:
a solids content in a range from about 9 to about 20 wt. %;
a phosphorus content in a range from about 800 to about 1200 ppm;
a weight ratio of calcium to protein in a range from about 0.02 to about 0.04; or
a weight ratio of phosphorus to protein in a range from about 0.013 to about 0.033;
or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the yogurt product contains
from about 7 to about 25 wt. % protein;
from about 0.5 to about 3 wt. % lactose; and
from about 10 to about 30 wt. % solids; and

the yogurt product is characterized by a weight ratio of protein:lactose of greater than or equal to about 4:1.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the fermented product is ultrafiltered at a temperature in a range from about 35 to about 55° C.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the standardized yogurt base is characterized by:
a calcium content in a range from about 1100 to about 1800 ppm; and
a phosphorus content in a range from about 800 to about 1200 ppm.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the skim milk product is ultrafiltered at a temperature in a range from about 3 to about 15° C.; and
the fermented product is ultrafiltered at a temperature in a range from about 35 to about 55° C.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the skim milk product is ultrafiltered at a temperature in a range from about 3 to about 10° C.; and
the fermented product is ultrafiltered at a temperature in a range from about 40 to about 60° C.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the standardized yogurt base is characterized by:
a calcium content in a range from about 1200 to about 1600 ppm; and
a phosphorus content in a range from about 800 to about 1200 ppm.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein:
the skim milk product is ultrafiltered at a temperature in a range from about 3 to about 15° C.; and
the fermented product is ultrafiltered at a temperature in a range from about 35 to about 55° C.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein:
the skim milk product is ultrafiltered at a temperature in a range from about 3 to about 10° C.; and
the fermented product is ultrafiltered at a temperature in a range from about 40 to about 60° C.

Assignees

• Fairlife Llc

Inventors

• Ur-Rehman Shakeel
• Doelman Timothy Peter

Classifications

• A23B11/12

  by heating (by irradiation, e.g. by microwaves A23B11/16) · CPC title

• A23C2260/05

  Concentrated yoghurt products, e.g. labneh, yoghurt cheese, non-dried non-frozen solid or semi-solid yoghurt products other than spreads; Strained yoghurt; Removal of whey from yoghurt · CPC title

• A23C2210/252

  Separating a milk product in at least two fractions followed by treatment of at least one of the fractions and remixing at least part of the two fractions · CPC title

• A23C9/1322

  Inorganic compounds; Minerals, including organic salts thereof, oligo-elements; Amino-acids, peptides, protein-hydrolysates or derivatives; Nucleic acids or derivatives; Yeast extract or autolysate; Vitamins; Antibiotics; Bacteriocins · CPC title

• A23C9/1307

  Milk products or derivatives; Fruit or vegetable juices; Sugars, sugar alcohols, sweeteners; Oligosaccharides; Organic acids or salts thereof or acidifying agents; Flavours, dyes or pigments; Inert or aerosol gases; Carbonation methods · CPC title