US4358464A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for converting sour whey into sweet whey and product
Assignee: Superior Dairy Inc
•
Filing: 1978-08-14
•
Granted: 1982-11-09
•
Expires: 1998-08-14
Abstract
Abstract Sour whey resulting from manufacture of cottage cheese or cream cheese is converted into a food product superior to either sweet whey or sour whey, by enzymatic splitting of the lactose to glucose and galactose, followed by deionization and preferably concentration.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph A. Soehnlen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 03:39
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23C; A23C19/00; A23C19/02; A23C19/032; A23C19/0328; A23C21/00; A23C21/02; A23C21/023; A23C9/00; A23C9/14; A23C9/146
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
67 words
A process for converting sour whey, made by acidifying milk and removing the resulting curd, into sweet whey containing substantially all the food value of the whey, which process comprises splitting at least half of the lactose originally present in the milk by a lactase enzyme, and de-acidifying the whey by contact of the whey with an anion-exchange material, while retaining the non-ionizable substances in the whey.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
67 words
A process for converting sour whey, made by acidifying milk and removing the resulting curd, into sweet whey containing substantially all the food value of the whey, which process comprises splitting at least half of the lactose originally present in the milk by a lactase enzyme, and de-acidifying the whey by contact of the whey with an anion-exchange material, while retaining the non-ionizable substances in the whey.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as in claim 1 in which the enzyme is added to the milk before the ion-exchange treatment.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as in claim 2 in which the enzyme is added to the milk before it is acidified.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process as in claim 3 in which the milk is acidified by the action of an acid-producing living organism.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
A process as in claim 4 in which the organism also produces lactase.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process as in claim 1 in which the ion-exchange material is a synthetic resin having anion-attracting functionality.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process as in claim 5 in which the ion-exchange material is a synthetic resin having anion-attracting functionality.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as in claim 7 in which the whey is treated by successive contact with a cation-exchange resin and an anion-exchange resin.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process as in claim 8 in which the cation-exchange resin has carboxylic functionality and the anion-exchange resin has amine functionality.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as in claim 9 in which the enzyme is added to the milk before it is curdled.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process as in claim 1 in which the sweetened whey is at least partly dewatered.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process as in claim 10 in which the sweetened whey is at least partly dewatered.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as in claim 1 in which nearly all of the lactose is split.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as in claim 12 in which nearly all of the lactose is split.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
11 words
A sweet whey product made by the process of claim 1.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
11 words
A sweet whey product made by the process of claim 14.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
58 words
A process for converting sour whey into a palatable food product lacking the lactic acid flavor of the sour whey, which process comprises hydrolyzing lactose in the whey by a lactase enzyme, de-acidifying the whey by contact of the whey with anion-exchange material while retaining the non-ionizable substances in the whey, and adding other nutritional and flavoring ingredients.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
58 words
A process for converting sour whey into a palatable food product lacking the lactic acid flavor of the sour whey, which process comprises hydrolyzing lactose in the whey by a lactase enzyme, de-acidifying the whey by contact of the whey with anion-exchange material while retaining the non-ionizable substances in the whey, and adding other nutritional and flavoring ingredients.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
70 words
A palatable food product made from sour whey, containing substantially all the nutritional values of the sour whey including the functional values of the lactose and proteins, improved by enzymatic conversion of lactose to a mixture of glucose and galactose and by removal of anions to minimize the pronounced acid flavor of the sour whey, and containing also nutritional and flavoring food ingredients other than those present in the whey.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
70 words
A palatable food product made from sour whey, containing substantially all the nutritional values of the sour whey including the functional values of the lactose and proteins, improved by enzymatic conversion of lactose to a mixture of glucose and galactose and by removal of anions to minimize the pronounced acid flavor of the sour whey, and containing also nutritional and flavoring food ingredients other than those present in the whey.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
41 words
A process as in claim 1 in which the whey is only partially de-mineralized, by dividing the whey into portions, de-acidifying one portion by contact with an ion-exchange material, and remixing the one portion with another portion which is not de-mineralized.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process as in claim 19 in which the said one portion is about one-half of the whey, and after de-acidification it is remixed with the other half.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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US3629073A
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US3669678A
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US3737326A
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US3896241A
Cited
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US3852496A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-11-08 | 1986-05-10 | 1986-11-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-11-08 | 1990-05-10 | 1990-11-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-11-08 | 1994-05-10 | 1994-11-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |