JP6860350B2 - How to make cream cheese with excellent production efficiency - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing cream cheese having excellent production efficiency and the cream cheese produced by the production method.

Cream cheese is a non-ripening type soft cheese obtained by coagulating milk with lactic acid produced by fermenting cream alone or by adding lactic acid bacteria to a mixture of cream and milk. Cream cheese has a fermented flavor derived from lactic acid bacteria and a refreshing acidity, so it is compatible with sweetness and is used as a processing raw material for confectionery or bread making in the production of cakes, breads, desserts, etc. ..

As described above, this fermentation by lactic acid bacteria is necessary to generate a mild acid odor peculiar to cream cheese in addition to coagulation of milk by acid (Non-Patent Document 1). Further, in Patent Document 1, as the lactic acid bacterium starter to be added, thermophilic starters having an optimum fermentation temperature of about 40 ° C. and mesophilic starters having an optimum fermentation temperature of about 25 ° C. are used. Specifically, it is described that there are Lactococcus lactis subsp.lactis, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Lactococcus lactis subsp.cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp.lactis biovar diacetylactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp.cremoris and the like.

Further, for cream cheese, a method of adding lactic acid or citric acid to coagulate milk instead of fermentation by lactic acid bacteria is also known. Patent Document 1 describes that when lactic acid or citric acid is used, it may be used depending on the flavor and quality of cream cheese, starting with those for food additives.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-212096

CHEESE Cheese Manufacturing Cheese Types and Their Explanations, Japan Dairy Technical Association, 1962, p. 293

In the method of sterilizing the raw material mix for cream cheese (also called raw milk), adding lactic acid bacteria, and acid-coagulating the milk by fermentation with lactic acid bacteria, the fermented flavor derived from cream cheese can be fully felt. Preference as cream cheese is also given. On the other hand, the time required for fermentation is generally as long as 8 hours or more, so that the production efficiency is not always good.

In the method of sterilizing the raw material mix for cream cheese, adding lactic acid and citric acid, and acid-coagulating the milk, acid coagulation can be performed in a shorter time than the above fermentation with lactic acid bacteria, and the production efficiency is excellent. .. On the other hand, with this method, the fermented flavor reminiscent of so-called cream cheese could not be sufficiently felt, and the taste as cream cheese was not sufficiently satisfactory.

In view of the above-mentioned problems concerning the production of cream cheese, it has been an issue to develop a method for producing cream cheese having a sufficient fermentation flavor while shortening the fermentation time.

As a result of diligent research to solve the above problems, the present inventors adjusted the raw material mix to pH 5 to 6 by adding an organic acid in the method for producing cream cheese, and then fermented the acid by lactic acid bacteria. It was found that by coagulating, the cream cheese has a sufficient fermentation flavor while shortening the fermentation time. Then, based on these findings, the present inventors further proceeded with the study and came to complete the present invention.

The cream cheese obtained by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention not only has a sufficient fermentation flavor while shortening the fermentation time, but also has a comparison with cream cheese produced only by fermentation with conventional lactic acid bacteria. I could strongly feel the sweetness derived from milk. That is, the cream cheese produced by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention has an increased palatability as compared with the cream cheese produced by the conventional fermentation of lactic acid bacteria, although the fermentation time is shortened. .. Since it was generally considered necessary to lengthen the fermentation time in order to enhance the palatability of cheese, the above-mentioned phenomenon of the present invention was surprising.

Therefore, the present invention is as follows.
[1] A method for producing cream cheese in which a raw material mix is acid-coagulated by fermentation of lactic acid bacteria, wherein the pH of the raw material mix at the start of fermentation is adjusted to pH 5 to 6 by adding an acid.
[2] The method for producing cream cheese according to the above [1], wherein the pH is adjusted at 10 ° C. or lower.
[3] The method for producing cream cheese according to the above [1] or [2], wherein acid coagulation is performed by fermenting lactic acid bacteria to pH 3 to 4.9.
[4] The method for producing cream cheese according to any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein the acid is an organic acid.
[5] The method for producing cream cheese according to the above [4], wherein the organic acid is lactic acid.
[6] The method for producing cream cheese according to any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the raw material mix is a raw material mix for cream cheese.
[7] Cream cheese produced by the method for producing cream cheese according to any one of the above [1] to [6].

In addition, the present invention may have the following aspects.
[8] A method for producing cream cheese, which comprises adjusting the raw material mix to pH 5 to 6 by adding an organic acid, and then acid-coagulating it by fermentation of lactic acid bacteria.
[9] The method for producing cream cheese according to the above [8], wherein the pH is adjusted to 5 to 6 by adding an organic acid at 10 ° C. or lower.
[10] The method for producing cream cheese according to the above [8] or [9], wherein the acid coagulation is an acid coagulation up to pH 3 to 5.
[11] The method for producing cream cheese according to 1 of [8] to [10] above, wherein the organic acid is lactic acid.
[12] The method for producing cream cheese according to 1 above [8] to [11], wherein the raw material mix is a raw material mix for cream cheese.
[13] Cream cheese produced by the method for producing cream cheese according to 1 of [8] to [12] above.

The present invention is characterized in that the pH of the raw material mix at the start of fermentation is adjusted to pH 5 to 6 by adding an organic acid. When the pH-adjusted raw material mix was fermented with lactic acid bacteria, it was possible to provide cream cheese having a sufficient fermented flavor while shortening the fermentation time as compared with the conventional method. Further, the cream cheese produced by the present invention was able to strongly feel the sweetness derived from milk as compared with the cream cheese produced by the conventional method.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail, but the present invention is not limited to individual forms.
In the present invention, "cream cheese" is either a ministerial ordinance on milk and dairy product ingredient standards (December 27, 1951, Ministry of Health and Welfare Ordinance No. 52) or a natural cheese standard specified in the Fair Competition Code. It shall include all those generally called cream cheese. Therefore, for example, it includes cream cheese (CODEX STAN 275-1973) specified by the International Codex Standard and cream cheese (21CFR §133.133) specified by the US Code.

The method for producing cream cheese is as follows, for example.
As a raw material, raw milk obtained from mammals such as milk, goat milk, and sheep milk, skim milk, and dairy raw materials such as cream can be used to prepare a raw material mix for cream cheese. The raw material mix for cream cheese is made by adding cream to raw milk and / or defatted milk to increase the milk fat content, eg, 7-20% by weight, 7-18% by weight, 7-16% by weight, 7-14% by weight. %, 7-12% by weight, 8-20% by weight, 8-18% by weight, 8-16% by weight, 8-14% by weight, 8-12% by weight, 9-20% by weight, 9-18% by weight, Adjust to 9-16% by weight, 9-14% by weight, 9-12% by weight, 10-20% by weight, 10-18% by weight, 10-16% by weight, 10-14% by weight, 10-12% by weight. ..

It is preferable that the milk fat content of the raw material mix for cream cheese is 7% by weight or more because it becomes easy to separate the cheese curd and whey of the cream cheese described later. Further, it is preferable that the milk fat content of the raw material mix for cream cheese is 20% by weight or less so that the flavor and texture of the cream cheese are not harsh. Therefore, from this point of view, the milk fat content is more preferably 7 to 20% by weight, 8 to 20% by weight, 9 to 20% by weight, or 10 to 20% by weight.

When obtaining cream cheese with a rich and heavy flavor and texture, the content of milk fat in the raw material mix for cream cheese can be adjusted to exceed 20% by weight. The upper limit of the adjustment in this way is about 45% by weight from the viewpoint of oil separation, shape retention and the like. Therefore, when obtaining a cream cheese with a rich and heavy flavor and texture, the milk fat content is preferably 7 to 45% by weight, 8 to 40% by weight, 9 to 35% by weight, or 10 to 30% by weight. ..

As a method of sterilizing the raw material mix for cream cheese, for example, it is heated at 63 ° C. for 30 minutes, 72 to 74 ° C. for 15 minutes or more, 82 to 88 ° C. for 300 to 360 seconds, 95 ° C. for 300 seconds, and the like. Although sterilization can be performed, the method is not limited to these descriptions, and a known method for sterilizing a raw material mix in cheese production can be selected according to the quality and flavor of the target cream cheese. If necessary, homogenize at a homogenization pressure of 0 to 25 MPa using a homogenizer (for example, HA4733 TYPE H-20-2 (SANWA MACHINE CO., INC)) before heat sterilization of the raw material mix. It is also possible to perform a sterilization process.

After sterilizing and cooling the cream cheese ingredient mix, the cream cheese ingredient mix is coagulated.
In the present invention, as a method of coagulating the sterilized raw material mix for cream cheese with an acid, the raw material mix at the start of fermentation is adjusted to be weakly acidic, and fermentation of lactic acid bacteria is utilized.

As the lactic acid bacteria to be added, it is common to use high-temperature bacteria having an optimum fermentation temperature of about 40 ° C. and medium-temperature bacteria having an optimum fermentation temperature of about 25 ° C. For example, it is common to use Lactococcus helveticus, Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis biovar. Diacetylactis, and Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris as lactic acid bacteria. However, it is not limited to these, and any lactic acid bacterium capable of fermenting milk (lactose) can be selected according to the quality and flavor of the target cream cheese.

Further, in the present invention, an acid is used to adjust the raw material mix to be weakly acidic (pH about 5 to 6). The acid that can be used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is edible. For example, organic acids such as lactic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, malic acid and tartaric acid, and inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid, carbonic acid and phosphoric acid can be used. As the acid used for adjusting the pH, an organic acid is preferable, and lactic acid is particularly preferable because it is a food and is easy to handle as a liquid.

Ingredient mix for coagulated cream cheese can be obtained by separating whey to obtain cheese curd. For the whey separation method, select the method for separating whey used in the production of known cheese, such as filtration using a membrane or mesh, separation using centrifugal force, etc., depending on the quality and flavor of the target cream cheese. Just do it. The obtained cheese curd is cream cheese.

The raw material mix of the present invention refers to a raw material mix for cream cheese that is generally used in the above-mentioned production of cream cheese, and the ingredients are adjusted according to the target quality and texture of cream cheese. be able to.

In the present invention, an organic acid is added to a raw material mix for cream cheese to adjust the pH. The pH to be adjusted is, for example, pH 5-6, pH 5.1-5.9, pH 5.2-5.8, pH 5.3-5.7, pH 5.4-5.6, pH 5.5-5.6. Is. Here, by adjusting the pH of the raw material mix to pH 6 or less, it is possible to shorten the subsequent fermentation time by lactic acid bacteria, which is preferable. Further, by setting the pH of the raw material mix to 5 or more, it is possible to sufficiently obtain the fermented flavor produced by the subsequent fermentation with lactic acid bacteria, which is preferable.

The temperature of the raw material mix when adjusting the pH by adding an organic acid to the raw material mix of cream cheese is particularly limited as long as the emulsification of the raw material mix is not destroyed and fat masses and / or oil droplets are not generated. However, for example, it is 10 ° C. or lower, 0 to 10 ° C., 0 to 9 ° C., 0 to 8 ° C., 0 to 7 ° C., 0 to 6 ° C., 0 to 5 ° C., 0 to 4 ° C. Here, when the temperature of the raw material mix is 10 ° C. or lower, it is preferable because it can be handled hygienically.

When adding an organic acid to the cream cheese raw material mix to adjust the pH, the timing and method of adding the organic acid should be such that the emulsification of the raw material mix is destroyed and fat lumps and / or oil droplets are not generated. , There are no particular restrictions. When a 10% lactic acid solution is used as the organic acid, for example, 0.01 to 1% by weight, 0.02 to 0.9% by weight, 0.03 to 0.8% by weight of the total raw material mix per minute. , 0.04 to 0.7% by weight, 0.05 to 0.6% by weight, 0.06 to 0.5% by weight, 0.07 to 0.4% by weight, 0.08 to 0.3% by weight , 0.09 to 0.25% by weight and 0.1 to 0.2% by weight are used. Here, if the amount of the 10% lactic acid solution added to the raw material mix per minute is 0.01% by weight or more of the entire raw material mix, the pH of the raw material mix can be efficiently adjusted, which is preferable. Further, if the amount of the 10% lactic acid solution added to the raw material mix per minute is 1% by weight or less of the total raw material mix, the emulsification of the raw material mix is destroyed and fat lumps and / or oil droplets are not generated. preferable.

The method of adding an organic acid to the raw material mix of cream cheese and mixing the raw material mix and the organic acid when adjusting the pH is in a range where the emulsification of the raw material mix is destroyed and fat lumps and / or oil droplets are not generated. The known stirring and mixing methods can be used.

In the present invention, a raw material mix for cream cheese adjusted to pH 5 to 6 by adding an organic acid is fermented by lactic acid bacteria. Here, as the lactic acid bacterium, a known lactic acid bacterium capable of producing cream cheese can be used, and a commercially available lactic acid bacterium can also be used. The addition of lactic acid bacteria is performed on the sterilized raw material mix before the above pH adjustment, at the same time as the addition of the organic acid for the above pH adjustment, during the above pH adjustment, or after the above pH adjustment. May be. In either case, fermentation with lactic acid bacteria is performed after adjusting the pH.

Further, in the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention, the pH at which fermentation by lactic acid bacteria is completed is, for example, pH 3 to 4.9, pH 3.5 to 4.9, pH 3.7 to 4.9, pH 3.9 to 4. 9.9, pH 4-4.9, pH 4.1-4.9, pH 4.2-4.9, pH 4.3-4.9, pH 4.4-4.9, pH 4.5-4.9. It can be selected according to the quality and flavor of the target cream cheese. Here, when the pH at the time of coagulation is 3 or more, the acidity of the cream cheese is not strong, which is preferable. Further, when the pH at the time of coagulation is 5 or less, coagulation with an acid is sufficiently performed, and separation from whey, which will be described later, is easy, which is preferable.

The method for producing cream cheese of the present invention is characterized in that the fermentation time is shortened as compared with the case where lactic acid bacteria are simply added to the conventional raw material mix for cream cheese. For example, when organic acid is added to a raw material mix for cream cheese to adjust the pH to 5.6 and then fermented with lactic acid bacteria to pH 4.8 (required time 6.3 hours), the conventional raw material for cream cheese Compared with the case of adding lactic acid bacteria to the mix (required time 8.4 hours), the time required for fermentation was shortened by 2 hours or more (about 25% reduction in time required for fermentation). That is, in the time required for three fermentations by the conventional method, the cream cheese production method of the present invention enables four fermentations. This leads to a great improvement in production efficiency in large-scale production in factories and the like.

The cream cheese obtained by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention has the same fermented flavor reminiscent of cream cheese as compared with cream cheese prepared by adding lactic acid bacteria to a conventional raw material mix for cream cheese. It was. From this, it can be seen that the cream cheese production method of the present invention is an excellent production method having higher production efficiency in producing cream cheese having the same fermentation flavor as compared with the conventional method.

Furthermore, surprisingly, the cream cheese obtained by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention has a milk-derived sweetness as compared with cream cheese prepared by adding lactic acid bacteria to a conventional raw material mix for cream cheese. It was felt strongly and the taste of cream cheese as a whole increased. As a result, the cream cheese production method of the present invention is not only an excellent production method with higher production efficiency in producing cream cheese having the same fermented flavor as compared with the conventional method, but also derived from milk. It can be seen that this is a method for producing cream cheese, which has a strong sweetness and a high palatability.

The method for producing cream cheese of the present invention can be used during the production of cream cheese of the present invention as long as the fermentation time can be shortened while maintaining the fermented flavor of cream cheese, which is the effect of the present invention. New manufacturing processes can be added, and new food ingredients and food additives can be added. Further, the cream cheese obtained by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention can be subsequently heated to add a new process such as homogenization, and can be newly processed into confectionery, bakery, and the like.

For example, in the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention, the final cream cheese has a smooth texture and less water separation, and even when this cream cheese is used as a raw material to make cheesecake, the volume such as shrinkage and sinking of tissue is reduced. 3 to 200 μg / mL, 3 to 150 μg / mL, 3 to 100 μg / mL, 3 to 80 μg / mL of polysaccharides in cream cheese, especially those derived from lactic acid bacteria, in order to obtain a good texture. , 3 to 60 μg / mL, 3 to 50 μg / mL, 3 to 40 μg / mL, 3 to 30 μg / mL, 3 to 25 μg / mL, 3 to 20 μg / mL, 3 to 15 μg / mL. Lactic acid bacteria that produce sugar can be used. The polysaccharide derived from lactic acid bacteria referred to here is a polysaccharide produced by fermentation (metabolism) of lactic acid bacteria.

For example, as a lactic acid bacterium that produces polysaccharides during fermentation, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus (hereinafter referred to as Bulgaria) OLL1247 strain (accession number: NITE BP-01814) (Hereinafter referred to as Bulgarian bacterium OLL1247 strain) or Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. Bulgaricus (Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. Bulgaricus) OLL1073R-1 strain (accession number: FERM BP-10471) (hereinafter referred to as Bulgarian bacterium OLL1073R-1 strain) ), Streptococcus thermophilus (hereinafter referred to as Thermophilus) OLS3618 strain (accession number: NITE BP-01815) (hereinafter referred to as Thermophilus OLS3618 strain), or Streptococcus thermophilus (hereinafter referred to as Thermophilus strain), or Streptococcus thermophilus OLS3078 strain. 01697) (hereinafter referred to as Thermophilus bacterium OLS3078 strain) and the like can be used alone.

Further, for example, as a combination of Bulgarian bacterium and Thermophilus bacterium, a combination of Bulgarian bacterium OLL1247 strain and Thermophilus bacterium OLS3618 strain, a combination of Bulgarian bacterium OLL1247 strain and Thermophilus bacterium OLS3078 strain, a combination of Bulgarian bacterium OLL1073R-1 strain and Thermophilus bacterium OLS3078 strain , Etc. can be used. The content of the polysaccharide derived from lactic acid bacteria in the cream cheese obtained by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention can be measured by a known phenol / sulfuric acid method.

The "Bulgarian OLL1247 strain" (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus OLL1247) in this specification is the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (IPOD, NITE) (2-5 Kazusakamatari, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture, 292-0818, Japan). -8 Room 122) was deposited internationally based on the Budapest Treaty on March 6, 2014, and has been given the accession number NITE BP-01814.

In the present specification, "Lactobacillus delbruecchii ssp. Bulgaricus OLL1073R-1" is referred to as the Patent Organism Depositary Center (IPOD, AIST) of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Japan, Japan 305-8566, Ibaraki Prefecture). Receipt number: FERM P-17227 (Indication for identification: Lactobacillus delbruecchii sp. Bulgaricus OLL1073R-1), consigned in Japan on February 22, 1999 It was transferred to the international deposit based on the Budapest Treaty on November 29, 2006, and the accession number FERM BP-10741 was given. In addition, Budapest Notification No. As described in 282 (http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/notifications/budapest/treaty_budapest_282.html), the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (IPOD, NITE) is an independent administrative agency. Since the patented microorganism deposit business was taken over from the Patent Organism Depositary Center (IPOD, AIST), it is currently the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (IPOD, NITE) (2-5-8 120 Kazusa Kamashita, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture). (Room No.) has been deposited (accession number FERM BP-10741).

In the present specification, "Streptococcus thermophilus OLS3618" (Streptococcus thermophilus OLS3618) is referred to by the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (IPOD, NITE) (Japan 292-0818, Kazusakamatari, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture, Room 2-5-8 122). ), Which was deposited internationally based on the Budapest Treaty on March 6, 2014, and has been given the accession number NITE BP-01815.

In the present specification, "Streptococcus thermophilus OLS3078" is referred to as National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (IPOD, NITE) (Japan 292-0818, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture, 2-5-8 122, Kazusakamatari). ), Which was deposited internationally based on the Budapest Treaty on August 23, 2013, and has been given the accession number NITE BP-01697.

In the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention, an appropriate strain of lactic acid bacteria that produces a fermented flavor can be selected according to the strength of the fermented flavor of the target cream cheese. The fermented flavor can be evaluated by the content of diacetyl in cream cheese using diacetyl as an index substance, in addition to the sensory evaluation performed based on the flavor when actually eating cream cheese. The content of diacetyl in cream cheese is, for example, 1 to 20 ppm, 2 to 19 ppm, 3 to 18 ppm, 4 to 17 ppm, 5 to 16 ppm, and 5 to 15 ppm in order to obtain a cream cheese having a strong fermented flavor.

The cream cheese obtained by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention is subsequently heated and homogenized to obtain a heat-treated cream cheese, which has a smooth texture and less water separation. Even when the cheesecake is made from the above, the volume does not decrease such as shrinkage and sinking of the tissue, and a good texture can be obtained. Here, the heating temperature is not particularly limited as long as the effect of the cream cheese of the present invention is not impaired, and is, for example, 60 to 100 ° C., 65 to 95 ° C., 70 to 90 ° C., 75 to 85 ° C., 77 ° C. to It is 83 ° C. and 78 ° C. to 82 ° C. The heating holding time is 10 to 90 minutes, 15 to 60 minutes, 20 to 40 minutes, and 25 to 35 minutes. Heating at 70 to 90 ° C. for 20 to 40 minutes is preferable, and heating at 78 to 82 ° C. for 25 to 35 minutes is particularly preferable.

The conditions for homogenization for the subsequent heat treatment of the cream cheese obtained by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention are that the homogenization pressure when using a homogenizer is, for example, 5 to 50 MPa and 6 to 40 MPa. , 7 to 35 MPa, 10 to 33 MPa, 12 to 31 MPa, 15 to 30 MPa, and 15 to 25 MPa. When the homogenization pressure of the cream cheese obtained by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention is 5 MPa or more, the effect of the present invention can be obtained, which is preferable. Further, when the homogenization pressure of the cream cheese cream cheese obtained by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention is 50 MPa or less, the effect of the present invention due to excessive shearing is not lost, which is preferable. As the homogenizer, a general one used in the art can be used, and examples of a specific homogenizer include HA4733 TYPE H-20-2 (SANWA MACHINE CO., INC). The temperature at which the homogenization is performed is not particularly limited, but is performed at, for example, about 80 ° C. in consideration of the temperature of the heat treatment before the homogenization and the treatment after the homogenization.

The cream cheese (including heat-treated one) obtained by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention can be used as a processing raw material for confectionery and bread making. For example, it can be processed into a souffle cheesecake that has a baking process. When making souffle cheesecake, white wine, milk, egg yolk, egg white, granulated sugar, butter can be added in addition to the cream cheese heat-treated obtained by the method for producing cream cheese of the present invention). it can. The firing temperature is, for example, 150 to 300 ° C., 150 to 250 ° C., 150 to 220 ° C., 160 to 200 ° C., 170 to 190 ° C. The firing holding time is 10 to 90 minutes, 15 to 60 minutes, 20 to 40 minutes, and 25 to 35 minutes. It is preferably fired at 160-200 ° C. for 20-40 minutes, and particularly preferably 170-190 ° C. for 25-35 minutes.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[Test Example 1]
20 kg of cream was added to 80 kg of unpasteurized raw milk (milk) to adjust the milk fat content to 15% by weight to prepare a raw material mix for cream cheese. This raw material mix was held at 95 ° C. for 60 seconds for sterilization, cooled to 75 ° C., and then homogenized at a homogenization pressure of 15 MPa. The sterilized raw material mix is cooled to 37 ° C, a lactic acid bacterium starter is added, and 10% lactic acid is added per minute while stirring at 6 levels of 4 ° C, 7 ° C, 10 ° C, 15 ° C, 25 ° C and 35 ° C. 0.2 kg (0.2% by weight based on the raw material mix) was added until the pH reached 5.6. The observation results are shown in Table 1.

From Table 1, when 10% lactic acid was added to the raw material mix for cream cheese at 4 ° C and 7 ° C, the pH could be adjusted without the formation of fat masses and / or oil droplets.

[Example 1]
20 kg of cream was added to 80 kg of unpasteurized raw milk (milk) to adjust the milk fat content to 15% by weight to prepare a raw material mix for cream cheese. This raw material mix was held at 95 ° C. for 60 seconds for sterilization, cooled to 75 ° C., and then homogenized at a homogenization pressure of 15 MPa. The sterilized raw material mix is cooled to 4 ° C, Bulgaria and Thermophilus bacteria isolated from "Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt" (Meiji Co., Ltd., Japan) are added, and 10% lactic acid is added for 1 minute while stirring at 4 ° C. 0.2 kg per unit (0.2% by weight based on the raw material mix) was added until the pH reached 5.6. Then, it was heated to 37 ° C., and static fermentation was carried out for 6.3 hours until the pH of the raw material mix became 4.8. The fermented raw material mix was heated to 80 ° C. with stirring, and then the curd and whey were separated to obtain the cream cheese of Example 1. The cream cheese was cooled to 4 ° C.

[Comparative Example 1]
20 kg of cream was added to 80 kg of unpasteurized raw milk (milk) to adjust the milk fat content to 15% by weight to prepare a raw material mix for cream cheese. This raw material mix was held at 95 ° C. for 60 seconds for sterilization, cooled to 75 ° C., and then homogenized at a homogenization pressure of 15 MPa. The raw material mix was sterilized and cooled to 37 ℃, "Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt" (Co., Meiji Co., Ltd., Japan) until the addition to the pH of the raw materials mix Bulgaria bacteria and thermophilus bacteria were isolated from is 4.8 8.4 It was statically fermented for hours. The fermented raw material mix was heated to 80 ° C. with stirring, and then the curd and whey were separated to obtain the cream cheese of Comparative Example 1. The cream cheese was cooled to 4 ° C.

The lactose content of the cream cheese of Example 1 and the cream cheese of Comparative Example 1 was measured. Moreover, the cream cheese of Example 1 and the cream cheese of Comparative Example 1 were evaluated by the indexes of "fermented flavor" and "good sweetness derived from milk". In "fermented flavor" and "good sweetness derived from milk", "○" is stronger than Comparative Example 1, "△" is equivalent to Comparative Example 1, and "×" is weaker than Comparative Example 1. Was judged. The results are shown in Table 2.

The cream cheese of Example 1 was able to sufficiently feel the good sweetness derived from milk, although the lactose content was slightly higher than that of Comparative Example 1. Moreover, the fermented flavor of Example 1 was equivalent to the fermented flavor of Comparative Example 1. As a result, the cream cheese of Example 1 has the same fermentation flavor as the cream cheese of Comparative Example 1, although the fermentation time is shortened, and the sweetness derived from milk is strong and palatable. It turned out to be a high-quality cream cheese.

Claims (6)

A method for producing cream cheese in which a raw material mix is acid-coagulated by fermentation of lactic acid bacteria. The pH of the raw material mix at the start of fermentation is adjusted to pH 5 to 6 by adding an acid, and the pH is adjusted at 10 ° C. or lower. , The manufacturing method. The method for producing cream cheese according to claim 1, wherein acid coagulation is performed by fermenting lactic acid bacteria to pH 3 to 4.9. The method for producing cream cheese according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the acid is an organic acid. The method for producing cream cheese according to claim 3 , wherein the organic acid is lactic acid. The method for producing cream cheese according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the raw material mix is a raw material mix for cream cheese. A cream cheese produced by the method for producing cream cheese according to any one of claims 1 to 5.