JP3014844B2 - Method for producing acceptable mozzarella cheese without aging - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a continuous process for producing, milling and packaging various mozzarella cheeses, and more particularly for use where the cheese produced is not subjected to additional ripening or processing. On how to work. The present invention also relates to the composition of mozzarella cheese produced using this method. Milk fat, protein and moisture components are adjusted in such a way as to achieve the desired performance characteristics.

The dairy industry, and especially the cheese industry, has for many years attempted to reduce the amount of time required during the manufacturing process to obtain desired and expected cheese performance characteristics.
Has come. The performance characteristics involved in the Mozzarella cheese variety are those exhibited when cooking these types on pizza. These include the melting properties with respect to the degree of blistering, melting, elongation and softness. The ability to shorten the ripening process or eliminate it altogether has significant economic benefits directly related to the cost of ripening cheese.

[0003] Mozzarella cheese is: a) pasteurized milk having a fat content in the range of about 1.5-3.5% by weight (buffer milk is used in many countries); b) Fermenting said milk with one or more lactic acid producing bacteria to obtain cheese milk; c) coagulating said cheese milk to obtain a clot consisting of curd and whey; d) cutting said clot; The whey is then drained, thereby leaving the cheese curd; e) the cheese curd has a moisture in the range of about 45-60% by weight and a milk fat content of at least about 30% by weight (based on dry solids) Until it becomes a homogeneous fibrous mass
Heating, kneading and extending the cheese curd; f) placing the mass in a cooling water bath and leaving it there long enough to achieve cooling and salt penetration; and g). It is manufactured by a method comprising removing cooled cheese from the brine.

[0004] After the brine treatment step, the resulting unripe mozzarella cheese is cooked for about 7-21 days, about 3 to 21 days, to develop a characteristic taste and texture and acceptable baking characteristics.
It has been aged so far at 5-45 ° F. (The ripening step is sometimes referred to as "storage" or "ripening.") The major components of cheese, carbohydrates, proteins and fats, all undergo changes during ripening. Through a complex class of metabolic processes, such as enzymatic lipolysis and proteolysis, these major components are metabolized to butyric acid, peptides, amino acids and fatty acids.

[0005] After ripening, the mozzarella cheese is often comminuted and frozen to stop the ripening process, and then transported to the refrigerator. It is frozen in block form.

[0006] The baking characteristics of Mozzarella cheese are very important. Most mozzarella cheese is used to make pizza. This requires spreading of the tomato sauce and cheese (in a finely divided form) on the pizza crust, and then temperatures in the range of about 400-1000 ° F, often about 450-650 or 850 ° F. Requires baking the resulting pizza in an oven maintained at a temperature in the range of As is well known, many types of other food products, such as pepperloni slices, mushroom slices, ground meat, sausages and pineapples, can be used as toppings on pizza. As the cheese melts, the cheese ingredients begin to fluidize, which results in water evaporation, oil opening and blistering. What is desired is that the cheese melt sufficiently before the skin is overbaked. What is undesirable is that the cheese forms many large blisters as it melts. The blisters formed by the protein bake, creating a black, hard savoryness that impairs the appearance, taste and mouthfeel of the pizza. To be satisfactory, the cheese needs to melt with minimal blistering as the skin burns.

[0007] When not subjected to the ripening stage, mozzarella cheese has significantly increased blistering when used to make baked pizzas. The higher the oven temperature, the greater the risk of blistering. Ripening mozzarella cheese requires considerable time, space and energy, which increases the cost of the final product. The same happens to other types of cheese, to a greater or lesser extent. For this reason, many approaches have been attempted to find a means to accelerate the ripening process for some types of cheese.

[0008] Lederer (1953) describes that the ripening time for American cheddar cheese, when unripe,
Quickly freeze the cheese while holding the cheese frozen for 60-180 minutes, and then
It was disclosed that it could be shortened by transferring the cheese to a conventional ripening room maintained at 60 ° F. Good body, texture and flavor are at least 6 according to conventional methods
Achieved after only 6 days compared to weekly ripening.
(Lederer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,816,036)
No., "Cheese Manufacture," filed on May 1, 1953 and published on December 10, 1957).

Freeman (1959) discloses that ripening of cheddar cheese can be promoted by using a mixture of cultures and high temperatures (60 ° F.) for the first four weeks. (Freeman, "Accelerating the Aging Proce
ss in Cheddar Cheese, "Kentucky Agric. Experiment
Station, U. Kentucky, Bulletin 666 (June, 1959). )

Kristofferson (1967)
Teaches that the addition of reduced glutathione and porcine lipase to a cheese slurry will promote cheddar ripening when producing a cheese paste. (Kristofferson, etc. "Cheddar Cheese Flavor.I
V.Directed and Accelerated Ripening Process, "J.Da
iry Sci. Vol.50, No.3, 292-297 (1967). )

Singh (1969) discloses that ripening of cheddar cheese in slurry form can be facilitated by the addition of sodium citrate and vitamins and minerals. (Singh, et al., "Factors Affecting Flavor
Development in Cheddar Cheese Slurries, "J. of Da
iry Sci. Vol.53, No.5, 533-536 (1969). )

[0012] Prochazka (1971) discloses the addition of sodium citrate to "Mozzarella-type" cheese to shorten the ripening period by at least one third. (Czechoslovak Patent 141,283, "Pr
ocess for the Production ofCheeses with Accelerate
d Ripening, "May 15, 1971.)

Sullivan (1973) discloses that American and Swiss cheeses can be aged two to five times faster by adding adenosine-3 ', 5'-cyclic monophosphate to cheese curd.
(Sullivan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,
No. 446, “Method for Ripid Curing of Cheese,” 1
Filed on September 26, 973, published on January 7, 1975. )

[0014] Sutherland (1975) teaches that the time required to ripen a cheddar cheese slurry can be reduced by adjusting a variety of different conditions, such as headspace air in the ripening vessel. . (Sutherland, "Rapidly Ripenin
g Cheese Curd Slurries in Processed Cheese Manufac
ture, "the Australian J. of Dairy Tech., Vol. 30, 1
38-142 (1975). )

Shehata (1977) teaches that the addition of sodium citrate to raw buffalo milk promotes lipolysis and proteolysis of lath cheese made therefrom. (Shehata et al., "Effect of Ad
ding Sodium Citrate to Buffaloes' Milk on Chemical
and Organoleptic Propesties of Ras Cheese, "Dairy
Sci. Abstracts, Vol. 41, No. 9, 550 (1979). )

Lee (1979) proposed injecting a pregastric esterase solution into mozzarella cheese to shorten the ripening step. (Lee, Hyong Joo, "Acc
eleration of Cheese Ripening: High Pressure Injec
tion and Diffusion of Curing Comporents in Italian
-Type Cheese, "Ph.D.Thesis, U.Wisconsin-Madison, 19
79.) Lee's paper contains a literature review of accelerating cheese ripening. Lee reports that the aging step, like most chemical reactions, is accelerated at elevated temperatures, but often undesired reactions also occur, resulting in unflavored products.

Abdel Baky (1982) reports the results of experiments showing that the addition of sodium citrate, proteinase and lipase to lath cheese slurries can shorten the ripening period from 2 months to 7 days. (Abde
l Baky, et al., "Ripening Changes in Cephalotyre" R
as "Cheese Slurries," J. Dairy Research, Vol. 49,337
341 (1982). )

Law (1987) showed that the ripening of various cheeses can be enhanced by the addition of exogenous proteolytic enzymes. (Law, Barry A., "Proteclysis in R
elation to Normal and Accelerated Cheese Ripenin
g, "Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology
(Elsevier Applied Science), New York, NY1987, Ed
ited by PFFox, Vol.1, ch.10, 365-392. ) (The addition of lipases and esterases has been
It has been implemented for the production of Italian type cheese. )

All of these prior art methods have been shown to require a period of aging. It has been discovered that mozzarella cheese varieties exhibiting desired performance characteristics can be produced by methods that eliminate the need for another ripening step. In the process of the present invention, the conventional stages of the production of mozzarella cheese are used, but the ingredients and conditions are such that the cheese obtained from the brine treatment stage has a combined moisture and moisture content of at least about 70% by weight. It is adjusted to have a wet milk fat content. Means for adjusting the moisture and milk fat content of the final cheese are known in the mozzarella manufacturing industry. Thus, for example, the milk fat content can be adjusted by removing the excess fat in the milk in a separator. It exists just before pasteurization. Moisture can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of acid production during fermentation, for example, besides adjusting the temperature and length of the heating stage.

Today, the mozzarella cheese on the market is 70%
The following has, for example, a combined moisture and wet milk fat content of about 65-69.5% by weight. And, of course, they are aged. Today, the most regular 4 in the market
A typical composition for a variety of cheeses is as follows:

[0021]

[Table 1]

1) US Code of Federal Regulations, C
hapter 21, Sections 133.155-133.158 as defined. 2) Bound and free water-the percentage of weight lost when dried overnight in an oven at 200 ° C. 3)% based on total cheese weight (not solid). 4) "Fat on Dry Basis"-% based on dried solids in cheese. It has been found that mozzarella cheese produced by the method of the present invention can be used to produce satisfactory pizzas immediately. Aging is not required; in fact, it is not even desired. The unripe cheese already has the desired performance characteristics for use in baked goods. It can be immediately frozen and shipped. If kept frozen, the cheese will retain satisfactory performance characteristics for up to 12 months.

The cheese should be used or frozen within 48 hours after completion of the watering process. If it is not used or frozen within that time, some control over its melting performance characteristics will be lost. Second, if cheese is not allowed to "ripen" first,
That is, if it has been unused for at least 5 days,
When baked, they tend to burn and bulge. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the method of the invention can be carried out in a continuous manner, and the cheese is milled and frozen within only 2 hours after the watering.

The cheese is formed into chunks and, if desired, frozen in its shape; but preferably, it will be comminuted before freezing. If it is frozen in chunks, the entire process from pasteurizing milk to loading a boxed chunk of frozen final cheese into a truck can be performed in only 36 hours.
If the cheese is diced or sliced before freezing and freezing is accomplished by independent quick freezing, the entire process from pasteurization to transport takes less time, for example, about 8 hours. Can be completed with In contrast, prior art methods require an additional 7-21 days of aging to achieve the desired performance characteristics.

The mozzarella cheese produced by the method of the present invention can be used immediately by the pizza mill where it is transported. No need to wait. That is U.S. Patent No. 4,
If independently frozen quickly by the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 753,815 (Kielsmeier et al.), It need not even be thawed first; it can be placed in an oven in a frozen state. Under the typical cooking conditions used in the pizza industry today, the cheese of the present invention typically
Performance on a pizza is as good or better than Mozzarella with combined moisture and wet milk fat of 70% by weight or less aged for -21 days.

If Mozzarella cheese having a combined moisture and milk fat content of significantly less than 70% by weight is frozen immediately after removal from the brine and transported, it should be thawed, and Melting performance maintained in a cooler at about 35-45 ° F. for 7 days or more before it is used on pizza, and satisfactory under typical cooking conditions used in today's pizza industry Spawn. Such cheese should be aged for at least one week before it is frozen, or if it is frozen immediately, it will be thawed, and then typically used today in the pizza industry It should be aged for at least one week before it can be used satisfactorily in baking pizza under typical conditions. Unripe cheeses having a combined moisture and milk fat content of 70% by weight or less can be manufactured to exhibit acceptable melting characteristics under limited unusual cooking conditions, but what is required is: Mozzarella that pizza manufacturers can use under standard conditions of baking time and temperature. The cheese produced by the method of the present invention is a cheese having the above properties, even if produced without aging.

The pizza industry usually uses mozzarella cheese as one of the main ingredients of pizza. The different types of pizza (ie, thin rind, thick rind, etc.) and the type of oven used will significantly affect the performance or melting characteristics of the mozzarella cheese. Further, the length of time a pizza is cooked (and the temperature at which it is cooked) will have a similar effect on cheese performance. Thus, when cooking Mozzarella cheese on a pizza, the amount of energy available to obtain the desired melting characteristics is limited by these cooking conditions.

[0028] Performance, especially melting properties, such as blistering, melting and elongation, are important to the pizza manufacturer. Because it is most obvious to the end consumer,
And it is a property that contributes to the overall pleasure of eating pizza. As mentioned above, in order to obtain such melting properties, mozzarella cheese, regardless of its composition, has a
It has been generally accepted that aging is required for days or more. The present invention eliminates the need for maturation or any other processing of the mozzarella cheese and further provides a method of achieving melting properties similar to those of the aged prior art cheese.

There are three main components of mozzarella cheese that affect the melting properties: moisture, milk fat and protein. It is understood that all of these components and each of these components in combination, each, play a role in the performance characteristics of Mozzarella cheese. Of the three components, protein and, more particularly, the complexity of protein production is a major limiting factor with respect to the final melting properties that result. The protein structure, when cooked over a pizza, requires a higher degree of heat (ie, caloric energy) to cause its fluidization or melting than any other component of cheese. When fluidized, long chain protein molecules must degrade. This decomposition typically requires that the cheese be heated to a temperature in the range of about 150-200 ° F. This temperature range is also the same as the temperature normally achieved when cooking pizza. This degradation of the protein structure can achieve the desired melting properties.

Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy released by a substance; and, therefore, the temperature of a molten substance is a function of the amount of energy absorbed, the melting point of the substance, and the energy released. Well understood.
Thus, a certain amount of energy needs to be absorbed by the cheese in order to break down the protein structure of the cheese and obtain the temperature required to melt. After melting is complete, the energy is released and the temperature of the cheese will rise more easily. When cooking pizza, the other ingredients of the pizza (eg, dough, sauce, etc.) require more energy to ensure that their desired baked characteristics are obtained as well. The amount of energy and energy transfer available is limited based on the particular style of pizza and the particular cooking conditions (ie, oven time and temperature). Pizzas cannot be left in the oven for an extended period of cooking cheese, or else the skin and other ingredients will degrade.

To date, the energy available under the cooking conditions commonly used in the pizza industry appears to be insufficient to break down the complex protein structure associated with mozzarella cheese if the cheese is not aged. Came. Aging partially degrades proteins through proteolysis. Small protein units (peptides) that are less structurally complex do not require much energy to degrade.

The second effect that ripening has on the basis of the performance characteristics of Mozzarella cheese is the equilibration of the salts in the cheese and the change in the ratio of free water: bound water in the cheese. "Bound water" means water that is chemically or physically bound to other components in the cheese. The rest is "free water".
Both of these factors affect the final melting performance of Mozzarella cheese. The blistering of the cheese on the baked pizza appears to be caused by charring or drying of the protein present. Thus, when cooking cheese on a pizza, it seems critical that the protein structure retain moisture as it melts, in order to avoid excessive blistering. However, if a large amount of free water is present in the cheese, such water will be washed away during the cooking process, resulting in a high degree of blistering. On the other hand, cheeses with significant amounts of bound water (usually associated with ripening of the cheese) do not tend to bulge, since this bound water is not easily washed away, and thus keep the protein structure moist.

In the process described according to the invention and the resulting product, excessive flushing of the free water appears to be avoided by the following factors: 1) the introduction of salts during mixing / molding. Salt has the ability to "bind" water, thus retaining some free water in the cheese that can be flushed during cooking. 2) By having adequate moisture and milk fat content, and thus obtaining a sufficiently high heat capacity, the protein and milk fat are sufficient in the cooking process to retain free water before it is flushed Becomes fluid.

The mozzarella cheese produced by the method of the present invention may be kept for up to 48 hours after cooling to brine and before milling and packaging, and
It will have the desired performance characteristics. The preferred time of the fine grinding is within 2 hours after the water treatment. This optimizes the performance characteristics of the cheese and retains the manufacturing efficacy associated with a continuous process. Holding cheese in an unfrozen state for more than about 48 hours results in a product that is too soft to properly mill into cheese granules. This is about 5 cheeses
Moisture in the range of 2-60% by weight and about 20-30% by weight
Seems to be particularly true with a wet milk fat content in the range

It is also observed that products that are held for more than 48 hours before being frozen tend to require conventional aging (generally 7-21 days total) to achieve the desired melting characteristics. Was. Although not theoretical, the relationship between moisture and protein status is as follows: within the first 48 hours after completion of the seawater treatment, the desired melting properties are achieved, but this time Thereafter, a change in this relationship exists, and only by aging the cheese for a week or more, the desired melting performance is obtained. Freezing it within 48 hours can generally retain the desired properties of the unripe cheese. Preferably, the cheese will be frozen to a core temperature of about 25 ° F or less.

When used to make pizza, cheese prepared by the method of the present invention with tomato sauce (other ingredients are optional) may be spread on pizza crust, frozen or not. Can be Also, the skin may be unbaked, partially baked, or fully baked. Cheese is generally thawed about 14 days before being placed in the oven. However, as mentioned above, it need not be melted long before baking. It performs well when melted, about a day or two before use. Further, if the cheese is frozen by the IQF method disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,753,815, it is placed in an oven without any pre-thawing, and
It will still exhibit the desired baking properties.

In the process of the present invention, the components and conditions generally include a moisture in the range of about 50 to 60% by weight and about 16 to 60% by weight.
It is adjusted to obtain a cheese having a wet milk fat content in the range of 30% by weight. A preferred composition in which Mozzarella cheese is retained in the method of the present invention is at least 52% by weight moisture and at least 18% by weight wet milk fat.

As mentioned above, one of the purposes of ripening is to allow the diffusion of salt (sodium chloride) from the outer crust into the center of the mozzarella cheese mass, thereby reducing the salt concentration of the cheese. Equilibrate. It is preferred to mix about 0.5-1.5% salt (based on the weight of the curd) into the fresh cheese during the heating, kneading and stretching operations, as ripening is eliminated in the process of the present invention. . Most preferably, at least 0.8% by weight of the salt will be added.

After the cheese curd is heated to a homogeneous fibrous mass, kneaded and stretched, it is watered. The agglomerates are typically about 125-155
Will be at a temperature of ° F. The warm mass is extruded directly into a watering tank, or it is manually extruded into chunks (eg, about 3-1 / 2 "x 7" x 22 ") and first quenched in cooling water. When extruded by hand, the mass is cooled (about 35-50 °).
F) about 20 to 3 in the stainless steel mold impregnated in
Leave for 0 minutes. This cools the cheese sufficiently to keep it in its shape. Next, it is removed from the mold and
And a temperature of about 35-55 ° F. and about 50-98% by weight
Placed in a brine tank with a salinity of

However, manual extrusion is labor intensive, and direct extrusion of a ribbon of warm fibrous mass into a "supercooled" aqueous solution of a can is preferred. The ribbon is preferably about 6-8 inches wide by 3-4 inches thick. Supercooled brine is typically about 0-25.
Present at a temperature in the range of about 30 ° F.
Will have a salinity of The cheese is rapidly quenched in supercooled brine to cure it quickly. If not properly cured before the ribbons are cut, the masses of cheese tend to deform and lose their uniform shape. Cheese ribbons typically have a core temperature of about 120 ° F. or less, eg, about 90-11
If lowered within the 0 ° F range, it will cure properly. Typically, this requires less than about 10 minutes of cooling in supercooled brine. The extruded cheese ribbon can be cut to a length of about 20-26 inches after it has been cured in supercooled brine. The cheese mass is then further cooled in a main watering tank, where the temperature is about 35-55 ° F and the salinity is about 50-98.
%.

Even if the cheese is extruded and cut, or it is manually extruded, large chunks of cheese will have a core temperature of about 75 ° F. or less, eg, about 55-75 ° F. It is left in the main irrigation tank until it falls to a temperature in the range. Using an extrusion process and a two-stage watering process, the cheese can be quenched to a core temperature of 75 ° F or less within about 3 hours.

It has been found that a core temperature of about 75 ° F. or less is desirable for milling the salted cheese chunks into granules. Temperatures above 75 ° F often result in cheese in which free moisture and liquid milk fat are present. When milled, these ingredients are not well retained in the cheese granules. In addition, cheese above 75 ° F. tends to stick to the equipment used to cut cheese. The time required to cool cheese heated below 75 ° F. can be reduced by reducing the thickness of the cheese and / or reducing the brine temperature used.

For use as a pizza topping, the cheese is preferably finished with the center or core of each piece being only about 1/8 "from its surface and preferably only 1/16" from its surface. Finely crushed to size.

Preferably, the final sized pieces of cheese are subjected to independent quick freezing, shortly after milling, to form a free flowing frozen product. Freezing is preferably performed in a fluidized bed freezer at a temperature of about -20 to -40 ° F. using chilled air.

The amount of cheese present in the freezer at any one time is preferably such that the individual pieces of cheese can reach about -10 ° F. within only 5-7 minutes after entering the freezer.
Will be low enough to be cooled to the core temperature. Preferably, the cheese pieces are not more than about −10 ° F., eg, about −10 to −25 ° F., before being removed from the freezer.
Will be frozen to a core temperature in the range

The rapid freezing step is preferably such that no more than about 1% of its weight is lost due to evaporation of moisture.
This is done in a manner that does not substantially reduce the moisture content of the cheese.

If the frozen pieces of cheese are removed from the freezer, they may optionally contain flavor additives, and / or
Or it may be coated with one or more other cheese chemicals, such as an emulsifier, such as sodium citrate, and / or a surfactant, such as dimethylpolysiloxane.

The preferred means of application of any flavoring agent, emulsifier or surfactant to the cheese pieces is to mix the aqueous solution of the additive on the frozen pieces of cheese while tumbling the pieces to evenly coat them. Or by spraying the emulsion. The various additives can be applied together or from separate solutions. Solution concentrations and coating application rates are preferably about 10-2000 ppm of flavorant, about 10
To apply に よ り 2500 ppm of emulsifier and about 1-10 ppm of surfactant (all based on the weight of the cheese) and with about 0.5-4% of water (also based on the weight of the cheese) It can be adjusted for coating. The cheese and water should both be cold enough that the spray will form ice covering the cheese pieces substantially immediately.

[0049]

EXAMPLE 1 A heart-skim mozzarella cheese curd was prepared using an overnight-curd retention system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,077 (Kielsmeier).
-hold system). Lactobacillus (l
A starting culture containing the microorganisms of C. actobacillus and streptococcus is used, and the cheese milk is agglomerated by the addition of calf rennet. The composition of the curd was adjusted to obtain a final cheese product having a moisture content of 52% or more and a milk fat content of 18% or more (and thus a total moisture / milk fat content of 70% or more).

The cheese curd was kept overnight, after which the fermentation was complete. FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a representative view of the process from this point. Referring to FIG. 1, the fermentation curd (not shown) is kneaded with added 1.5% salt (sodium chloride) (not shown) and while being stretched 140 ° in mixer / former 10. Heated to F. After mixing for about 5-7 minutes, the melted cheese is prepared according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,468 (Ki
elsmeier) according to the method described in 4 ″ ×
Extruded in the form of a 7 "continuous ribbon 12 into a pre-watering tank 11. The extruded ribbon flows directly into" supercooled "sodium chloride brine, where
Present at ° F and had a salinity level of 60%. The dwell time of the ribbon in the brine was 8 minutes, at which point the 4 "x 7" ribbon was lifted from the tank 11 and cut by the cutter 13 to a length 14 of 20 inches. The core temperature of the cheese at the time of this cut was 120 ° F. Then cooled and salted 4 "
The × 14 ″ × 20 ″ lump 14 is the main irrigation tank 15.
Allowed to float in for 3 hours. The temperature of the brine in tank 15 was 45 ° F. and it had a salinity of 95%. When removed from the main watering tank, the core temperature of the cheese was 65 ° F.

Next, the cooled part-skim mozzarella cheese is transported to the Cuba 17 by the conveyor 16,
Here the cheese was immediately shaped into a 2 "x 2" x 3 "chunk 18. The chunks were immediately transported to the dicer 19 where they were 1/8" x 1/8 "x 1/8. "Granulated into 20 cheese granules. The granules can be immediately Q.
F. Carry to freezer 21, where the freezer is
Frigoscandia Model 300 Flo-Freeze fluid bed freezer 21 as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,815. After freezing, the core temperature of cheese 22 is -2.
0 ° F. Then package the cheese and 0 ° C
The freezer (not shown) is maintained for additional evaluation.

To serve as a control, an additional part-skim mozzarella cheese, unregulated to obtain a combined moisture and milk fat content of 70% or more, was prepared and milled by the same method. , Frozen and packaged. This cheese will be referred to hereinafter as Control 1A. In this regard, this unconditioned part-a portion of the skim mozzarella cheese is not milled immediately after cooling, but is instead packaged in chunks, placed in a cooler, and maintained at 38 ° F for 9 days; And then milled, frozen, packaged and kept at 0 ° F for additional evaluation. After this, this cheese is referred to as Control 1B.

The product of the present invention and the two controls were then placed in the same cooler (maintained at 38 ° F.) and all three products were equilibrated to a temperature of 38 ° F. Hold there until you reach. After the products were equilibrated, each was evaluated for composition, apparent heat capacity and melting performance. The composition and apparent heat capacities of these products are as follows:

[0054]

[Table 2]

The apparent heat capacity of the cheese (also sometimes referred to as the “heat index value”) was measured using the Shimadzu Sc
Measured using a differential scanning calorimeter manufactured by ientific Instruments, Inc., Columbia, Maryland. When heated from the room temperature starting point (about 21 ° C.)
It refers to the amount of energy (joules) required to completely melt 1 g of cheese. This energy is
It is likely that the cheese will be absorbed before undergoing its phase change;
Therefore, it is reported as a negative value. The lower the number (ie, more negative), the higher the apparent heat capacity of the cheese.

As shown in Table 1, the cheese produced by the method of the present invention exhibited a higher heat capacity than any of the control cheeses. Often, the conditions and ingredients used to make cheese by the method of the present invention are -6
It will result in a cheese having an apparent heat capacity of 75 joules / g or less.

The melting performance of the three products was determined in a Middleby Marshall 360S oven at 530 ° F. for 6.5 hours in a 13 inch (diameter) pizza (Rion's unbaked dough and 4 oz tomato sauce). Consisting of 11 ounces of cheese. This is a combination of time and temperature commonly used to bake pizzas of this size, made from specific dough and tomato sauces. After cooking, a picture of each final pizza was taken and the cooked cheese was evaluated for blistering, melting, elongation and softness% and size. Reproduction of the photograph is shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings attached to this specification.
~ 4. The following observations were made regarding the performance of these three products:

Control 1A (up to 70% combined water and
Fat, not aged) : As seen in FIG. 2, there is a high degree of blister coverage, and the size of the blisters formed can be from small (eg, “dot”) blisters to large scabs. Range. The surface of the product was very dry and no obvious milk fat was present. This is an unacceptable melting performance.

Control 1B (up to 70% combined water and
(Fat, aged for 9 days) : As seen in FIG. 3, there was a lower degree of blister coverage than control 1A. Only blisters of dots were present on this pizza. The surface of the product was wet and the presence of milk fat was visually apparent. This is an acceptable melting performance, as expected for Part-Skim Mozzarella aged at 38 ° F. for 9 days.

Example of the Invention : As can be seen in FIG.
No blister coverage was present, and the blisters present were dot blisters. The surface of the product is humid in appearance,
And obviously milk fat was present. This is a melting performance comparable to that of Control 1B. This cheese and control 1
B cheese is also comparable and acceptable in terms of flavor, mouthfeel and elongation characteristics.

Example 2 Further, cheese was produced in the same manner as in Example 2.
However, the moisture and milk fat levels were changed. In all, 19 batches with combined moisture and milk fat of 68.2% to 77.48% were produced. The cheese is not aged and it dices all into 1/8 "cubes,
Immediately after being removed from the second irrigation tank, the IQF disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,753,815 is disclosed.
Frozen by the method.

The individual heat capacities of these cheeses were measured by the same method as described in Example 1. Melting performance,
Measured by using individual cheese samples to prepare a 13 inch pizza under the same conditions as in Example 1. The individual cheeses were graded using the following scale: Grade of melting performance Meaning 1-2 Slight blister coverage (about 10-25% surface area) 2-3 Medium blister coverage (about 3-4 Substantial blistering coverage (approximately 50-75% surface area)

The scores were assigned in 1/2 grade increments. Scores were awarded by the "blind", a scorer who did not know which cheese was used. The results are reported in Table 3. The cheeses are listed in the table according to their heat capacity in the highest order, except for the aged controls listed last.

[0064]

[Table 3]

As can be seen from the above table, nine cheeses have a combined moisture and milk fat content of 70% or more, and nine cheeses have a combined content of 70% or less. And the nineteenth batch was the conventionally aged control. Of the nine unaged batches with 70% or greater fat and moisture, all but one had excellent melt performance ratings (i.e., 1-2). 70%
Of the nine unaged batches having the following fats and moistures, only one has a melting performance rating in the range of 1-2;
Five were generally unacceptable 2.5, one was 3, and two were very poor 3.5.

The data in Table 2 were plotted to obtain a graph of total moisture-and-milk fat versus heat capacity (Figure 5). A regression analysis was performed on the data. It showed a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.84. The higher the moisture-and-milk fat content, the higher the heat capacity of the cheese. This generally appears to represent a good correlation, according to biostatisticians.

The data in Table 2 were also used to plot a graph of melting performance versus combined moisture and milk fat (FIG. 6). Melt performance ratings in the range of 1-2 are considered as generally acceptable. A rating of 2.5 or higher is generally considered to represent an unacceptable blister coverage. As already mentioned, with the exception of one product, the melt performance rating of 1-2 is equal if the combined moisture-and-milk fat content is equal to or greater than 70% by weight. Was achieved. One of the unripe products containing less than 70% combined moisture-and-milk fat
All but the species had an unacceptable melting performance rating (ie, a rating of 2 or more).

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a general drawing of a part of a production line using the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a photograph replacing a drawing of a pizza baked with insufficient immature mozzarella.

FIG. 3 is a photograph replacing a drawing of a pizza baked with a conventional aged mozzarella.

FIG. 4 is a photograph replacing a drawing of a pizza baked using the unripened mozzarella produced by the method of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the combined heat and milk fat content versus apparent heat capacity of cheese prepared by the method of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship of unmelted cheese's melting performance to combined moisture and milk fat content.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Mixer / Molding machine 11 ... Preliminary seawater tank 12 ... Continuous ribbon 13 ... Cutter 14 ... Lump 15 ... Main seawater tank 16 ... Conveyor 17 ... Cumber 18 ... Lump 19 ... Dicer 20 ... Cheese granules 21 ... I. Q. F freezer 22… Cheese

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23C 19/00-19/084

Claims (22)

(57) [Claims] 1. A process for producing mozzarella-type cheese, comprising: a) pasteurizing milk having a fat content in the range from 1.5 to 3.5% by weight; b) converting milk into cheese milk. C) coagulating the cheese milk to obtain a clot consisting of curd and whey; d) cutting the coagulum and then flushing the whey, thereby leaving the cheese curd; e) cheese Until the curd becomes a homogeneous fibrous mass of heated unripe mozzarella cheese having a milk fat content of at least 30% by weight based on moisture and dry solids in the range of 45-60% by weight Heating, kneading and extending the cheese curd; f) cooling the heated cheese in cold water; and g) removing the cooled cheese from the water. i) step (A) ~ (g) is cooled cheese that has been removed from brine at least 70 wt%
Is adjusted to have a combined moisture and milk fat content (based on non-dry weight), and (ii) the cheese is
After being taken out of the brine, it is frozen within 48 hours,
A process characterized in that a mozzarella variety of cheese having acceptable baking properties is obtained without aging. 2. During step (e), the sodium curd in the cheese curd is 0.5-1.
The method of claim 1, wherein 5% by weight is mixed. 3. The cooled cheese removed from the brine is 5
A process according to claim 1 or 2 having a moisture content in the range of 0-60% by weight and a milk fat content (based on non-dry weight) in the range of 16-30% by weight. 4. In step (f), the cheese is 23.8.
The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooled cheese is cooled to a core temperature of <0> C or less and the cooled cheese is comminuted and frozen within 48 hours after removal from the brine. 5. In step (e), 5 cheese cheese curds are added.
Heated to a temperature in the range of 1.6-68.3 ° C .; in step (f), the unripe mozzarella cheese is 12.7-2.
The method of claim 4 wherein the cheese is cooled to a core temperature of 3.8 ° C; and the cooled cheese is milled before being frozen. 6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the finely divided cheese particles are quickly frozen individually. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cooled cheese is frozen within 2 hours after being removed from the brine. 8. In step (f), the cheese is 23.8.
4. The cooled cheese is cooled to a core temperature of <RTIgt; C </ RTI> or less and the cooled cheese is milled and then individually frozen all within two hours after removal from the brine. The method according to any of the above. 9. In step (f), the heated cheese first has a salt content of 30-60% by weight and -17.7%
Partially cooled in a first sodium chloride brine having a temperature of -3.8 [deg.] C, where it is held until the core temperature of the cheese drops to 37.7 [deg.] C or less, after which the said 50 ~ partially cooled cheese
It is further cooled in a second sodium chloride brine having a salt content of 98% by weight and a temperature of 1.6-12.7 ° C., wherein the cheese core temperature is reduced to 23.8 ° C. or less. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method is retained. 10. In step (f), the heated cheese is extruded as a continuous ribbon into the first brine and the ribbon is cut into pieces before being removed from the second brine. The method according to claim 9. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the cooled cheese pieces from step (g) are comminuted and then quickly frozen individually. 12. The claim wherein the cooled cheese pieces from step (g) are comminuted and then individually frozen within two hours after being removed from the second brine. Item 11. The method according to Item 10. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cheese pieces are held in the second brine until their core temperature falls within the range of 12.7-23.8 ° C. 14. The method according to claim 4, 10 or 13, wherein in step (e) the cheese curd is heated to a temperature in the range 51.6 to 68.3 ° C. 15. The method according to claim 1, wherein during step (e) 0.8-1.5% by weight, based on the weight of the cheese curd, of sodium chloride is incorporated into the cheese curd. 16. The method according to claim 3, 14 or 15, wherein the chilled cheese removed from the brine has a moisture content of at least 52% by weight and a milk fat content (based on non-dry weight) of at least 18% by weight. Method. 17. The method according to claim 2, wherein the cooled cheese removed from the brine has a moisture content of at least 52 to 60% by weight and a milk fat content of at least 20 to 30% by weight (based on non-dry weight). The described method. 18. The method of claim 3 or claim 16 wherein the cooled cheese removed from the brine has an apparent heat capacity of -675 Joules / g or less. 19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pH is reduced by fermenting the milk with one or more lactic acid producing bacteria. 20. A method for making a baked pizza, wherein tomato sauce and various finely ground mozzarella cheese are spread on pizza crust with or without other toppings, and The cheese is baked in an oven wherein the topped skin is maintained at a temperature in the range of 204.4 to 537.8C, wherein the cheese is baked. , 15 or 16, wherein the cheese is produced by the method of any one of claims 15 to 16. 21. A method for making a baked pizza, wherein the tomato sauce and various finely ground mozzarella cheese are spread on unbaked pizza dough with or without other toppings. And then the topped dough is 204.4-53
19. A method baked in an oven maintained at a temperature in the range of 7.8 <0> C, wherein the cheese is cheese made by the method of claim 18. 22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the cheese is kept frozen for at least 14 days before placing the topped skin in an oven.