JPH04299939A - Laminated cheese and produciton thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain laminated cheese effectively retaining releasability even by piling sheetlike cheese. CONSTITUTION:Cheese in a molten state is extruded from clearance between a nozzle cut in a corrugated shape and a corrugated conveyor or drum, rapidly cooled to give sheetlike cheese having formed corrugated shapes in mutually different directions on both sides of the cheese and the sheetlike cheese is piled. The obtained corrugated sheetlike cheese effectively retains releasability even in piling.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laminated cheese that can be peeled off individually, in which sheet-shaped cheese is stacked and single-packed instead of individually wrapped, and to a method for producing the same.

0002

[Prior Art] A known technique is to stack and package already sliced cheese to avoid the hassle of slicing at the table and to make it easier to eat. It was difficult to maintain releasability. Therefore, we have developed a technology that involves slicing a block of cheese and putting a resin film in between to integrate it (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-118281), or slicing the surface of a sheet of cheese in a wave pattern and alternating them. Technology to ensure removability by stacking the
6148) is known.

[0003] The method for producing these sheet-shaped cheeses is to first pack the emulsified and heated melted cheese into boxes, and then store it for 3 to 4 hours.
A common method is to obtain block cheese by cooling it for several days, and then cut the block cheese into wave shapes using a slicer or the like.

[0004] That is, all of the above-mentioned sheet-shaped cheeses are produced by a slicing process, and in this sense,
It is simply sliced before serving or before use.

[0005] In addition, in such a sheet-shaped cheese, since the block cheese is continuously cut with a slicer, even if both sides of the sheet-shaped cheese are cut surfaces and the wave-shaped cut is made, the direction is constant and they do not overlap with each other. It forms a close occlusion.

[0006] However, in the above-mentioned sheet-shaped cheese,
In terms of manufacturing, there were the following problems.

[0007] After the block cheese is first manufactured, a storage room is required to store the block cheese in order to slice it, and it takes many days to manufacture it. When slicing, the yield is bad, such as half-cut slices or irregularly shaped slices. In addition, with regard to releasability, flat-cut products have poor releasability, and sandwiching a plastic film between cheeses is complicated and uneconomical. On the other hand, even if a wave-shaped cut is made, the direction is constant, so when stacking the cheeses, they may become stuck together and adhere to each other or the film, making it difficult to peel off. It is not easy to change the direction of the sheets, and the equipment becomes complicated. Furthermore, since the direction of the wave-shaped cut is the same on both sides of the slice, the strength decreases at the troughs and peaks of the wave, making it easy to break and crack when peeled.

[0008] On the other hand, a technique for forming cheese that has been melted and fluidized by heating into a sheet shape using a roll, a belt, a mold having an uneven pattern, or a nozzle with a nozzle (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-5
8447, 58448, and 64748) are also known. These techniques are notable in that they can be made into sheets without going through a slicing process. However, none of these methods exceeds the well-known sheet-forming technology for plastic foods, and merely provides a sheet-shaped cheese with a pattern, and the pattern is merely a decoration. In other words, since it is a decorative pattern, its shape is arbitrary and has little technical significance, and since it is not intended to be stacked at all, there is no consideration given to the surface properties or the relationship between the mating surfaces, and there is no improvement in peelability. The effect was not as expected at all. Therefore, these sheet-shaped cheeses cannot be stacked on top of each other in practical terms.
Moreover, even if they are overlapped, they partially adhere and the releasability is insufficient.

[0009]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the problems and actual circumstances of the above-mentioned prior art.
The present invention provides a highly practical laminated cheese with peelability, which is obtained by stacking sheet-shaped cheeses having a specific shape and surface texture formed without using slicing means, and a method for producing the same.

0010

[Means for Solving the Problems] As a result of intensive research in order to produce a sheet-shaped cheese that has effective peelability without going through a slicing process, the present inventors have discovered that the cheese can be sliced by utilizing the rheological properties of cheese. It was discovered that a sheet form with excellent releasability can be realized regardless of the means used, and the present invention was achieved.

[0011] The present invention provides a sheet having a continuous corrugated shape formed by extruding cheese in a molten state on one or both sides, and in the case of having a continuous corrugated shape on both sides, the directions in which the corrugations are formed cross each other. It is a peelable laminated cheese made by laminating cheese in the shape of a peel, and the method for producing it is to pass the melted cheese through the opening of a nozzle with a wave shape on one side, and in a direction different from the wave shape. Continuously extrude while cooling from between conveying means having a continuous wave-like shape or conveying means with a flat surface, and after further cooling the belt-shaped cheese obtained on the conveying means to 15 ° C. or less, cut it, A method for producing peelable laminated cheese including a stacking step.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily form a corrugated surface having a surface property with little adhesiveness by utilizing the rheological change of cheese without employing a slicing means, and to form a corrugated surface having different directionality on both sides. A sheet-like cheese can be obtained by forming a sheet of cheese, and by stacking these sheets, a laminated cheese that can maintain good peelability for a long period of time can be obtained. No bending or tearing occurs when peeling. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to produce block cheese to obtain a sheet, production efficiency is significantly improved and yield is also improved.

[0013] In order to realize laminated cheese with good peelability,
It is not sufficient to simply produce sheet-shaped cheese and stack them on top of each other. This is because, due to the intervening state of overlapping, it is necessary to meet various requirements that are not required for single sheets. First, since the sheet cheeses are pressed against each other due to the pressure caused by stacking them, the sheet cheeses must have sufficient shape retention. Second, since the laminated state continues after manufacture until the time of use, it is necessary to consider changes over time. Thirdly, the sheet-shaped cheese must have sufficient strength to prevent folding or tearing when peeled. These requirements are difficult to meet by using sheet-shaped cheese obtained by slicing means or by simply forming cheese into a sheet. The present invention makes it possible for the first time to realize peelable laminated cheese.

The present invention will be explained in detail below.

[0015] In the present invention, "cheese in a molten state" refers to cheese that has been fluidized by heating, for example, one that can be pumped. Generally, it is in a molten state through heating and emulsification steps that are normally performed as a pre-molding step in the process of manufacturing processed cheese. However, in the present invention, the previous step does not matter as long as it is in a molten state. Preferably, the cheese in a molten state is homogenized and free from separation.

The type of cheese that can be used is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the type of desired laminated cheese, but it is generally classified as hard cheese. If the cheese is too soft, its shape retention after cooling will not be sufficient and it will be difficult to handle it as a sheet-like cheese. Shape retention here means not only that it retains its shape in its natural state, but also that it retains its shape to some extent even under the influence of pressure when stacked. Particularly in the case of sheet-shaped cheese having a wavy shape on the surface, the strength of the wavy shape is a problem. Taking moisture content as an indicator of strength, cheese preferably has a moisture content of about 40 to 46% from the viewpoint of wave strength. However, there are other requirements that affect strength, such as the structure of the cheese. From this point of view, forming a sheet by melting and cooling is superior to forming a sheet by slicing, and if the composition and shape are the same, forming a sheet by melting and cooling is significantly superior in strength, elasticity, etc. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of reducing adhesion, it is preferable that the moisture content of the surface portion is slightly lower than that of the inside, but when forming a sheet by melting and cooling, the surface moisture may become slightly lower due to moisture evaporation during the cooling process. Examples of raw cheese include Coda cheese, Edam cheese, cheddar cheese, Emmental cheese, and Gruyere cheese.

[0017] Next, "continuous wave shape formed by extrusion" specifically refers to extruding the cheese in the molten state through a nozzle, roller, belt, etc. having a predetermined wave shape. It is obtained by cooling the material to the extent that it can retain its shape and continuously forming a corrugated shape. When a shape is formed in the process of cooling and solidifying from a molten state in this way, the resulting molded surface is significantly different in appearance from the surface obtained by slicing. In particular, the molding surface is significantly smoother than the slicing surface, and since the structure of the cheese is oriented and formed in that shape, there is no discontinuity in the structure that occurs on the slicing surface. Therefore, the structure itself has excellent elasticity, strength, etc.

[0018] Although it can be easily determined by microscopic observation, the surface of the slicing means is not flat, no matter how smoothly it is processed. Moreover, when slicing, an extra load is applied during slicing, which may cause cracks or the like.

Furthermore, the surface obtained by extrusion is characterized by its smoothness and uniformity. Since it can be molded continuously, differences between parts are less likely to occur, and individual differences in the shape of the final product are less likely to occur.

[0020] Also, "formed by extrusion" means
As mentioned above, this means that it is carried out during the process of fluidity → shape retention, and if pressure is applied after solidification and extrusion is performed through a nozzle, etc., the surface of the extruded surface becomes rough and it actually becomes a sheet. It becomes difficult to form. The method for producing sheet-shaped cheese will be described later.

[0021] "Continuous wavy shape" means that wavy shapes are continuously formed on the surface, and generally, when the final product is made, the entire surface of the surface has a uniform wavy shape. It means that something is happening. The individual waves in the wave form do not have to be straight,
It may be wavy or discontinuous. In other words, the wave shape can be said to be a continuously formed uneven shape.

Next, the sheet-shaped cheese in the present invention is
It has a continuous wavy shape on one or both sides, and when it has a continuous wavy shape on both sides, it is characterized in that the directions in which the wavy shapes are formed intersect with each other. However, the waveforms do not need to be the same on both sides, and the shapes can be set independently as long as the directions are different. It is surprising that even when a wavy shape is formed on only one side according to the present invention, the releasability is significantly improved compared to a case where both sides are flat. However, when stored for a long period of time, compared to those with a corrugated shape on both sides, a sheet having a corrugated shape on one side may adhere to each other and reduce releasability, so it is preferable to have a corrugated shape on both sides. On the other hand, even if corrugations are provided on both sides, if they are in the same direction, they will interlock with each other when stacked, making it almost impossible to separate them. When stacking sheets with both sides corrugated in the same direction, it is possible to prevent the sheets from interlocking by alternating the directions, but it is not easy to stack the sheets by changing the directions each time. Furthermore, in this case, since the corrugations are formed in the same direction on both sides, the troughs and crests of the corrugations are fragile and easily break or tear, causing inconvenience during peeling. In addition, simply using a die to produce sheet cheese does not allow forming shapes with different orientations on both sides, and simply using a roller takes time to cool and solidify the molten cheese. However, it is not possible to form a corrugation with sufficient strength. That is, although the manufacturing method will be described later, it can be said that in the prior art, there was no means for manufacturing sheet-shaped cheese with good peelability.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wavy shapes that the sheet-like cheese has on both sides are formed in directions that intersect with each other.

[0024] "Wave formation direction" refers to the direction in which waves are continuous.

[0025] "Intersecting each other" means that the consecutive directions of the waves are not the same, but one wave on one side has a point of intersection with a plurality of waves on the other side through the thickness of the sheet. Therefore, when cutting, stacking, and packaging are performed continuously, the corrugated surfaces of the contact surfaces do not fit together when stacked, and the crests can always maintain contact with each other without controlling the stacking direction. If the corrugations are in the same direction, the peaks of the corrugations on one side will fit with the valleys of the corrugations on the other side unless the stacking direction is changed one by one when stacking. This makes it difficult to reduce the contact area.

[0026] When both sides are wavy, the pitch and other shapes do not matter as long as the directions of the wavy patterns intersect with each other. The angle of intersection is not limited to a right angle, but may be an acute angle.

An example of the wavy shape is shown in FIG. 1 (for convenience, only one side is shown). The pitch and shape of the waves directly affect not only the palatability but also the peelability and strength of the sheet-shaped cheese itself, so these points should be taken into consideration. From the viewpoint of releasability, it is preferable to have a corrugated cross section with a triangular shape that reduces the contact area when stacked, but as the contact area decreases, the strength will decrease, so consider the strength and adhesion of the cheese itself. It is recommended to design the

[0028] The thickness of a sheet-like cheese having a corrugated shape is usually 3 to 8 mm, the height of the corrugated peaks is 1 to 4 mm, and the pitch is about 1 to 8 mm.

On the other hand, even if the strength of the corrugations is sufficient, if the sheet-like cheese itself does not have sufficient strength and flexibility, it is likely to break or tear when peeled. The corrugations in different directions on both sides of the sheet are important not only to facilitate peeling but also to provide sufficient strength to the sheet itself. Since the wave patterns on the back and front sides intersect, there are always multiple peaks in the portions of the other side that correspond to the valleys on one side. Therefore, since the structure is such that even the valley portions where the strength is relatively weak are reinforced from the back side, it is possible to prevent bending or tearing from occurring during peeling.

[0030] If the sheet-shaped cheese explained above is used,
It can be stacked while maintaining sufficient peelability. The number of stacked sheets is usually about 5 to 30, but in the present invention, since the peelability is good, the number of stacked sheets is not limited. FIG. 5 shows an example of a sheet-like cheese having a corrugated shape on both sides, and FIG. 4 shows a stacked state of the sheet-like cheese.

Next, the method for producing the above-mentioned sheet-shaped cheese will be explained.

[0032] The principle of production is to utilize the rheological change of cheese, which forms the shape as it changes from a molten state to a solid state. The temperature of cheese in the melted state varies depending on the type of cheese used, but is usually 75°C.
The temperature range is about ~95°C. Within this range, sufficient fluidity can be maintained and problems such as component separation and deterioration will not occur.

First, the cheese in the melted state is forced out by a pump or the like through a nozzle or roller having an opening with a corrugated side. An opening with "one side wavy" is an opening having at least one wavy side, where one side is formed by a nozzle or a roller, and the opposite side for forming a sheet is formed by a separate member. It is recommended to consist of That is, one side of the waveform is formed by a nozzle or a roller, and the opposite side is formed by a conveyance means having a continuous wave shape having a direction different from the waveform to form an opening, and the nozzle or roller and the conveyance means are formed into an opening. It is preferable that the sheet-shaped cheese is pushed out from the clearance between the base plate and the base plate. When applying a corrugated shape to only one side, the surface of the conveying means may be made flat.

[0034] As the conveying means, there may be mentioned a stainless steel conveyor, a drum, etc. which can be cooled, and any means capable of continuously conveying the cheese continuously supplied from a nozzle or roller may be used.

[0035] When the cheese is extruded from the opening, it has fluidity, but when it is on the conveying means, the fluidity is lost and it retains its shape. That is, immediately after the wavy shape is imparted to the cheese, it is necessary to have a shape-retaining function, and the temperature is adjusted so that the cheese maintains its shape at the outlet of the opening. In other words, cooling is performed such that the phase change of the cheese properly occurs at the opening. Appropriate means that fluidity has been lost, but solidification has been suppressed to the extent that the surface does not become rough at the openings.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the relationship between cheese viscosity and temperature (measured using RION Hyscot Tester VT-04 model). Since cheese has a structure in which the network structure of paracaseinate contains fat and the like, the phase change is not uniform, but if the temperature drops below a certain temperature, it rapidly loses its fluidity. By keeping the temperature of the opening close to this temperature, it is possible to maintain a wave-like shape while maintaining a smooth surface. In order to impart shape retention, the conveying means is cooled, and the temperature of the cheese at the opening is usually around 55 to 70 degrees Celsius (varies depending on the type of cheese).
It is then cooled to a temperature of 100°C to impart shape retention (here, shape retention is defined in the narrow sense of having no fluidity). The viscosity at this time is 50
It is about 00 to 1000 poise. Incidentally, in FIG. 2, when the temperature of the cheese is about 60° C., it can be extruded with a viscosity of about 2500 poise and has shape retention.

[0037] Cooling can be easily carried out by means of conveyance, but cooling means may also be provided at the openings of the nozzles and rollers. However, when cooling the nozzle, etc., care should be taken to prevent the cheese from solidifying at the opening before extrusion. or,
The atmosphere in the opening may be cooled, and the cheese may be cooled by bringing it into contact with cold air.

Next, the belt-shaped cheese obtained on the conveying means is further cooled to a temperature of 15° C. or less, preferably 10° C.
The temperature shall be below ℃. This fixes the shape, and the wavy shape will not collapse or deform even if stacked up afterwards. In other words, the cheese immediately after being extruded from the opening onto the conveying means loses its fluidity at a temperature of about 55 to 70°C, but it is still in a state where it cannot maintain its wave shape, and it is rapidly heated to a temperature below 15°C. , preferably at 10° C. or below, sufficient shape retention can be achieved. Rapid cooling causes some degree of densification of the cheese structure and at the same time causes water evaporation from the surface. As a result, it is possible to obtain a wavy shape that is structurally strong and has little adhesion. At temperatures higher than 15°C, the effect is not sufficient. The lower limit of the temperature is not particularly limited as long as the cheese does not freeze. The above effect is significant when the cooling rate is rapid. Here, "rapid" means significantly faster than the rate of natural heat radiation. That is, 15
It is not suitable to cool the cheese at an outside temperature of 15°C. An effective cooling means is to use the conveying means as a cooling means. Contact cooling has an extremely high heat transfer coefficient and superior cooling efficiency than air cooling. In the present invention, the conveying means is also used as a corrugating means, so that the cheese on the conveying means is in sufficient contact with the corrugated surface of the conveying means. If the cheese is cooled in this state via a conveying means, the cheese can be efficiently cooled. Further, when the conveying means has a wave-like shape, it functions like a cooling fin, and has not only a high heat transfer coefficient but also a high thermal conductivity. Usually, when a conveyor or a drum is used as a conveyance means, it is made of stainless steel, so good cooling efficiency can be achieved in this respect as well.

Cooling means include contact or indirect (cooling coil) cooling using brine, water, liquefied gas (such as Nisso), dry ice, etc., or cooling using an ordinary refrigerant refrigerator. Any material that can maintain the surface temperature at about -5 to 15°C can be used. The cooling coil etc. may be placed on the back side of the conveyor or inside the drum.

According to the embodiment described above, the time required for the sheet-shaped cheese extruded onto the conveying means to be cooled to 15° C. or lower, preferably 10° C. or lower is approximately 1 to 3 minutes.

[0041] Subsequently, the obtained strip-shaped cheese is cut into a desired size based on a conventional method. After cutting, stack them (
Approximately 5 to 30 sheets, but not limited to this. ) A packaged laminated cheese can be obtained by cutting the cheese into a desired length and carrying out gas exchange packaging or the like.

[0042] Since the corrugations are provided during stacking, stacking can be carried out continuously regardless of the stacking direction.

An example of an apparatus that can be used to carry out the present invention is shown in FIG. 3 (partially omitted schematic diagram). In this example, a supply means includes a nozzle having an opening with a wave shape on one side and pushes out melted cheese from the nozzle, and a conveyor that continuously conveys the cheese supplied from the nozzle and forms a wave shape at the same time. 1 shows a sheet-shaped cheese manufacturing apparatus comprising at least a means and a cooling means for cooling the conveying means. In the case of a single-sided corrugated shape, the conveyance means may be flat.

[0044] By using the nozzle 1 as shown in this figure, it is possible to easily impart a wavy shape to one side of a sheet of cheese. It is also possible to replace the nozzle 1 with a roller.

[0045] The conveyor 3 may be separate from the drum 2, a clearance may be formed between the drum 2 and the nozzle 1, and the sheet-like cheese formed in a corrugated shape may be received by the conveyor.

The device parts not shown in FIG. 3 may be configured according to the embodiment by applying known techniques.

[0047]

[Examples] The present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to Examples.

[0048] 30 kg of gouda cheese and 30 kg of cheddar cheese were crushed, and 50 kg of sodium polyphosphate was added.
0 g, molten salt of 1000 g of sodium citrate and 2 parts of baking soda
Add 00g and 2500g of water and mix in a low speed emulsifying pot to 110g.
The mixture was melted by heating to 85° C. while stirring at rpm. The obtained emulsion was moved (200 cm
/min) onto a stainless steel conveyor (corrugated in the same shape as the nozzle in the moving direction),
A sheet of cheese with corrugated shapes on both sides (thickness: 4 mm, height of corrugated peaks: 2 mm, pitch: 6 mm) was formed and cooled to 5°C while in contact with a stainless steel conveyor (the time required was ). The cheese was cut into squares of 70 x 70 cm, 20 pieces were stacked and gas exchanged packaging was performed to obtain a laminated cheese, which was stored at 5°C.

On the other hand, according to the above procedure, a sheet-shaped cheese with corrugations applied only on one side (sample B) and a sheet-shaped cheese with flat surfaces on both sides without corrugations (sample A) were obtained, and the sheet-shaped cheese obtained above (Sample C) and peelability were evaluated.
The measurement method is to measure two pieces of cheese with a width of 30 mm.
The sample was cut into pieces, subjected to a tensile test using a rheometer, and peelability was evaluated based on the rheometer resistance value (g).

As a result of the measurement, sample A was used for peeling cheese.
(Comparative example) has a resistance value of 58 g, Sample B (corrugated on one side) is 42 g, and Sample C (corrugated on both sides) is 37 g. The sheet-shaped cheese with a corrugated surface is clearly easier to peel with less resistance. It was excellent.

[0051] When the laminated cheese was examined after two months, it was found that each piece of cheese could be easily peeled off, showing good peelability. It also had a wavy shape in a certain direction, and could be differentiated from flat sliced cheese in appearance.

[0052]

As explained above, the laminated cheese of the present invention, which is made by stacking and packaging sheet cheese having a certain wave shape, maintains good releasability for a long period of time and has high practical value. Since the wave-shaped surface is formed by extrusion means, it can be easily formed on one or both sides of sheet cheese, eliminating the need for the labor and equipment required to manufacture block cheese or slice it as in the past, and simplifying production. Efficiency and yield can be improved. Furthermore, since the corrugations formed on both sides intersect, they will not interlock even if they are stacked as is, and furthermore, it is possible to prevent bending or tearing when peeling.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1A to 1D are schematic cross-sectional views showing aspects of the wavy shape of a sheet-like cheese having a wavy shape according to the present invention, respectively.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between cheese elasticity and temperature.

FIG. 3 is a partially omitted schematic diagram showing an example of an apparatus for producing sheet-like cheese having a corrugated shape.

FIG. 4 is a partially omitted schematic cross-sectional view showing a stacked state of sheet-like cheese having a corrugated shape.

5 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the sheet-shaped cheese of FIG. 4. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Nozzle 2 Drums 3 Conveyor 4 Sheet cheese

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A peelable laminated cheese comprising sheet-shaped cheeses each having a continuous wave shape on one or both sides formed by extruding molten cheese. 2. The laminated cheese according to claim 1, which is formed by laminating sheet-shaped cheeses each having a continuous wave shape on both sides, the directions of which the waves are formed intersecting each other. 3. Cheese in a molten state is continuously cooled while being passed between the opening of a nozzle having a wave-like shape on one side and a conveying means having a continuous wave-like shape having a direction different from the wave shape. A method for producing peelable laminated cheese, which includes the steps of extruding, further cooling the obtained belt-shaped cheese on a conveying means to 15° C. or lower, and then cutting and stacking the cheese.