Chr. Hansen has alternative to annatto for colouring cheese

Chr. Hansen has developed a new cheese colouring that not only gives the ideal colours to cheddar and gouda, but allows cheese producers to get the most out of whey, the liquid that is left after milk has been coagulated and drained. This by-product has other uses including as an additive in the form of whey powder for processed foods. Most of the time, the food industry requires whey to be white. However in the course of cheese-making, the annatto colouring used to give cheddar and gouda its yellowish shade, also gets into the whey.

“By replacing annatto with the beta-carotene based WhiteWhey? colours, cheese producers will experience an 85-95% reduction in colour transfer to the whey,” said Chr. Hansen’s Thomas Christensen, industry product manager, Natural Colors Division.  “The cheese will maintain the same delicious yellow to red shades as our new WhiteWhey colours offers a 1:1 colour match compared to annatto-based solutions.”

The patent pending WhiteWhey solution is said to be better than beta-carotene based solutions which usually transfer into the whey.

“The preliminary feedback we have received from the dairy industry is very positive,” Mr Christensen said. “In fact, one international cheese manufacturer called it an ‘industry changer’! Cheesemakers welcome the innovation because it facilitates better whey production but also because there is an international push from authorities as well as the food industry to phase out carry-over of food colorants in foods for infants and young children. New regulation in the EU and China outlaws annatto residues in whey used for infant nutrition products. Using beta-carotene instead of annatto will comply with the regulation as beta-carotene occurs naturally in milk.”

He added: “Finally, there is a shortage of high quality whey to serve the food industry — in particular the Asian infant nutrition industry which increasingly requests high quality raw materials and ingredients.”

According to a 3A Business Consulting report the global whey powder market grew by 15% in volume from 2006 to 2012. Collectively, European and American manufacturers of cheddar and continental cheese produce approximately 160 million tonnes of whey powder annually. The estimated market value of the whey is USD 7-8 billion.

Chr. Hansen will introduce the product at the Fi Europe 2013 in Frankfurt, Germany 19-21 November. See them at stand no. 8K48 in Hall no. 8.0. (Photo: Blocks of cheese © Raja Rc | Dreamstime.com