SK284580B6 - Process for producing the cheese products by treatment of starting materials - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for producing the cheese products consists of thermal and mechanical treatment of the starting cheese et a temperature T1 of at most 65 °C, an obtained mixture is cooling down to a temperature T2 within the range T1 - 8 °C to T1 - 20 °C. A paste is obtained, that is mechanically treated in endless screw apparatus in order to complete the reconstruction of protein structure and stabilise the emulsion.

Description

The invention relates to a process for the production of novel cheese products by a method of treating cheese-based starting materials and products obtained by this process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The cheeses obtained by treating the cheese products resulting from the processing of the milk are already known. The most typical in this category is processed cheese. These are produced by grinding any milk cheese, most commonly steamed cheese, by adding other dairy ingredients (whole milk powder, partly or completely skimmed milk, butter, anhydrous milk fat, whey, protein concentrates and the like) depending on the type of product desired. and adding emulsifiers to said mixture, which are salts selected from the group of polyphosphates, orthophosphates or citrates of sodium, potassium or calcium, followed by heat treating the mixture at a temperature of from 80 to 140 ° C for a few seconds to a few minutes. temperature dependent. Emulsifying salts are used to carry out this process because of their lime-chelating properties, which allow the melting of proteins by facilitating their emulsification due to the stabilizing effect on pH.

The greatest disadvantage of this process, even if it results in a cheese whose nutritional value is identical to the nutritional value of the starting products, and which allows for various processing options (portions, slices, blocks, etc.) and has an excellent shelf life compared to the starting products however, it is different from the starting products, both in structure and taste.

Analysis of the peptization level, which indicates a change in protein structure during the process, measured by the content of non-absorbing nitrogen associated with the release of soluble proteins during processing, and for cheeses processed at temperatures above 100 ° C, gives values between 40 and 50, cheese is close to 0.

Furthermore, the treatment method used substantially alters the structure of the raw material used, which explains the differences in the structural and organoleptic properties of the starting and end products.

Thus, some authors propose methods that less affect the structure, with the aim of obtaining an end product whose taste and structural characteristics resemble the starting product, while allowing for a variety of appearance and increased durability. Mentioned here is patent application WO 95/19699, which describes a process for reconstituting low quality or chopped steamed cheese, wherein the described process consists in separating the raw material into pieces of regular shape, mixing and controlled cutting without the addition of water or any other component, and cooking at temperatures. between 70 and 80 ° C, preferably by means of a heated extruder. According to other authors, the process is intended not to cause protein degradation during processing and the resulting product has biochemical, physicochemical and organoleptic properties comparable to those of the raw material.

However, the inventors confirm that the processing temperatures - contrary to the information in the dossier - do not remain unaffected by the condition of the proteins and the taste and smell of the product. In addition, the experiments carried out by the applicants using the above procedures showed that the resulting products had effluent effluents, which resulted in an appearance not very attractive to the consumer. The formation of effusion is explained by poor emulsification and the resulting poor binding of fats to the protein lattice.

Indeed, heat treatment at temperatures around 70 ° C makes the product different from its natural state. Using these temperatures, the structure of the product becomes theologically closer to melted than natural cheese. In fact, the process described is only used for steamed pressed cheeses, i.e. high dry matter cheeses, and requires the starting cheese to be broken into regular shaped pieces and the use of a heated extruder.

The aim of this process is further to provide a product whose structure and taste characteristics are as close as possible to the starting material.

The invention EP 0 260 194 proposes to solve the poor stability of emulsions of this type by using an emulsifier and describes a process comprising the first step by adding protein to the cheese and the second step of mechanical processing, wherein the starting cheese is selected from fermented cheeses with dry matter content of at least 50%; unpaired pressed cheeses to which proteins selected to function as emulsifiers at temperatures below their coagulation temperature of 5 to 10% are added, the two raw materials being mixed to allow subsequent mechanical shaping of the cheese and hence production cheese with a structure, taste and color that do not differ significantly from the characteristics of the starting cheese, as well as the specific shape resulting from the mechanical treatment used.

In this process, the proteins are added to the processed cheese having a temperature between 40-80 ° C, preferably 80 ° C, and the mixture is mechanically processed at temperatures of 40-50 ° C. The emulsifier used is preferably selected from the group of serum proteins, being selected with respect to emulsifying properties regardless of other properties. The process described in patent EP 0 260 194 therefore allows the production of an emulsion of better quality than the process of patent WO 95/19699, but has the disadvantage that it can only be used for cheeses with a dry matter content of more than 50%. In addition, the addition of serum proteins to the processed cheese in an amount of 5-10% will give rise to flavors different from the flavor of the starting material (flavor after lactose). Furthermore, the spectrum of activity of the serum proteins is not sufficient to perfectly form the emulsion, thereby avoiding any additional fat deposition on the surface of the product. This error is felt in the taste of the resulting product (mouth grease, very cuddly), which is permissible in composite products made by extruding cheese paste and cheese fillings or other types of fillings, but not in the basic cheese products.

EP 0 535 728 describes the production of cheese products from natural cheese having its structural and taste properties by mixing raw materials of various origins at temperatures below the pasteurization temperature, i. j. from 35 to 65 ° C. The production of such products requires the use of a mixture of 30 to 40% unleavened cheese containing 60% water and a protein slurry, which may be a leavened cheese such as e.g. cheddar. After processing, the cheese is packaged. The resulting product contains 40 to 60% water and is intended for slicing and breading.

Those skilled in the art will further recognize products called "cold-pack cheese", which is sold primarily in the United States and consists of products made from a mixture of cheese without heating.

In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 1,522,383 describes the production of cold-pack cheese by emulsifying at low temperature, wherein the original structure of the cheese is destroyed by rapid kneading, foaming or mixing under pressure.

The resulting cheeses of this type often have a softer and more pasty texture than natural cheeses.

They are often intended to be spread on slices of bread or biscuits, e.g. for crackers, tacos and the like.

The preparation of these cheeses requires the use of a mixture containing 30 to 60% of uncooked cheese. The result is a spreadable product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to make a new cheese which is obtained by processing the starting cheese and has a characteristic taste and aroma but has a pliable, elastic or even flowing structure in the mouth and is intended for traditional consumption, i.e. in portions prepared by consumers and consumed in this shape, i.e. without spreading, possibly in the form of small snacks.

In addition, the desired product, although still containing active fermenting microorganisms, should have a relatively long shelf life. Furthermore, in order to obtain a "natural" cheese, it is necessary to find a way to avoid the addition of any additives such as. emulsifiers.

In the unpublished earlier patent application (EP 97 401 164) the applicant has already described the production of cheese products of this type, which are obtained by moderate heating and mechanical processing of the raw material - cheese. The process involved the use of a structuring agent consisting of a mixture of sorbic acid (or sorbans) and citric (or citrates) in a defined ratio to re-emulsify the product. Unexpectedly, however, the inventors' work has shown that the objectives of the invention can be achieved without a structuring agent only by adding a defined amount of water to the feedstock and mechanically treating the mixture under moderate heating without adding any other ingredients, thereby obtaining a product with taste characteristics of the feedstock having the same fatty structure and dissolves in the mouth accordingly.

Indeed, the inventors' work has shown that inducing a slight change in the structure of the feedstock by moderate heating in the presence of a defined amount of water, followed by a restructuring upon cooling the product allows obtaining cheese products with a soft, greasy and dissolving structure having flavor properties of the feedstock.

In carrying out the process of the invention, the amount of water added must be at least 7%, preferably more than 10% and less than 20%, preferably at most 15% by weight based on the weight of the starting material.

The temperature of the heat treatment must be between 30 and 65 ° C.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a process for producing a cheese product by processing a raw material, which is a finely divided cheese, which process comprises the following steps:

a) thermal and mechanical treatment of the type of kneading the cheese in the presence of water in an amount of more than 7% and less than 20% by weight based on the weight of the starting material at a temperature T _p which is at most 65, so as to provide a limited degradation of the structure of the protein feedstock grids,

b) cooling the mixture to a temperature T ₂ which lies in the interval between T i -8 ° C and T i -20 ° C, preferably between T, -10 ° C and T 1 -15 ° C inclusive,

(c) optional processing of the obtained paste by an endless screw extruder to complete the restructuring of the protein grid; and

d) optionally shaping the paste obtained, which step may follow step c) or step a) or b) if step c) is omitted.

The cooling temperature is selected according to the heat treatment in the first step. Cooling of the mixture allows for the continued restructuring of the protein grid and the formation of a stable emulsion of the fat substance with the other ingredients.

The cooling step is essential for forming the product structure, since it allows emulsification of the fatty substance and enhances the elasticity of the paste and ensures good hygiene quality of the products while avoiding residence in critical areas.

In carrying out the process according to the invention, it is possible to start with cheese of any kind made from milk by traditional technologies. The cheeses are obtained in the following steps:

1. flotation or coagulation of leveled milk or milk concentrate by means of a coagulation agent,

2. shaping dewatered or non-dewatered cottage cheese in molds;

3. by dewatering, either naturally or by pressure, to obtain the necessary dry extract for the final product;

(4) salting with salt or brine to impart the desired salt content to the paste and to allow surface crust formation; and

5. drying, and

6. for cheeses with natural crust, by inoculating the surface of the cheese with a surface flora specific to the desired type of cheese, which is subsequently allowed to be wound for a reasonably long period, during which it takes care of the cheese in a manner which ensures growth

All types of cheese obtained by the process just described are suitable for the application of the process according to the invention, but we prefer those whose dry matter content is greater than 40% by weight.

Prior to the process of degrading the structure and restructuring the starting cheese, it must be detached into pieces, noodles or granules.

The starting cheese is preferably ground into noodles with a diameter of 1.5 to 3 mm, for example by means of a conventional grinder. The starting cheese may also be processed into granules.

The necessary amount of water, calculated according to the dry matter content of the starting material and the desired product, is added to the cheese. This quantity shall not exceed 20% by weight of the starting cheese. More preferably, it is less than 15% by weight, especially when the final product is to be obtained having organoleptic properties of the starting product, with a greasy and soluble structure.

Step (a) is preferably carried out in such a way that the starting cheese in the form of pieces, noodles or granules is slightly heat treated after the addition of water by heating the starting material to a temperature between 30-65 ° C for 20 seconds to 3 minutes. cheese paste so as to form a homogeneous structure with a slight viscosity.

The processing in step a) is carried out in a suitable apparatus. For example, steam injectors used in the meat industry or in the production of processed cheese and kneaders used in bakery can be mentioned.

A suitable number of rotations for kneading by machines usual in the cheese industry is in the range of 100 to 600 rpm, more preferably 100 to 300 rpm. A suitable number of rotations when using a propeller type kneader is between 100 and 150 rpm, and the cutting speed when using a knife type kneader is between 250 and 300 rpm.

Step b) may be carried out by cooling the paste obtained to a temperature between 25 and 50 ° C for 1 to 5 minutes. The cooling temperature depends on the heating temperature, but should not exceed 50 ° C.

The mechanical treatment in step b) is of the same type as step a), although the particular conditions may vary within the stated range. Steps a) and b) may preferably be carried out in the same machine.

Preferably, steps a) and b) are carried out under vacuum to prevent loss of taste and odor and to reduce oxidation of the product. A suitable pressure value is between 0.4 and 0.7 bar (0.4 x 10 ⁵ and 0.7 x 10 ⁵ Pa).

The paste obtained at the end of step b) can be transported to an endless screw device, followed by a simple mechanical treatment to complete the restructuring of the protein grid and emulsion stabilization. The processing time in the endless screw device is preferably from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. By simple mechanical processing is meant simple extrusion without any other effects such as pressure or temperature. A forming device is provided at the end of the endless screw.

The products at the outlet of this device may have a different shape (spherical, cylindrical or egg shapes, etc.), which is dependent on the profile of the forming device provided at the outlet of the endless screw. The products are further cooled and packaged.

The products at the end of the endless screw device can also, after leaving the molding device, continue into the molds to obtain the desired shape of the final product. The mold product is preferably subjected to light compression to further improve its shape.

The final product is then packaged in any suitable packaging covered with a layer of cheese wax or substitutes such as edible coatings or acetoglycerides. At the outlet of the extruder it can also be extruded into plastic containers in two-piece molds.

The resulting product may have any shape and weight. This may preferably be between 1 and 500 g.

Furthermore, it is also possible to add molded food elements of vegetable or animal origin to the starting material in a proportion of 1 to 10% by weight based on the weight of the cheese.

In a variant process, these elements can be added in step b) or c).

This alternative is advantageous because it allows the consumer to provide a range of products whose organoleptic characteristics are a combination of traditional cheese with typical flavors and tastes (eg steamed pressed cheese with fruit flavor) and added elements (walnut, hazelnut, pistachios, peanuts, pieces ham, plant extracts, etc.) using a simple and quick procedure.

The products obtained using this embodiment of the process can have any weight and shape.

At the end of step b) it is also possible to apply a foaming operation using nitrogen or other suitable gas using a conventional foaming apparatus to the mixture obtained from the starting cheese after it has been broken into pieces or grinded and added with water. In this case, the mechanical treatment of the paste in step c) is eliminated.

The paste obtained is molded in molds or packaged directly into the final package. This gives us a whole range of new products combining the taste characteristics of the starting cheese with the aerated structure.

Whatever alternative is used, a variety of products of any weight and shape can be easily obtained by the process of the invention, which can be packaged in any type of packaging (bags, paper, metallized plastic film, plastic packaging) or coated (cheese waxes or substitutes) ).

The invention is described by way of the following examples, which are intended to illustrate but not be limited thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Example 1: Production of a product based on semi-steamed pressed cheese (Maasdam)

The cheese is grated into noodles with a diameter of 2 mm and, after adding 15% of water, is put in a cold kneading and heat treatment vessel in a cold state, the mixture is salted by adding 0.6% by weight of NaCl, and then mixed in a cutter at a vacuum of 0.6 bar (0.6 x 10 ⁵ Pa) at 55 ° C, further stirred under partial vacuum at the temperature reached, for 50 seconds, the product is cooled with slow stirring to 40 ° C under reduced pressure ( 0.7 bar / 0.7 x 10 ^s Pa) for 2.5 minutes.

Subsequently, the vacuum is removed and the mass obtained in the preceding steps is passed to a two-screw machine, where the extrusion continues with restructuring.

This machine, supplemented with a shaping device at the outlet, produces small portions of cheese weighing 50 g of egg shape.

The final shape is achieved by molding.

The product thus obtained is rapidly cooled in a cooling vessel at a low temperature (2 ° C).

The products are removed from the molds in the cooled state and coated with a wax or edible coating.

The products thus prepared further receive an outer packaging.

Example 2: Production of a product based on steamed pressed cheese (mimolette)

Mimolette cheese is disintegrated into granules (0.2 mm diameter grain). The raw material thus prepared is placed in a container for kneading and heat treatment under vacuum (kneader) after adding 18% of cold water.

The resulting mixture was salted by the addition of 0.4% NaCl.

The prepared mixture goes through the following steps:

- stirring at partial vacuum (0.6 bar / 0.6 x 10 ⁵ Pa) for 1 minute, with mechanical stirring and heat treatment under partial vacuum (0.6 bar / 0.6 x 10 ⁵ Pa) for 2 minutes, mechanical stirring to reach 50 ° C,

- reduced pressure (0,6 bar / 0,6 x 10 ⁵ Pa) with mechanical agitation for 40 seconds,

- cooling under reduced pressure (0.6 bar / 0.6 x 10 ⁵ Pa) with slow mechanical stirring for 40 seconds.

The vacuum is then removed.

The mass obtained in the preceding steps is discharged and fed to a Mondomix® type machine for foaming.

The foamed mass is measured into 100 g of tubes which are sealed in a controlled atmosphere.

The packaged product is rapidly cooled in a static cooling vessel at a low temperature (5 ° C).

Example 3: Production of cheese from dried fruit sticks

The raw material (Emmentaler) is detached in cold condition to chopped potatoes with a diameter of 1 mm.

The natural material thus prepared is placed in a container for kneading and heat treatment under vacuum after addition of 20% water in the cold state.

The mixture thus obtained is salted by the addition of 0.6% NaCl.

The mixture is further heat treated under partial vacuum (0.5 bar / 0.5 x 10 ⁵ Pa) in a cutter for 40 seconds to reach a temperature of 50 ° C and under reduced pressure resting (0.5 bar / 0.5 x 10) ⁵ Pa) and mechanical stirring at this temperature for 50 seconds. The mixture was further cooled to 40 ° C under reduced pressure (0.6 bar / 0.6 x 10 ⁵ Pa) with slow mechanical stirring for 2 minutes.

The vacuum is then removed.

Subsequently, shaped elements of a mixture of roasted almonds, hazelnuts and dried apricots are added to the mass thus treated.

The resulting mass is then mixed by controlled slow mechanical stirring (approximately 35 rpm) for 40 seconds to obtain a homogeneous mixture.

The mass obtained in the preceding steps is discharged and formed into 50g rods in an extruder.

The bars thus produced are then rapidly cooled in a dynamic cooling tunnel at a low temperature (4 ° C).

The products are individually packaged in a cold-filled flow-pack in a neutral atmosphere and the packaging is sealed.

Claims (9)

1. A process for the production of cheese products by processing the starting material, which is cheese, the process comprising: (a) thermal and mechanical treatment of the type of kneading of the starting cheese after its fractionation at a temperature T _{b of} not more than 65 ° C in order to achieve limited degradation of the protein grid structure of the starting cheese; b) cooling the mixture of step a) to a temperature T ₂ which lies in the range of T 1 -8 ° C to T, -20 ° C, preferably T 1 -10 ° C to T | -16 ° C, c) if necessary, mechanically processing the paste obtained in step b) in an endless screw device to complete the restructuring of the protein grid and stabilize the emulsion, and d) optionally shaping the obtained product after step c) or after step a) or b), if step c) is omitted, characterized in that steps a) and b) are carried out with an addition of from 7% to 20% by weight of water to starting material. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the cheese is fractionated into noodles or granules before the heat treatment according to step a). Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the cheese is fractionated into noodles or granules with a size of 1.5 to 3 mm before the heat treatment according to step a). Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the starting cheese has a dry matter content of more than 40% by weight. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step a) is carried out by heat treating and stirring the mixture consisting of the starting cheese and water at a temperature of 30 ° C and 65 ° C for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step b) is carried out by cooling the mixture obtained at the end of step a) to a temperature between 25 ° C and 50 ° C for from 1 to 3 minutes. Method according to claims 5 and 6, characterized in that steps a) and b) are carried out at a vacuum of between 0.4 and 0.7 bar (0.4 x 10 ⁵ and 0.7 x 10 ⁵ Pa). Process for producing a cheese product according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in steps a), b) or c), shaped food elements are added in an amount of 1 to 10% by weight. Process for producing a cheese product according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cheese paste obtained in step b) is foaming to a certain extent, wherein step c) is omitted.