Puffed Cheese Product and Method
AssigneeGlanbia Nutritionals Limited
InventorsEmily Stout, Maren Clark Long
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method for producing crispy, puffed cheese snacks made entirely of, or primarily of, cheese. The method uses a sequential process to produce cheese snacks with excellent taste, smoother surface and mouthfeel, delicate crunch, and minimal breakage during packaging and shipping. The method can also be used to produce cheese powders.
Claims16
A method for making puffed cheese snacks, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) forming at least one cheese into cheese pieces having a thickness of from about 0.5 mm to about 3 inches;
- b) dehydrating the cheese pieces to form cheese pieces having a water activity of from about 0.30 to about 0.95;
- and
- c) heating the dehydrated cheese pieces using dielectric heating to produce puffing of the cheese pieces to form cheese puffs.
A method for making puffed cheese snacks comprising the steps of
- a) forming at least one cheese into cheese pieces having a thickness of from about 0.5 mm to about 3 inches;
- b) dehydrating the cheese pieces by convection heating at a dehydration temperature of from about 65 to about 170 degrees Fahrenheit for a time period of from about 10 minutes to about 8 hours;
- and
- c) puffing the dehydrated cheese pieces using dielectric heating to form cheese puffs.
A method for making puffed cheese snacks comprising the steps of
- a) forming at least one cheese into cheese pieces having a thickness of from about 0.5 mm to about 3 inches;
- b) dehydrating the pieces of cheese by holding the cheese at room temperature for a time period of from about 4 hours to about 96 hours;
- and
- c) heating the dehydrated cheese pieces using microwave heating to form cheese puffs.
A puffed cheese product comprising at least about 50 percent natural cheese, the product having a water activity in the range of from about 0.15 to about 0.80 and a fat content with a targeted fat dry basis (FDB) of from about 5 to about 40%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.