WO1996025051B1

WO1996025051B1 - Process of making a soft or semi-soft fibrous cheese

Info

Publication number: WO1996025051B1
Application number: PCT/US1996/002328
Authority: WO
Filing date: 1996-02-16
Publication date: 1996-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 1997-08-16

Abstract

A process of manufacturing a soft or semi-soft fibrous cheese comprising the steps of a) pasteurizing milk; b) acidifying the milk; c) coagulating the milk to obtain curd and whey; d) cutting the coagulum and draining the whey, thereby leaving a cheese curd; e) heating, kneading, and stretching the curd (e.g., in mixer/cooker) (1) until it is a homogeneous, fibrous mass of cheese; f) forming the cheese into a shape (e.g., by pumping it through extruder (8)); g) cooling the shaped cheese in cold brine (e.g., in brine tanks (11 and 15)); and h) removing the cooled cheese from the brine (e.g., by conveyor (16)). A cheese additive is mixed into the heated cheese (for example in additional mixer (6)) after the cheese has been heated, kneaded, and stretched, but before it has been formed into a shape. The additive can be an emulsifying agent, gum, stabilizer, colorant, dairy solid, cheese powder, or food starch.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS[received by the International Bureau on 5 August 1996 (05.08.96); original claims 1 and 18 amended; remaining claims unchanged (4 pages)]

1. In a process of manufacturing a soft or semi- soft fibrous cheese comprising the following steps: a) pasteurizing cow's or buffalo milk; b) acidifying the milk to convert it to a cheese milk; c) coagulating the cheese milk to obtain a coagulum comprised of curd and whey; d) cutting the coagulum and draining the whey therefrom, thereby leaving a cheese curd; e) heating, kneading, and stretching the cheese curd until it is a homogeneous, fibrous mass of heated, unripened cheese; f) forming the heated cheese into a shape; g) cooling the shaped cheese in cold brine; and h) removing the cooled cheese from the brine; the improvement wherein, between said steps (e) and (f) , there is thoroughly mixed into the heated cheese a minor amount of at least one cheese additive selected from the group consisting of emulsifying agents, gums, stabilizers, colorants, dairy solids, cheese powders, and native or modified food starches, provided that, when the additive is starch alone, it is used in an amount of at least about 0.5 percent, based on the weight of the cheese.

2. The process of Claim 1 wherein the cheese is maintained at a temperature of no more than about 160° F. (71° C.) while the cheese additive is mixed in.

3. The process of any of the above claims in which an emulsifying agent, alone or in admixture with one or more other cheese additives, is mixed into the heated cheese between steps (e) and (f) , in an amount of about 0.01 to 2 percent, based on the weight of the cheese. 25051 -36- PCI7US96/02328

4. The process of any of the above claims wherein the emulsifying agent is an emulsifying salt.

5. The process of any of the above claims wherein the emulsifying agent is a phosphate or citrate salt.

6. The process of any of the above claims wherein the emulsifying agent is a sodium salt.

7. The process of any of Claims 3-6 wherein the emulsifying agent is mixed into the cheese in the form of an aqueous solution containing about 5 to 50 percent of the emulsifier, based on the weight of the solution.

8. The process of any of the above claims wherein, after step (h) , the cheese has a moisture content in the range of about 45 to 60 weight percent and a milkfat content of at least about 30 weight percent, on a dried solids basis.

9. The process of any of the above claims wherein the temperature of the cheese is maintained in the range of about 110 to 160° F. (43 to 71° C.) while the cheese additive is mixed into the cheese.

10. The process of any of the above claims wherein the cheese additive is mixed into the heated cheese for a period of time ranging from about 2 to 10 minutes, before the cheese is formed into a shape.

11. The process of any of the above claims wherein the emulsifying agent is selected from the group consisting of sodium hexametaphosphate, monosodium phosphate, disodium phosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, and sodium citrate.

12. The process of any of the above claims wherein, in step (f) , the heated cheese is formed into a shape by being extruded into cold sodium chloride brine and, in step (g) , the cheese extrudate is held in cold sodium chloride brine until its core temperature drops to about 75° F. (24° C.) or below, and wherein the cooled extrudate is subsequently cut into segments.

13. The process of any of the above claims wherein, in step (a), cow's milk is used.

14. The process of any of Claims 3-13 wherein the emulsifying agent is mixed into the cheese in an amount of about 0.5 to 2 percent, based on the weight of the cheese.

15. The process of any of the above claims wherein the cheese is maintained at a temperature in the range of about 110 to 145° F. (43 to 63° C.) while the cheese additive is mixed in.

16. The process of any of the above claims wherein, in step (f) , the heated cheese is formed into a shape by being extruded as a continuous ribbon into cold sodium chloride brine and, in step (g) , the cheese ribbon is held in cold sodium chloride brine until its core temperature drops to about 75° F. (24° C.) or below, and wherein the cooled ribbon is subsequently cut into sections, the sections of cooled cheese are comminuted, and the comminuted cheese is then individually quick frozen.

17. The process of any of Claims 1 to 15 wherein, in step (f) , the heated cheese is formed into a string shape by being extruded into cold sodium chloride brine and, in step (g) , the string-shaped extrudate is held in cold sodium chloride brine until its core temperature drops to about 75° F. (24° C.) or below, and wherein the cooled string-shaped extrudate is subsequently cut into segments.

18. The process of any of the above claims wherein, between said steps (e) and (f) , food starch, in dry form, is mixed into the heated cheese, in an amount of at least about 0.5 percent, based on the weight of the cheese.

19. The process of Claim 18 wherein the food starch is mixed into the heated cheese in an amount of about 0.5 to 10 percent, based on the weight of the cheese.

20. The process of Claim 18 wherein the food starch is mixed into the heated cheese in an amount of about 1 to 4 percent, based on the weight of the cheese.

21. The process of any of Claims 18 to 20 wherein the starch is selected from the group consisting of non-pregelatinized corn starches and non-pregelatinized potato starches.