Towards the manufacture of camembert cheese powder: Characteristics of cheese feeds without emulsifying salts

Cheese powder is produced by mixing melted cheeses with water and emulsifying salt (ES) to form a homogeneous and stable emulsion denoted cheese feed, which is subsequently spray-dried. In order to obtain high-quality cheese powder without addition of ES, it is important to ensure homogeneity and stability of the cheese feed at 50 degrees C. The characteristics of cheese feed are strongly influenced by the different cheeses used and their composition, and diligent choice of cheese raw materials can be used as alternative to the addition of ES. Nine different Camembert cheeses were characterized regarding their physicochemical and mineral composition and used to produce cheese feed. Homogeneity, stability and flow behavior of cheese feeds were evaluated and correlated with cheese characteristics. Cheeses with high fat content produced homogeneous feeds, while cheeses that did not produce homogeneous feeds had a lower fat content and high total content of phosphorus and calcium. In conclusion, these two parameters are the most important when considering cheese feed quality.