New Industrial Solution for Whey Microparticulation
23 August 2007 16:27
Tetra Therm MicroPart™ offers new opportunities in cheese and other dairy products.
Tetra Pak has developed the Tetra Therm MicroPart to industrially micro-particulate whey proteins, through an innovative process which leverages the company’s unequalled knowledge and experience.
Advantages of the Tetra Therm MicroPart solution include improved product safety, high reliability and lower operational costs compared to systems currently available in the market.
MICROPARTICULATION
Whey proteins have been used in a wide variety of food products for years, for their functional properties and high nutritional value. The discovery of microparticulation has opened up new opportunities for food producers all over the world.
Microparticulated whey proteins behave like fats and can be used as fat substitutes in dairy products such as cheese, desserts, yoghurt and ice cream. In low-fat cheese production, for example, the microparticulated proteins improve the texture and taste experience considerably.
The application of microparticulated proteins is expected to further boost the expanding low-fat dairy product segment, as well as bring down the cost of producing traditional cheeses.
OPTIMUM PROFITABILITY
The Tetra Therm MicroPart module uses diluted WPC-powder, or WPC-retentate produced in an ultra-filtration module, to produce the microparticulated whey protein. WPC-retentate offers processors the best profitability, as there are no powder production or packing costs.
Microparticulation through the Tetra Therm MicroPart will contribute to much more profitable cheese production:
- Whey valorisation through microparticulation creates higher added value
- The cost of cheese production will drop drastically, since microparticulated whey protein is a cheaper ingredient than casein
- Improving the quality of low-fat cheeses makes it possible to charge premium prices
BENEFITS OF THE TETRA THERM MICROPART
Tetra Pak has developed a robust and reliable process for Tetra Therm MicroPart, based on proven plate and tube heat exchangers from a reliable partner, to deliver lower operational costs and future-proof production.
The module offers high energy recovery, which lowers energy costs, also resulting in greater profitability.
The Tetra Therm MicroPart also offers the utmost process flexibility. The heating process is flexible enough to make microparticulate with properties such as particle size distribution, density and water binding, which are useful in different applications. It also secures production against bacteriophages. For example, reusing whey proteins for cheese-making creates a new production loop, which can increase the danger of bacteriophage growth.
The process is also flexible enough to allow the use of less costly whey protein concentrates. In most cases a WPC 45 will suffice, rather than WPC 60 or above, which can cost up to 6.5 Eurocents more per kilogram of protein.
For more information on this company:
Tetra Pak Processing Systems - Total Production Solutions for the Food Manufacturing Industry
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