Method of producing cheese-like emulsified food

A method of producing a soft or semi-soft cheese-like emulsified food, comprising:

• (a) preparing a tofu containing from 10-50% soybean solids by preparing a soy milk by extracting whole soybeans or dehulled soybeans with hot water, deodorizing the soy milk and precipitating soybean solids from the milk by adding a salt thereto;
• (b) preparing a mixture of (1) from 5-15%, based on the emulsified mixture prepared prior to heating in step (c), of said tofu, (2) from 5-40% of oils and fats selected from the group consisting of animal oils and fats, vegetable oils and fats and processed animal and vegetable oils and fats, (3) from 0.1-10% of at least one heat coagulable protein selected from the group consisting of egg white protein, blood plasma protein, whey protein concentrate, wheat gluten and fish protein in an irreversible gel forming amount and (4) from 0.1-5% of at least one stabilizer, the amounts of said coagulable protein, said oils and fats and said stabilizer being based on the amount of emulsified product produced;
• and
• (c) blending and deaerating said mixture and thereafter heating said mixture at a temperature and for a time period sufficient to effect gelation of protein components and to effect sterilization of the resulting product.

A method of producing a hard cheese-like emulsified food, comprising:

• (a) preparing a tofu containing 10-50% soy solids by preparing a soy milk by extracting whole soybeans or dehulled soybeans with hot water, deodorizing the soy milk and precipitating soybean solids from the milk by adding a salt thereto;
• (b) preparing a mixture of (1) from 12-20%, based on the emulsified mixture prepared prior to heating in step (c), of said tofu, (2) from 5-40% of oils and fats selected from the group consisting of animal oils and fats, vegetable oils and fats and processed animal and vegetable oils and fats, (3) from 0.1-10% of at least one heat coagulable protein selected from the group consisting of egg white protein, blood plasma, whey protein concentrate, wheat gluten and fish protein in an irreversible gel forming amount and (4) from 0.1 to 5% of at least one stabilizer, the amounts of said coagulable protein, said animal oils and fats and said stabilizer being based on the amount of emulsified product produced;
• and
• (c) blending and deaerating said mixture and thereafter heating said mixture at a temperature and for a time period sufficient to effect gelation of protein components and to effect sterilization of the resulting product.