WO2020200991A1

WO2020200991A1 - Preparation of pasta filata cheese precursor and pasta filata cheese

Info

Publication number: WO2020200991A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/058477
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martin Hendrik Bonestroo; Maartje Louisa Josepha ZIJFFERS-STEEGMANS; Julia Léonie LADIGES-DESVIGNES
Original assignee: Frieslandcampina Nederland B.V.
Priority date: 2019-03-29
Filing date: 2020-03-26
Publication date: 2020-10-08

Abstract

Process for the preparation of a pasta filata cheese precursor comprising the steps of a) combining a bovine milk fat fraction, skim milk and a dairy source of phospholipids in such amounts to obtain a cheese milk having a fat/protein ratio in the range of 0.6 to 1.1, preferably 0.7 to 0.9, and comprising fat globules having a volume weighted mean particle size of 1 to 7 µm, preferably 3 to 5 µm; and b) processing the cheese milk to the pasta filata cheese precursor, which processing comprises mixing a coagulant and acidifier into the cheese milk and allowing the resulting mixture to coagulate and acidify to obtain the pasta filata cheese precursor, wherein the bovine milk fat fraction has an SFC10 between 55 and 90 wt.%, an SFC20 between 40 and 65% wt.%, and an SFC30 between 20 and 50 wt.% with SFC10, SFC20 and SFC30 referring to the Solids Fat Content at 10 °C, 20 °C and 30 °C, respectively. Process for the preparation of a pasta filata cheese comprising the steps of preparing a pasta filata cheese precursor by the process described above and processing the pasta filata cheese precursor thus obtained to pasta filata cheese.

Description

Title: Preparation of pasta filata cheese precursor and pasta filata cheese

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a process for making a pasta filata cheese precursor and pasta filata cheese.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Dairy products are made from mammalian milk and therefore are considered healthy and nutritious. Cheeses are amongst such dairy products and this invention is about pasta filata type cheeses, such as mozzarella, but also about pasta filata cheese precursors. Such precursors can be further processed to manufacture pasta filata type cheese, but could also be processed to pizza cheese. Hence, pasta filata cheese precursors can be regarded as a separate product. Cagliata cheese is the most prominent example of a pasta filata cheese precursor. It is a semi-hard cheese with a firm texture and creamy, somewhat lactic flavor.

Mozzarella is a well known pasta filata cheese that is most commonly made from milk from either cows or buffaloes. It is a smooth, elastic cheese with a protein structure consisting of long stranded parallel-oriented protein chains. It is a white, rindless cheese. Mozzarella is typically prepared by so called“pasta filata” processing, which consists of heating curd of a suitable pH value followed by kneading and stretching the curd until it is smooth. The warm curd is subsequently cut and moulded into the desired shape and finally firmed by coohng. CODEX standard 262-2006 describes the requirements and

characteristics of typical mozzarella cheese. Examples of other pasta filata cheeses are burrata, provolone and scamorza.

One of the problems associated with preparing caghata from cow’s milk is its colour and colour stability during its shelf-life. The cagliata tends to have a yellowish colour which, when processed further to e.g. mozzarella cheese, may lead to an off-white mozzarella product. Consumers, however, prefer white mozzarella and hence the caghata used to prepare such mozzarella should also be white. The present invention aims to provide a process for preparing a pasta filata cheese precursor from a bovine milk source, such as cagliata, having an improved colour stability, that is, having a whiter appearance with the white colour remaining stable over time. Such whiter cagliata will also result in a whiter mozzarella cheese product. At the same time the process should not be overly complicated and should be easy to implement on an industrial scale, whilst at the same time product properties of the pasta filata cheese precursor, such as meltability and stretchability, should not be adversely affected.

M.K. Rowney et al., The effect of Homogenization and Milk Fat Fractions on the Functionality of Mozzarella Cheese, Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 86, No. 3, March 2003, pp 712-718, discloses the manufacture of mozzarella cheese from cheese milk prepared by dispersing olein (i.e. low melting point fraction of milk fat), stearin (i.e. high melting point fraction of milk fat) or anhydrous milk fat in skim milk by means of homogenization at 26 bar and 50 °C. Rowney at al. is silent on No separate source of phospholipids was added.

V.S. Poduval et al., Manufacture of Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese Using Ultrafiltered Sweet Buttermilk and Homogenized Cream, Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 82, No. 1, 1999, pp 1-9, describes the preparation of mozzarella cheese having a reduced fat content using unhomogenized or homogenized cream, ultrafiltered sweet buttermilk or ultrafiltered milk and homogenized cream. It was found that the use of homogenized cream resulted in a lower free oil content, while using ultrafiltered buttermilk even further lowered free oil content. The use of ultrafiltered buttermilk also resulted in a mozzarella cheese with a lower meltability.

Rowney et al. and Poduval et al. are both silent on colour properties of the mozzarella cheese. Furthermore, they both disclose homogenization. Poduval et al., moreover, relates to preparation of low fat mozzarella cheeses. The present invention aims to provide a process for the preparation of a pasta filata cheese precursor suitable for preparing a pasta filata cheese such as mozzareha, which precursor has a conventional fat content, a white colour and an improved colour stability, whilst using milder processing conditions (in particular milder mixing conditions) during its preparation.

Lelievre et al., Journal of the Society of Dairy Technology, Vol. 43, No. l, February 1990, pp 21-24 discloses the preparation of halloumi and mozzareha from recombined milk. The recombined milk was prepared by combining

(reconstituted) skim milk and recombined cream. This recombined cream was made by homogenizing anhydrous milk fat, (reconstituted) skim milk and, if required, soy bean lecithin as the phospholipid source. By using standard cheesemaking procedures halloumi and mozzarella cheeses were prepared from the recombined milk. Homogenization is considered to be advantageous in forming fat particles with casein at the fat-water interface. This casein forms a casein matrix and hence creates strong crosslinking bonds, as a result of which the molten cheese stretches poorly. By using lecithin, however, the casein micelles are prevented from being absorbed at the fat-water interface and hence no crosslinking occurs at conventional homogenization pressures resulting in much better stretchability properties of the molten cheese product.

In Lelievre et al. reference is made to the sensory properties colour (white to yellow), stretchiness and tenderness as determined by a sensory panel. Although not specificahy mentioned in Lehevre et al., it seems colour is determined on a scale from 0.0 (white) to 5.0 (yellow) in this pubhcation. The results in any event show that there is stih room for improvement on the colour, particularly in combination with desired levels of stretchability and meltability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has been found that a white pasta hlata cheese precursor, most notably cagliata, with improved colour stability can be prepared by combining specific ingredients derived from cow’s milk so as to obtain a cheese milk having a particular fat/protein ratio and comprising fat globules of a particular size, which cheese milk is subsequently acidified and coagulated. The resulting pasta filata cheese precursor can be further processed into a pasta filata cheese.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a pasta filata cheese precursor comprising the steps of

a) combining a bovine milk fat fraction, skim milk and a dairy source of

phospholipids in such amounts to obtain a cheese milk having a fat/protein ratio in the range of 0.6 to 1.1, preferably 0.7 to 0.9, and comprising fat globules having a volume weighted mean particle size of 1 to 7 pm, preferably 3 to 5 pm; and

b) processing the cheese milk to the pasta filata cheese precursor, which

processing comprises mixing a coagulant and acidifier into the cheese milk and allowing the resulting mixture to coagulate and acidify to obtain the pasta filata cheese precursor,

wherein the bovine milk fat fraction has an SFCIO between 55 and 90 wt.%, an SFC20 between 40 and 65% wt.%, and an SFC30 between 20 and 50 wt.% with SFCIO, SFC20 and SFC30 referring to the Solids Fat Content at 10 °C, 20 °C and 30 °C, respectively, as further explained hereinafter.

Skim milk is a well known product and is milk from which the cream has been separated and which has a fat content of less than 0.5% by weight. All other major ingredients, such as carbohydrates (in particular lactose) and proteins are still present in the skim milk.

The phospholipids used in step (a) should be of dairy origin. The dairy source of phospholipids to be used in step (a) could in principle be any dairy fraction known to contain a substantial amount of phospholipids either in liquid form or processed (usually spray-dried) into a powder. Accordingly, a suitable liquid dairy source of phosphohpids is cream serum (also referred to as butter serum). Cream serum is the liquid fraction obtained in the preparation of butter or concentrated milk fat fractions. For example, starting from a (pasteurized) cream comprising in the order of 38-42 wt% or 40 wt% fat a first cream serum fraction is separated. This cream serum is a suitable dairy source of

phospholipids. A phase inversion from oil-in-water to water-in-oil is induced in the resulting cream with higher fat content (above 60 wt%, typically in the order of 70 wt%) and subsequently a further cream serum is separated. This further cream serum is also sometimes referred to as beta-serum and is also a suitable dairy source of phospholipids. The two cream serum fractions obtained in the process described above may be used separately as the dairy source of

phosphohpids, but may also be combined into a single cream serum which is useful as dairy source of phospholipids. As mentioned hereinbefore the dairy source of phospholipids could also be in powder form. Examples of suitable source of phosphohpids in powder form include cream serum powder, sweet butter milk serum powder, sweet butter milk powder, butter milk powder, butter milk serum powder, beta serum powder and alpha serum powder. Dairy sources of phospholipids in powder form are also commercially available, e.g. butter serum powder SM2 from Corman S.A..

The bovine milk fat fraction used in accordance with this invention is defined by three values for the so-called Solids Fat Content (SFC) in weight percent based on total weight of fat, more specifically the SFC at 10 °C (SFC 10), the SFC at 20 °C (SFC20) and the SFC at 30 °C (SFC30). Accordingly, an SFC 10 between 55 and 90 wt.% means that when the fat is equilibrated at a

temperature of 10 °C, one will have a liquid fat phase and a solid fat phase, the solid fat phase constituting between 55 and 90 wt.% based on the total weight of the fat. Likewise, an SFC20 between 40 and 65% wt.% means that when the fat is equilibrated at a temperature of 20 °C, the sohd fat phase constitutes between 40 and 65 wt.% based on the total weight of the fat. An SFC30 of between 20 and 50 wt.% means that when the fat is equilibrated at a temperature of 30 °C, the solid fat phase constitutes between 20 and 50 wt.% based on the total weight of the fat. Preferably the bovine milk fat fraction used has an SFC 10 between 70 and 80 wt.%, an SFC20 between 50 and 62 wt.% and an SFC30 between 30 and 42 wt.%.

The different SFCs can be determined using NMR spectroscopy, for example by melting the fat fraction to erase crystal memory (e.g. at 60°C for 10 minutes), crystallizing the fat at 0 °C and subsequently determining the SFC at temperatures ranging from 0 to 50 °C with steps of 10 °C by NMR spectroscopy.

Bovine milk fat fractions to be used in accordance with the present invention can be obtained by fractionation methods that are known in the art, such as solvent fractionation, melt fractionation and supercritical carbon dioxide fractionation. Melt or dry fractionation is preferred.

The bovine milk fat fraction, skim milk and dairy source of phospholipids are combined in such amounts to obtain a cheese milk having a fat/protein ratio in the range of 0.6 to 1.1, preferably 0.7 to 0.9 and most preferably about 0.8, whilst the fat is present in the form of globules having a particle size of 1 to 7 pm, preferably 3 to 5 pm. Particle size, as referred herein, means volume weighted mean size (or volume mean size) and can be determined by laser diffraction. Suitable laser diffraction equipment is known in the art and includes, for example, Malvern Mastersizer equipment of Malvern Pananalytical. The cheese milk should comprise sufficient phospholipids to stabilize the fat globules. Typically, the cheese milk will contain phospholipids (expressed as weight percent of lecithin) in such amount that the weight ratio phospholipids to fat is in the range of 1: 10 to 1:70, suitably 1:20 to 1:40. The skilled person will be able to determine the amounts of the different components to be used depending on the specific characteristics of each component as well as a suitable way of combining the ingredients to arrive at the cheese milk having the prescribed fat/protein ratio and fat globule size.

It is, however, found that particularly good results are obtained when step a) comprises the steps of:

al) premixing a first part of the skim milk and the dairy source of

phospholipids;

a2) passing the premix resulting from step al) and the bovine milk fat fraction in molten form into an inline mixing device at a temperature above the melting temperature of the bovine milk fat fraction;

a3) cooling the mixture obtained in step a2) to a temperature below the melting temperature of the bovine milk fat fraction, thereby obtaining a fat in water emulsion comprising fat globules having a particle size of 1 to 7 pm, preferably 3 to 5 pm; and

a4) mixing the fat in water emulsion obtained in step a3) with a second part of the skim milk in such amounts that the fat/protein ratio of the resulting cheese milk is between 0.6 and 1.1, preferably 0.7 to 0.9 and most preferably about 0.8.

In step al) a first part of the skim milk is premixed with the dairy source of phospholipids. The source of phosphohpids could have any form which can suitably be combined with skim milk. For example, an aqueous solution of a dairy phosphohpids source, such as butter serum powder, could be used. Alternatively, cream serum in liquid form could be combined with skim milk. It is important to eventually obtain a cheese milk having the characteristics as described above in terms of fat/protein ratio and fat globule size. Hence, the amount of phospholipids added should be sufficient to obtain a stable emulsion of the fat globules in the cheese milk. As indicated above, this would typically imply that the weight ratio phospholipids to fat in the cheese milk is in the range of 1: 10 to 1:70, suitably 1:20 to 1:40. Accordingly, the amount of phospholipids used in step al) should be such that the cheese milk eventually obtained is a stable fat-in-water emulsion. When using an aqueous solution of a dairy phosphohpid source, the phosphohpid content (expressed as weight percentage lecithin) wih typically be between 0.1 and 10 wt%, more suitably between 1 and 5 wt%, based on total weight of solution. Combining the skim milk with the liquid phosphohpid source may take place at any suitable temperature, but suitably both components are combined at a relatively low temperature, suitably between 3 and 15 °C, more suitably between 5 and 10 °C, and the resulting mixture is subsequently heated to a temperature above the melting temperature of the bovine milk fraction before it is passed into the inline mixing device, together with the bovine milk fraction, in step a2), i.e. to a temperature of at least 50 °C, suitably between 50 and 60 °C. The premix of skim milk and phosphohpid will suitably have a phosphohpid content (expressed as weight percentage lecithin) of 0.1 to 1 wt%, more suitably 0.5 to 0.9 wt%, based on total weight of premix.

Phosphohpid content is determined after the Rose-Gottlieb gravimetric method for determining fat content with sodium chloride extraction. In the extract phosphorous content is determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and phosphohpid content (expressed in weight percent of lecithin) is determined using a conversion factor of 24.2. The extraction of phospholipids from the sample takes place at room temperature using the Rose-Gottlieb method (i.e. treating the sample with ammonia and ethyl alcohol to precipitate the proteins and extracting the fat using a mixed ether solvent of diethyl ether and petroleum ether) with addition of sodium chloride. After vaporizing the mixed ether solvent in a microwave tube, the sample is digested with nitric acid and phosphorus content is determined using ICP-AES. In step a2) the bovine milk fat fraction is added in molten form and the heated skim milk/phosphohpid mixture resulting from step al) are passed into an inline mixing device. The bovine milk fat fraction to be used in the process of the invention will anyhow melt completely above 50 °C. It was found beneficial to melt the bovine milk fraction at a temperature between 50 and 60 °C whilst stirring and subsequently increase the temperature for 5 to 30 minutes, suitably for 10 to 20 minutes, to a temperature above 65 °C, suitably to a temperature between 65 and 75 °C. It was found that such peak melting temperature ensures the entire bovine milk fat fraction is in a liquid state.

The molten bovine milk fat fraction and heated skim milk/phospholipid premix resulting from step al) are passed into an inline mixing device at a temperature above the melting temperature of the bovine milk fat fraction.

Mixing should take place in such a way that a fat in water emulsion with fat globules of the size defined above are formed in subsequent step a3). The inline mixing device can be any mixing device capable of mixing the molten bovine milk fat fraction with the skim milk achieving the desired fat globule sizes. A suitable mixing device is an inline mixer with at least 1 mixing head, suitably not more than 5 mixing heads and most suitably with 3 mixing heads. In principle there is no technical limitation to the number of mixing heads to be used, provided the aforesaid particle size of the fat globules is achieved. Accordingly, for practical and economic considerations the minimum number of mixing heads needed to attain the desired fat globule particle size would typically be selected and this number will suitably not exceed 5 as described above. The mixing head(s) is(are) operated at a nominal tip speed in the range 20 to 32 m/s, more preferably 21 to 25 m/s. Nominal tip speed as used herein refers to peripheral or rotational velocity of the mixing head opposed to the liquid as measured at the outer periphery of the mixing rotor. Manufacturers will typically specify the nominal tip speed. Suitable mixing devices are known in the art and commercially available. Examples of a suitable commercially available inline mixing devices are mixing devices of the DISPAX REACTOR^® DR series available from IKA^® Werke GmbH & Co. KG. Since inline mixing takes place under less severe shearing conditions (and hence much lower pressures) than typical homogenization treatments, the volume weighted mean particle size of the fat globules formed in subsequent step a3) will be larger than when a homogenization treatment would have been used. Accordingly, in the method of the invention the maximum fat globule will be larger than in methods where a homogenization treatment is used.

The mixture obtained in step a2) is subsequently cooled in step a3) to a temperature below the melting temperature of the bovine milk fat fraction, thereby obtaining a fat in water emulsion comprising fat globules having a particle size of 1 to 7 pm, preferably 3 to 5 pm. Suitably such cooling takes place to a temperature below 15 °C, more suitably below 10 °C, to obtain the fat in water emulsion. Cooling temperature will, however, typically not be below 3 °C. Cooling can be achieved by ways known in the art using equipment known in the art. For example, a tubular cooler could be used. When storing the cold emulsion to later process it into cheese milk, such storage would suitably take place at low temperature, for example the temperature to which the emulsion was cooled, under continuous, slow stirring to make sure the emulsion remains stable.

In step a4) the cooled emulsion is subsequently mixed with a second part of the skim milk having a similar temperature as the cooled emulsion in such amounts that the fat/protein ratio of the resulting cheese milk is between 0.6 and 1.1, preferably 0.7 to 0.9 and most preferably about 0.8.

In step (b) of the present process the cheese milk obtained in step (a) is processed to the pasta filata cheese precursor. This can be achieved by ways known in the art. Accordingly, step (b) generally comprises mixing an acidifier (starter culture) and coagulant into the cheese milk and allowing the resulting mixture to acidify and coagulate to obtain the pasta filata cheese precursor. After coagulation and acidification the resulting pasta filata cheese precursor would typically be put in a shaped mould and pressed to remove excess whey and to obtain the desired shape.

Suitable coagulants and acidifiers for use in preparing pasta filata type cheeses are well known. Target pH of the pasta filata precursor and hence target pH after completion of the coagulation and acidification is typically 5.0 to 5.7, preferably 5.1 to 5.6. Suitable acidifiers for pasta filata type cheeses are well known and include starter cultures (bacterial acidifiers) which convert lactose into lactic acid, acids, acidulants, such as for example Glucono Delta Lactone or GDL, and combinations of two or more of these. The most common starter cultures include thermophilic starters, typically starters by Chr. Hansen, CSK Food Enrichment, DSM or DuPont-Danisco. Mesophilic starters may also be used. The type of acidifier used and the amount in which it is used will depend on the desired pasta filata precursor or pasta filata cheese to be made and the conditions applied.

Suitable coagulants are known in the art and include, for instance, calf rennet and microbial rennet (including Fermented Produced Chymosins or FPCs). Examples of calf rennet include Kalase produced by CSK Food

Enrichment, Naturen produced by Chr. Hansen and Carlina, produced by

Dupont-Danisco. Examples of microbial rennet include Fromase XL or XLG by DSM Milase XQL or Milase Premium by CSK, Hannilase XP or Microlant Supreme by Chr. Hansen and Marzyme by Dupont-Danisco. Examples of

Fermented Produced Chymosins are Chy-Max and Chy-Max M by Chr. Hansen , Maxiren XDS by DSM and Chymostar by Dupont-Danisco. Other coagulants include pepsin and various proteolytic enzymes of plant origin.

The acidifier and coagulant are added to and mixed with the cheese milk. Further taste imparting adjunct starters may be added substantially simultaneously with milk-based minerals.

Acidification and coagulation take place and the curd or pasta filata precursor product is formed. As described above, after completion of the coagulation and acidification the pH of the pasta filata cheese precursor should be in the range of 5.0 to 5.7, preferably 5.1 to 5.6, in order to obtain a suitable pasta filata cheese precursor.

The pasta filata precursor obtained can be further processed in manners known in the art. Such pasta filata precursor could suitably be cagliata which is sold as such for further processing into e.g. mozzarella or processed pizza cheese. In a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for the preparation of a pasta filata cheese comprising the steps of a) preparing a pasta filata cheese precursor as described above; and b) processing the pasta filata cheese precursor thus obtained to pasta filata cheese.

Processing of the pasta filata cheese precursor produced in the process of the invention to the final pasta filata cheese product can be realized in manners known in the art. Such further processing would typically involve stretching and kneading until the desired consistency is attained. Traditionally this was done manually, but on an industrial scale this would involve suitable equipment. The further processing into pasta filata cheese in step b) could suitably involve cutting the precursor into small pieces. These pieces are subsequently heated, typically to a temperature in the range of 60 to 80 °C, e.g. by putting them in a hot water bath, after which the heated precursor pieces are passed into a stretching and kneading device (e.g. containing two counterrotating spirally wound screws similar to those used in extruders) where the actual stretching and kneading takes place, thus resulting in the pasta filata cheese product. Alternatively, the pasta filata cheese precursor may be passed into a shredder into which also steam is fed, thereby heating the shredded precursor, and immediately passing the heated shredded precursor into stretching and kneading device, followed by molding into the desired shape, coohng (suitably to below 10 °C ) and brining. The resulting pasta filata cheese produced is then packed and stored. These techniques are all well-established in the art.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples without limiting the scope of the invention to these specific embodiments.

EXAMPLES

Example 1 - Preparation of cheese milk

10 kg of Corman SM2 butter serum powder was mixed with 30 kg of water of 50 °C and stirred for 30 minutes. The resulting solution had a

phospholipid content of 2.1 wt% lecithin. This solution was cooled to 7 °C. The 40 kg of cooled aqueous phospholipid (PL) solution was mixed with 80 kg of cold skim milk (SM), resulting in 120 kg of a PL/SM solution having a phospholipid content of 0.7 wt% lecithin.

40 kg of a bovine milk fat fraction having an SFCIO of 76 wt.%, an SFC20 of 56 wt.%, and an SFC30 of 35 wt.% was melted at 55 °C under continuous stirring. For 10 minutes the temperature was raised to 70 °C to make sure all fat had melted.

The PL/SM solution was heated to 55 °C and injected at a velocity of 75 liters/hour into a DISPAX REACTOR^® of the DR series having three mixing heads and operated at 55 °C at a nominal tip speed of 23 m/s (10,000 rpm).

Simultaneously, the molten fat fraction was injected at a velocity of 25

liters/hour. The resulting 25 wt% fat emulsion was cooled to 7 °C and stored at that temperature under slow, continuous stirring. The fat particles were determined to have a volume mean size of 4 pm as determined by laser

diffraction using a Malvern Mastersizer 2000.

89 kg of the cooled 25 wt% fat emulsion was then mixed with 711 kg of cold skim milk, resulting in a cheese milk having a fat/protein ratio of 0.8 and phospholipid content of 0.1 wt% lecithin.

Example 2 - Preparation of cagliata

750 kg of the cheese milk of Example 1 was pasteurized (15 sec at 74 °C) and acidifier (5 g/100 1 , STI-06, Chr. Hansen), CaCL (75 g/100 1), and coagulant (17.0 g/100 1, Hannilase XP, Chr. Hansen) were added to the

pasteurized cheese milk. Renneting temperature was 32 °C. A curd was formed which was washed while removing whey and subsequently cut into 5 blocks which were then pressed into blocks of 15 kg each. The curd blocks were brined (13 °C, pH 4.5, brine 18-19° Baume). The resulting cagliata was found to have a moisture content of 45.4 wt% (determined according to ISO 5534), a fat content on dry matter of 44.5 wt% (determined according to ISO 1735) and a salt content on dry matter of 1.5 wt% (determined according to ISO 8070).

Upon visual inspection the cagliata had a white appearance. The colour of the cagliata cheese was evaluated by placing a cheese cylinder in a glass container designed for color measurement (type ILM012 with a diameter of 34mm). The measurements were executed using a Dr. Lange LUCI 100 (Germany) in the CIE 1976 (L*, a*,b*) color space in order to obtain the values of a* (redness), b* (yellowness), and L* (lightness). The cheese color was measured 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks after production. For whiteness L* and b* are of importance:

L* could range from 100 (for white) to 0 (for black);

- b* could range from +100 (yellow) to -100 (blue); b* = 0 indicates a grey colour;

- t is the exposure time (in weeks, w).

All measurements were performed in triphcate, the average value was taken as the data point in Table 1 and Figure 1.

As indicated, for whiteness the L*- and b*-value are relevant: a high L*- value combined with a low but positive b*-value means high whiteness, a low L*- value combined with a high and positive b*-value means a yellow colour.

The results for the cagliata produced in this Example 2 are indicated in Table 1 and plotted in Figure 1.

Comparative Example 3

A standard cheese milk prepared by standardizing whole milk with skimmed milk to a fat/protein ratio of 0.8 was processed into a caghata in the same way as described in Example 2, resulting in 5 blocks of cagliata foil of 15 kg each. This cagliata was found to have a moisture content of 46.6 wt% (determined according to ISO 5534), a fat content on dry matter of 45.3 wt% (determined according to ISO 1735) and a salt content on dry matter of 1.7 wt% (determined according to ISO 8070). In the same way as described in Example 2 the colour was determined 2, 4 and 6 weeks after production.

The results for the cagliata produced in this Comparative Example 3 are indicated in Table 1 and plotted in Figure 1. Comparative Example 4

Example 1 was repeated except that instead of the bovine milk fat fraction used in Example 1 40 kg of anhydrous milk fat (AMF) was used. The AMF’s SFC values were: SFCIO of 52 wt.%, an SFC20 of 21 wt.%, and an SFC30 of 6 wt.%

The resulting cheese milk was processed in the same way as described in Example 2, also resulting in 5 blocks of cagliata foil of 15 kg each. The caghata was found to have a moisture content of 43.5 wt% (determined according to ISO 5534), a fat content on dry matter of 45.3 wt% (determined according to ISO 1735) and a salt content on dry matter of 1.2 wt% (determined according to ISO

8070). In the same way as described in Example 2 the colour was determined 2, 4 and 6 weeks after production.

The results for the caghata produced in this Comparative Example 4 are indicated in Table 1 and plotted in Figure 1.

Table 1 - Whiteness and Colour Stability

As can be seen from Table 1 and as visualized in Figure 1, the cagliata according to the invention has a significantly whiter appearance than the cagliata prepared with standard cheese milk or with AMF as the fat source, also after 6 weeks.

Claims

1. Process for the preparation of a pasta filata cheese precursor

comprising the steps of

a) combining a bovine milk fat fraction, skim milk and a dairy source of

b) processing the cheese milk to the pasta filata cheese precursor, which

wherein the bovine milk fat fraction has an SFCIO between 55 and 90 wt.%, an SFC20 between 40 and 65% wt.%, and an SFC30 between 20 and 50 wt.% with SFCIO, SFC20 and SFC30 referring to the Solids Fat Content at 10 °C, 20 °C and 30 °C, respectively.

2. Process according to claim 1, wherein the bovine milk fat fraction has an SFCIO between 70 and 80 wt.%, an SFC20 between 50 and 62% wt.%, and an SFC30 between 30 and 42 wt.%.

3. Process according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dairy source of phospholipids is cream serum.

4. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein step a) comprises

al) premixing a first part of the skim milk and the dairy source of

phospholipids;

a2) passing the premix resulting from step al) and the bovine milk fat fraction in molten form into an inline mixing device at a temperature above the melting temperature of the bovine milk fat fraction; a3) cooling the mixture obtained in step a2) to a temperature below the melting temperature of the bovine milk fat fraction, thereby obtaining a fat in water emulsion comprising fat globules having a particle size of 1 to 7 pm; and a4) mixing the fat in water emulsion obtained in step a3) with a second part of the skim milk in such amounts that the fat/protein ratio of the resulting cheese milk is in the range of 0.6 to 1.1.

5. Process according to claim 4, wherein the inline mixing device used in step a2) is an inline mixer with at least 1 mixing head operated at a nominal tip speed in the range of 20 to 32 m/s, preferably 21 to 25 m/s.

6. Process for the preparation of a pasta filata cheese comprising the steps of

a) preparing a pasta filata cheese precursor by the process according to any one of claims 1-5; and

b) processing the pasta filata cheese precursor thus obtained to pasta filata cheese.