Method and Device for Forming Cheese

An apparatus for concurrently stretching, molding and cooling continuous ribbons of cheese, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a chamber for receiving a quantity of warm pliable cheese;
• b) a plurality of cooling channels or tunnels in fluid communication with the chamber;
• c) each channel being completely enclosed on all sides except for the proximal end or channel opening where the cheese is received the distal end or channel exit where the cheese is released;
• d) each channel having a preferred internal cross sectional shape and dimension
• e) each channel including opposing movable sides extending to the chamber to engage cheese within the chamber and pull a portion of the cheese in a continuous stream into the cooling channel, the cheese within each channel progressing from the chamber toward a channel exit;
• f) each movable side having a first face in contact with the cheese within the channel and a second opposite side in thermal contact with a cooling plate or cold channel wall;