Cheese shreds are either a consumer product or a semi-finished product used in the prepared meal industries. To prevent the agglomeration of the shreds after grating and until the use, they are coated with an anticaking agent. There are several ways to do it.
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Base
Shreds are made by grating either traditional cheeses (Emmenthal, Cheddar) or specially processed cheese for this purpose. It usually has a relatively high moisture content and fat content, between 30 – 40% each. These amounts cause re agglomeration of the cheese after grating; thus showing a defective aspect or preventing the further processing in automatic dosing machines.
Ingredients
The powder coating is based either on :
cellulose, microcristalline cellulose,
potato, modified wheat starch,
talc.
In some case, powder flavours can be added into the mix to convey a distinctive aroma profile.
Process
The coating sequences run as follows:
collecting the shreds from the grating unit,
powder dosing, +0.1 – 3.0%.
mixing.
Coating system
The operation occurs usually in a rotary tumbler or rotating screw whose length and diameter are calculated to accommodate the product flow.
The coating relies on dispersion of the powder ingredients optionally, then on the mechanical dispersion caused by mixing.
Dispersion can be enhanced by distributing the powder prior to its fall onto the product:
by blowing air. Electrostatic is recommended to prevent pollution,
by using a vibratory scarf tray.
The product throughput needs to be recorded precisely (weigh band feeder, for example) in order to adjust according to the recipe the powder doser. The later can be volumetric or gravimetric, then offering a better precision and traceability of failure.
It is commonly continuous operation. Rotation speed is adjusted to achieve the required friction and residence time. The residence time is relatively short as powders tend to disperse easily.
