Method of producing a simplified cheese spread and products therefrom

A cream cheese that is substantially free of xanthan gum, the cream cheese made by a process comprising:

• (a) preparing a cheese curd through fermentation of a dairy liquid;
• (b) inoculating a whey protein containing dairy liquid having a whey protein level, based on solids, of about 30 to about 70 percent with an exopolysaccharide-producing culture, the inoculated whey protein containing dairy liquid being separate from the cheese curd fermentation of step (a);
• (c) fermenting the whey protein containing dairy liquid for a time and temperature to produce a microbial derived exopolysaccharide-containing whey protein dairy liquid;
• (d) combining the cheese curd obtained after the fermentation of step (a) and the microbial derived exopolysaccharide-containing whey protein dairy liquid of step (c) in a mixing tank with added stabilizers and being substantially free of xanthan gum;
• (e) blending the combination of step (d) to form the cream cheese that is substantially free of xanthan gum,
• wherein the microbial derived exopolysaccharide produced by fermenting the whey protein containing dairy liquid is effective such that protein in the cream cheese forms a continuous protein phase with the biogenerated exopolysaccharide dispersed as particulates contained within the continuous protein phase.

A cream cheese that is substantially free of xanthan gum, the cream cheese comprising:

• about 20 to about 25 weight percent fat;
• about 2 to about 5 percent protein provided from casein and whey protein;
• a fat-to-protein ratio of about 3:1 to about 5:1;
• one or more added stabilizers selected from locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan gum, and mixtures thereof, the added stabilizers being substantially free of xanthan gum;
• a biogenerated exopolysaccharide;
• and
• a cohesive factor of about 30 percent to about 40 percent reflecting the cheese firmness at about 37° C. relative to cheese firmness at about 25° C.,
• wherein the cream cheese comprises a cheese curd obtained by fermenting a dairy liquid,
• the biogenerated exopolysaccharide is obtained in-situ by fermenting a whey protein concentrate with an exopolysaccharide generating culture that is separate from the cheese curd fermentation to form an exopolysaccharide-containing whey protein concentrate,
• the biogenerated exopolysaccharide in the cream cheese is provided by the exopolysaccharide-containing whey protein concentrate, and
• the biogenerated exopolysaccharide produced by fermenting the whey protein concentrate is effective such that protein in the cream cheese forms a continuous protein phase with the biogenerated exopolysaccharide dispersed as particulates contained within the continuous protein phase.