NL9201710A - Cheeses provided with a cheese-covering means - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides hard and semi-soft cheeses which are provided with a cheese-covering means in the form of a layer of a biopolymer, preferably a milk protein, in particular casein or caseinate or whey protein. This cheese-covering layer - in contrast to the artificial resins which have been used hitherto - is edible, biodegradable and readily soluble in water and therefore can easily be removed from the equipment in which the covering layer is applied.

Description

Short indication: Cheeses provided with a cheese coating.

The invention relates to semi-hard and hard cheeses, provided with a cheese coating in the form of a polymer layer applied after brining.

It is known to provide hard and semi-hard cheeses with a cheese coating. Such a cheese coating can act as a carrier for a fungicide, which prevents the growth of yeasts and molds. Furthermore, the cheese coating serves to provide mechanical protection of the cheese. The cheese coating forms an elastic layer that absorbs shocks and other mechanical loads. As a cheese coating agent, a synthetic resin dispersion is used in the prior art, e.g. vinyl acetate-maleic-acid copolymer (such as Ceska, a product of the Cooperative Stremsel and Kleurselfabriek in Ieeuwarden) and vinyl acetate-dibutylma slate copolymer (Plasticoatcopolymer) & Chemical).

The application of this synthetic resin has several drawbacks: The synthetic resin is not edible; solidifies in the equipment and is difficult to remove; and shows no biodegradability.

According to the invention, the polymer is a biopolymer which, in contrast to the above synthetic resin, is edible and biodegradable and dissolves well in water, making it easily removable.

Preferably, the biopolymer used is a milk protein (casein or caseinate and whey protein) and more preferably a caseinate, such as sodium caseinate or calcium caseinate. However, casein itself or caseinate or whey protein can also be used as milk protein. Other suitable biopolymers are agar, starch, wheat gluten, alginates, gelatin, gums, carrageenan, xanthan, and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose.

The use of biopolymers, such as caseinate and other proteins, is known for products such as cold cuts (eg sausages) and fruit, see chapter 19 of "Food Packaging and Preservation: Theory and Practice" by S. Guilbert (Elsener, 1986), " Technology and Application of Edible Protective Films ", biz. 375 and 379. This publication also mentions the use of, inter alia, cellulose, starch, dextrin, wax and monoglycerides to provide edible films for food.

E.P. 0 471 558 describes the use of an edible biopolymer which also contains droplets of a lipid, as an edible film that acts as a moisture barrier. As applications are mentioned packaging materials, e.g. for use in microwave ovens and freezers, and as a barrier between components with different water content. The lipid imparts the moisture barrier properties; the action as a moisture barrier can be enhanced by cross-linking, e.g. with glutaraldehyde, which cross-linking also modifies the mechanical properties.

EP 0 465 801 describes the use of an edible coating as a moisture barrier between the components of heterogeneous food products. This coating is obtained from an aqueous solution of a protein, e.g. caseinate, and a saturated lipid. Cake, chocolate, almonds, pizza, pasta and vegetables are mentioned as applications. This European patent further mentions the use of polyalcohols and polyglycols, e.g. glycerol, to prevent the film from becoming brittle.

Examples of hard and semi-hard cheeses that can be provided with a cheese coating agent according to the invention are Gouda cheese, Maasdam cheese, Edam cheese, Emmenthal cheese, Parmesan cheese and Cheddar cheese.

Flexibility is improved by using a plasticizer. As a plasticizer, glycerol, sorbitol or xylitol or a mixture thereof can be used in an amount of 5-30% by weight, preferably about 10% by weight.

At a low relative humidity in combination with a strong mechanical load, the coating can break. This can be prevented by adding the above-mentioned plasticizer.

The cheese coating can be obtained by dissolving the biopolymer, such as the milk protein, in water and, if desired, adding a fungicide. The coating can be applied by hand. Example I

2400 g of calcium caseinate was placed in 12,600 g of water under continuous stirring under vacuum. After this, the mixture was heated at 75-80 ° C for 30 minutes to complete the dissolution and also to preserve. After cooling, 100 ppm of natamycin was added. The viscosity of the obtained material was 65-70 poise.

80 Gouda full-fat cheeses, weighing 12 kg, were coated after brining by manually applying the above-obtained solution with a sponge, the cheese being on a turntable. This treatment had to be repeated to obtain a good, complete covering. The 80 cheeses were divided into 4 groups (20 cheeses each) according to the following scheme:

Factory storage85 Secondary storage85 1. caseinate coating -> caseinate-rtekl 2. caseinate coating -> - (no further plastic (identical to 1.) ring) 3 · reference: vinylace— -> reference tate maleic resin in the form of a dispersion05 4. reference (identical -> - (no further plasticisation 3.) cering

Factory storage should dry to 0.3% per day and secondary storage should reach 0.15% to dry per day. Both types of storage took place in rooms with different relative humidity, i.e. the relative humidity during factory storage was lower than during secondary storage.

During factory storage, up to 14 days after production, the cheeses were plasticized 4 times (both sides 2 times). During the secondary storage, which lasted 16 weeks, the cheeses were plasticized once a week (one side per week).

Cheese coating agent Ceska WL100 (code 160), a product of the Coöperatieve Stremsel- and KLeurselfabriek in Ieeuwarden, viscosity 60 poise.

During storage, the cheeses were assessed for the following properties: drying, measured by weighing the cheeses before and after each pi a H -f i.

consumption of coating material per plasticizing and per side of the cheese (average value), determined by weighing the cheese before and after plasticizing.

maintenance behavior; the cheeses were visually assessed for the degree of adhesion to the cheese planks, the degree of gloss, the mold susceptibility and the degree of batter on the cheese, the degree of susceptibility of the rind to "crackling" (determined by using the dm * To apply pressure to the cheese, the degree of "star formation" of the coating indicates the sensitivity to "crackling". cheese quality; the cheeses were cut and the drying edge of the cheese crust was measured. The panel was judged organoleptically by a panel of judges for consistency, smell of the cheese rind and taste. In the laboratory, the cheeses were examined for pH and moisture.

packaging? the cheeses were mechanically divided into sectors? in this sharing, attention was paid to the release of the coating. A number of cheeses were paraffinized, paying attention to the adhesion of the paraffin. The sectors were vacuum packed in a packaging film. After transport in a truck over several hundred kilometers, the samples were visually assessed for "piercing" of the film through the crust due to movement through the transport (in which case the vacuum is lost).

D. Packaging test

Regarding the packaging, it appeared that there is no appreciable difference between the cheeses coated according to the invention and the cheeses soot the known coating. The cheese was easily divisible. The adhesion during cutting was good on all coatings. No difference was observed in the adhesion of the paraffin.

Example H

2550 g of sodium caseinate were dissolved in 12,450 g of water in 3 steps with continuous stirring. Then, the mixture was heated to 72-80 ° C for 30 minutes under slight vacuum to complete dissolution. Four different solutions were prepared from this mixture. For this purpose, the sodium caseinate mixture was mixed with carbon black glycerol, 100 ppm of natamycin and 0.25 g of β-carothene (dye). The amount of glycerol was varied, viz. 0 g / kg, 56.7 g / kg, 113.3 g / kg and 226.7 g / kg. After mixing, the different solutions were diluted with water to a viscosity of about 55 poise. The resulting coating materials were stored at 2 ° C for 24 hours.

100 cheeses (Gouda full fat, 12 kg) were plasticized after brining carbon black the four different coating materials according to the scheme of example I, it being understood that no reference material was used and only group 1 (applying caseinate coating during factory storage and secondary storage) investigated.

As for drying, the following results were obtained: glycerol, g / kg drying speed). % 0.20 0.20.7.7 0.16 113.3 0.19 226.7 0.23 expressed as the average weight loss per day; is calculated by dividing the cumulative drying by the number of days. These values refer to an average storage period of 35 days from the end of production.

Meanwhile

After 45 days, there was no difference in maintenance. The degree of cracking was greater with the soot 0% glycerol coating. The adhesion of the carbon black glycerol coating to the cheese was very good, which was surprising due to "greasy" character of glycerol. The cheeses did not stick to the shelves. In the case of the cheeses obtained according to the invention, the contamination (visual perception) of the boards was clearly less than that of the cheeses treated with the traditional coating.

The degree of cracking at low relative humidity depends on the glycerol content. At a relatively high glycerol content, it was found that the coating did not tear under a mechanical load applied in the above-described cracking test (where pressure is applied to the cheese rind with the thumb).

Claims (8)

1. Semi-hard and hard cheeses, provided with a cheese coating agent in the form of a polymer layer applied after brining, characterized in that the polymer is an edible, water-soluble and biodegradable biopolymer. Cheeses according to claim 1, characterized in that the biopolymer is a milk protein. Cheeses according to claim 2, characterized in that the milk protein is casein or a caseinate. Cheeses according to claim 3, characterized in that the caseinate is sodium caseinate. Cheeses according to claim 3, characterized in that the caseinate is calcium caseinate. Cheeses according to claim 2, characterized in that the milk protein is whey protein. Cheeses according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cheese coating also contains glycerol. Cheeses according to claim 7, characterized in that the amount of glycerol is 5-30% by weight, preferably 10% by weight.