System and Method for Producing a Non-Dairy Cheese Product

A method for producing a non-dairy cheese product, comprising

• fermenting a non-dairy milk with lactic acid bacteria;
• mixing the fermented non-dairy milk with dry ingredients, the dry ingredients comprising:
• one or more gums;
• and
• one or more starches;
• heating the fermented non-dairy milk and dry ingredients to at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit;
• mixing oil into the fermented non-dairy milk in an in-line high shear mixer creating an oil/non-dairy milk mixture;
• circulating the oil/non-dairy milk mixture through the inline high shear mixer until the droplet size of the oil in the non-daily milk is 15 micrometers or less;
• removing air from the oil/non-dairy milk mixture;
• and
• packaging the oil/non-dairy milk mixture to yield a non-dairy cheese product.

A system, comprising:

• a first blender configured to mix a non-dairy milk with dry ingredients to a substantially uniform consistency;
• a pasteurizer, configured to:
• received blended non-dairy milk;
• and
• pasteurize the non-dairy milk;
• an incubator configured to ferment the non-dairy milk with lactic acid bacteria at 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for 6 to 20 hours;
• a second blender configured to blend the fermented non-dairy milk with other dry ingredients, the dry ingredients comprising one or more starches and one or more gums;
• a heating system configured to heat the mixture with the fermented non-dairy milk to at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit;
• an inline high shear mixer coupled to the heating system, the inline high shear mixer configured to:
• receive a flow of the mixture containing the fermented non-dairy milk
• receive an oil;
• mix the oil into the flow of the mixture containing the fermented non-dairy milk;
• and
• circulate the oil and mixture to the heating system;
• a de-aeration tank configured to remove air from the heated mixture;
• a vertical form, fill, and seal apparatus configured to receive the mixture from the de-aeration tank and package the mixture to yield a non-dairy cheese product.