JP2010004823A - Process cheese and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide process cheese having excellent maturing cheese flavor, and good stretch properties of cheese, and to provide a method for producing the process cheese. <P>SOLUTION: This method for producing the process cheese which has excellent maturing cheese flavor and good stretch properties of cheese includes using raw material cheese which contains each 10-40 wt.% of natural cheese having a ratio of water soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen in the natural cheese (water soluble nitrogen/total nitrogen) of nto more than 12%, and 30-60 wt.% of natural cheese having a ratio of PTA soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen in the natural cheese (PTA soluble nitrogen/total nitrogen) of not less than 10%; and heating, melting and mixing the raw material cheese. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to process cheeses having a good ripening cheese flavor and good stringiness, and a method for producing the same.

Process cheeses of the type that melt by heating and exhibit stringiness are often used as toppings for toast, pizza, gratin and the like. Conventionally, in order to obtain such processed cheeses with good stringiness, cheese with low maturity is used as raw material cheese, and molten salt is not used at the time of emulsification or very little molten salt is used. To emulsify. However, although the processed cheeses thus obtained have good stringiness, there is a problem that the cheese-like flavor is weakened because the raw cheese used is low in maturity. That is, it was a quality characteristic that cannot combine a texture such as good stringiness when baked, a texture such as an elastic texture, and a cheese flavor such as umami. In addition, in order to improve this point, it is generally performed to supplement the flavor with a seasoning such as an amino acid, but there are things that cannot be said to reproduce the original flavor of cheese.

As a method of producing processed cheese having good flavor and smooth structure and good stringiness, raw cheese adjusted to a maturity index of 25% or less, molten salt, and whey calcium and / or colloidal calcium phosphate Has been proposed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-22210). According to this method, since it is possible to use raw material cheese with a higher maturity index than before, there is an advantage that processed cheese with stronger cheese flavor can be obtained, but normally not used calcium salt is added It is necessary to use it as a product, and furthermore, calcium has low solubility in cheese. Therefore, if it is added excessively, flavor deterioration and texture roughness will occur.
JP-A-11-2221015

  The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and its purpose is to use process cheeses having good stringiness and good cheese original flavor without using special additives and the like. It is in providing the manufacturing method.

  The present inventors have intensively studied to achieve the above object. As a result, the present inventors have found that the maturity index (water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) has a high relationship with the physical properties such as stringiness and elastic texture of the natural cheese as a raw material for processed cheeses. ) And a ripeness index (PTA-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) that has a high relationship with flavors such as umami, etc., and properly combining natural cheeses with different ripeness, It has been found that processed cheeses having flavor and good stringiness can be obtained, and the present invention has been completed.

That is, the present invention
[1] In the raw cheese, the ratio of water-soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen in the natural cheese (water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) is 10% to 40% by weight of natural cheese having a ratio of 12% or less, and the total nitrogen in the natural cheese Good aging characterized by heating, melting and mixing using raw cheese containing 30 to 60% by weight of natural cheese with a PTA soluble nitrogen ratio (PTA soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) of 10% or more A process for producing a processed cheese having a cheese flavor and good stringiness,
[2] Ratio of water-soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen of whole raw cheese (water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) is 19% or less, and ratio of PTA-soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen of whole raw cheese (PTA-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) The process cheese production method according to 1 above, wherein the process cheese is adjusted so as to be 6% or more,
[3] The process cheese production method according to any one of 1 to 2 above, wherein the molten salt is added in an amount of 1.0% by weight or less based on the raw material cheese,
[4] The process cheese production method according to any one of 1 to 3, wherein a stabilizer is added in an amount of 0.05 to 0.5% by weight based on the raw material cheese.
[5] Processed cheeses with good stringiness having a flavor of good ripened cheese produced by the production method according to any one of 1 to 4 above,
About.

   According to the present invention, a processed cheese having a good ripened cheese flavor and good stringiness can be obtained without using a special additive or manufacturing apparatus.

   Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail, but the present invention is not limited to the individual forms described below. Processed cheeses in the present invention are produced by various processed cheeses due to differences in raw materials, etc., but include all processed cheeses, processed cheese foods, etc., including those commonly called processed cheeses. It is a waste.

  The stringiness of processed cheeses depends on the strength of the casein structure in the natural cheese as a raw material. When natural cheese whose casein has been decomposed by aging is used, the stringiness is lowered. This is the reason why low-ripe natural cheese is used as a raw material in order to obtain processed cheeses having good stringiness. On the other hand, casein, which is a protein in natural cheese, is also decomposed similarly to the taste of cheese, but it is mainly related to amino acids resulting from higher degradation than casein that affects stringiness. Yes.

  Below, it outlines about the change of the protein at the time of manufacture and ripening of natural cheese. The change in protein in natural cheese starts from the case where casein is limitedly decomposed by rennet during cheese manufacture to become a water-insoluble calcium paracaseinate, and is gradually converted to a water-soluble substance with aging. The water-soluble fraction generated at an early stage is an intermediate peptide, which is further decomposed into medium to small peptides and amino acids. The stringiness of processed cheeses depends on the strength of the casein structure of the natural cheese that is the raw material, and these are closely related to the increase in the water-soluble fraction, which is the initial degradation of casein. The ratio of water-soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen (water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) can be considered as one index of maturity. On the other hand, small peptides and amino acids closely related to the generation of cheese flavor can be confirmed as phosphotungstic acid (PTA) soluble fractions. That is, regarding cheese flavor such as umami, the ratio of PTA soluble nitrogen occupied by total nitrogen in cheese (PTA soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) is suitable as a more direct index of maturity. Therefore, by suitably combining these two indices, a processed cheese having a good cheese flavor and good stringiness can be obtained.

The ratio of water-soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen in natural cheese and the ratio of PTA-soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen in natural cheese in the present invention can be calculated by the following methods.
The total amount of nitrogen, the amount of water-soluble nitrogen and the amount of PTA-soluble nitrogen in natural cheese can be measured by the following methods, respectively.
[Total nitrogen content]
(1) Add 60 ml of 0.05 M sodium citrate dihydrate solution heated to about 50 ° C. to 5 g of a sample (cheese), and homogenize at 8000 rpm for about 3 minutes using a rotary homogenizer.
(2) Wash the homogenizer with distilled water to 100 g.
(3) Take 2 ml of the sample solution of (2) and quantify nitrogen by the Kjeldahl method. The value obtained is the total amount of nitrogen per gram of cheese.
[Water-soluble nitrogen content]
(1) Add 60 ml of 0.05 M sodium citrate dihydrate solution heated to about 50 ° C. to 5 g of a sample (cheese), and homogenize at 8000 rpm for about 3 minutes using a rotary homogenizer.
(2) Wash the homogenizer with distilled water to 100 g.
(3) While stirring with a stirrer, adjust the pH to 4.40 ± 0.05 with 6N hydrochloric acid solution.
(4) Toyo Filter Paper No. Filter with 5A, take 2 ml of the filtrate and quantify nitrogen by the Kjeldahl method. The obtained value is the amount of water-soluble nitrogen per gram of cheese.
[PTA soluble nitrogen content]
(1) Add 60 ml of 0.05 M sodium citrate dihydrate solution heated to about 50 ° C. to 5 g of a sample (cheese), and homogenize at 8000 rpm for about 3 minutes using a rotary homogenizer.
(2) Wash the homogenizer with distilled water to 100 g.
(3) While stirring with a stirrer, adjust the pH to 4.40 ± 0.05 with 6N hydrochloric acid solution.
(4) Toyo Filter Paper No. Filter with 5A and collect 10 ml from the filtrate.
(5) Add 6 ml of 25% sulfuric acid solution to (4) and 4 ml of 12.5% phosphotungstic acid (PTA) solution, stir well, and let stand at room temperature for 16 hours.
(6) Toyo filter paper no. Filter with 5A, take 2 ml of the filtrate, and quantify nitrogen by the Kjeldahl method. The obtained value is the amount of PTA-soluble nitrogen per gram of cheese.

The ratio of water-soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen and the ratio of PTA-soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen are calculated according to the following formula.
Water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen (%) = water-soluble nitrogen content in cheese / total nitrogen content in cheese × 100
PTA soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen (%) = PTA soluble nitrogen content in cheese / total nitrogen content in cheese × 100

  As the raw material cheese used in the present invention, a wide variety of natural cheeses can be used in the same manner as used for the production of processed cheeses, but the “water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen” is 12% or less. 10 to 40% by weight of natural cheese and 10% or more of "PTA soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen" is used by adjusting raw cheese so that natural cheese occupies 30 to 60% by weight of raw cheese To do. Preferably, natural cheese having a “water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen” of 10% or less is 15 to 30% by weight in the raw cheese, and natural cheese having a “PTA-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen” of 12% or higher is 30% in the raw cheese. The raw material cheese is adjusted and used so as to occupy ~ 60% by weight. More specifically, the ratio of water-soluble nitrogen to the total nitrogen of the whole raw cheese (water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) is 19% or less, and the ratio of the PTA-soluble nitrogen to the total nitrogen of the whole raw cheese (PTA-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) ) Is adjusted to 6% or more. In addition, what is necessary is just to combine the natural cheese used for manufacture of normal process cheeses suitably about the remainder part of raw material cheese.

As an unripe natural cheese having a “water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen” of 12% or less, a mature cheese such as gouda cheese or cheddar cheese, or fresh cheese such as mozzarella or steppen can be used alone or Two or more types can be used in combination. Moreover, as a highly matured natural cheese with “PTA soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen” of 10% or more, it became a predetermined aging index in matured cheeses such as cheddar cheese, gouda cheese, Edam cheese, Emmental cheese, and Parmesan cheese. A thing can be used individually or in combination of 2 or more types. These can be combined appropriately according to the desired flavor and physical properties.

  In the present invention, the molten salt is not added, or even if it is added, it is used in an amount of 1.0% by weight or less, preferably 0.5% by weight or less based on the raw material cheese. As a kind of molten salt, a molten salt used for production of ordinary process cheeses such as citrate, phosphate and tartrate can be used. When the addition amount of the molten salt exceeds 1.0% by weight, the emulsification proceeds excessively and the desired stringiness cannot be obtained, which is not preferable. Furthermore, by adding a small amount of stabilizer, 0.05 to 0.5% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 0.4% by weight, it is possible to stabilize the emulsification of the boiled cheese even if the amount of molten salt used is reduced. Property can be improved, and cheese physical properties at the time of manufacture can be stabilized. Examples of the stabilizer used include thickening polysaccharides such as guar gum, carrageenan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, and tara gum, and thickening proteins such as gelatin. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. it can.

  Moreover, it is also possible to use auxiliary materials used in the manufacture of process cheeses such as salt, emulsifier, colorant, and various foods for flavoring as necessary.

  In the present invention, the raw material is heated and melted by heating to 75 to 100 ° C., preferably 80 to 100 ° C., more preferably 85 to 100 ° C. while stirring the raw material. In the present invention, a kettle-type cheese emulsification pot, a horizontal cooker, a high-speed shear emulsification pot, and a continuous heat exchanger (such as a shock sterilizer and a combinator) can be used as an apparatus for heating and melting and emulsifying raw materials It is. It is also possible to combine a melting apparatus and an emulsifier such as a homogenizer, an in-line mixer, or a colloid mill.

  After the raw material is heated and melted, the container is filled and then cooled, the temporary container is once filled and cooled and molded, then cut and packaged, the mold is cooled and continuously molded and packaged, etc. The target product can be manufactured by any method.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example is given and this invention is demonstrated further in detail, this invention is not limited by this.

[Example 1]
The following 3 types of natural cheese (A) water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen = 8.5% immature gouda cheese,
(B) PTA soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen = 12.0% high ripeness cheddar cheese,
(C) Cheddar cheese having water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen = 18% and PTA-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen = 6.0% was combined at a blending ratio (% by weight) shown in Table 1 to obtain raw material cheese.

2 kg of raw cheese is crushed and charged into a melting kettle, 10 g of sodium citrate is added as a molten salt, water is added so that the product moisture is 47%, and the mixture is heated to 90 ° C. with stirring and melted. Then, 225 g each was packed and refrigerated using parafilm and carton.
After cooling sufficiently, the taste, texture and stringiness were evaluated with a specialized panel. The results are shown in Table 2.

  From the result of Example 1, when the blending ratio of (A) immature gouda cheese (water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen = 8.5%) in the raw material cheese is 5% by weight (prototype No. 1A), sufficient stringing I could not get sex. In addition, when the blending ratio of unripe gouda cheese is 50% by weight and the blending ratio of high-ripening cheddar cheese is 20% by weight (prototype No. 1E), the stringing property is good, but it becomes a gummy texture, The original flavor of good cheese was not obtained.

[Example 2]
The following 3 types of natural cheese (D) water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen = 11.5% immature gouda cheese,
(E) PTA soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen = 12.5% high ripeness cheddar cheese,
(F) Cheddar cheese with water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen = 18% and PTA-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen = 6.0% was combined at a blending ratio (% by weight) shown in Table 3 to obtain raw material cheese.

2 kg of raw cheese is crushed and charged into a melting kettle, and 6 g of sodium citrate and 6 g of locust bean gum are added as molten salts. It was heated and melted until 225 g each was packed using parafilm and carton and refrigerated.
After cooling sufficiently, the taste, texture and stringiness were evaluated with a specialized panel. The results are shown in Table 4. Evaluation criteria are the same as in Example 1.

  From the result of Example 2, when the blending ratio of (E) high ripeness cheddar cheese (PTA-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen = 12.5%) in the raw material cheese is 20% by weight (prototype number 2A), it is good. Although it has stringiness, a good cheese original flavor could not be obtained. Further, when the blending ratio of the high ripeness cheddar cheese was 70% by weight (prototype No. 2E), although the flavor was good, the stringiness was poor.

   According to the present invention, by using a combination of a low-ripening raw material cheese having a "water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen" of less than 12% and a high-ripening raw material cheese having a "PTA-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen" of 10% or more. Process cheeses having good ripened cheese flavor and good stringiness can be obtained.

Claims (5)

In the raw cheese, the ratio of water-soluble nitrogen to the total nitrogen in the natural cheese (water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) is 10% to 40% by weight of natural cheese having a ratio of 12% or less, and PTA-soluble nitrogen relative to the total nitrogen in the natural cheese A good aged cheese flavor characterized by heating, melting and mixing the raw cheese containing 30 to 60% by weight of natural cheese having a ratio of (PTA soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) of 10% or more, respectively. A process for producing processed cheeses having good stringiness. The ratio of water-soluble nitrogen to the total nitrogen of the whole raw cheese (water-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) is 19% or less, and the ratio of the PTA-soluble nitrogen to the total nitrogen of the whole raw cheese (PTA-soluble nitrogen / total nitrogen) is 6%. It adjusts so that it may become the above, The manufacturing method of the processed cheese of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The process for producing processed cheese according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the molten salt is added in an amount of 1.0% by weight or less based on the raw material cheese.   The method for producing processed cheese according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a stabilizer is added in an amount of 0.05 to 0.5% by weight based on the raw material cheese.   Process cheeses with good stringiness having a flavor of good ripened cheese produced by the production method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.