US 5,030,470 A · Process of preparing mozzarella cheese for shipment or storage

Abstract

A process of converting unfrozen blocks of a mozzarella cheese into a comminuted form suitable for shipment or storage is disclosed. The process involves dicing or shredding the unfrozen cheese blocks; placing the particles of cheese in a fluidized bed freezer to completely freeze each particle rapidly (e.g., within 7 minutes), and keeping the cheese in the fluidized bed until it is completely frozen and its temperature has dropped to below 0.degree. F.; removing the particulate, frozen cheese from the fluidized bed soon enought to avoid moisture loss (e.g., within 10 minutes); optionally spraying the cheese with an aqueous solution or dispersion of a cheese additive (e,g., sodium citrate); and the packaging the cheese while it is still frozen.

Claims59

Dependent claims

A process of converting unfrozen blocks of a variety of mozzarella cheese into a comminuted form suitable for shipment or storage, comprising the steps of:

a) comminuting the unfrozen cheese blocks into smaller particles;
b) placing the particles of cheese in a freezing chamber in which cold air is blown upward at a volume and velocity sufficient to form a fluidized bed of the cheese particles and at a temperature sufficiently low to completely freeze each particle rapidly;
c) keeping the particles of cheese in the fluidized bed in the freezing chamber until they have been completely frozen, thereby converting the cheese to a frozen, free-flowing state;
d) removing the frozen, free-flowing cheese from the chamber soon enough to avoid moisture loss;
and
e) packaging the frozen, free-flowing cheese.

3 more elements

A process of converting unfrozen blocks of mozzarella cheese into a comminuted form suitable for shipment or storage, comprising the steps of:

a) dicing or shredding the unfrozen cheese blocks into smaller particles;
b) placing the particles of cheese in a fluidized bed freezer in which air at a temperature below -20.degree. F. is blown upward at a volume and velocity sufficient to form a fluidized bed of the cheese particles and completely freeze each particle within no more than 10 minutes after the particle has been placed in the freezer;
c) keeping the particles of cheese in the freezer until they have been completely frozen and the temperature of the particles has dropped to within the range of about -10.degree. F., thereby converting the cheese to a frozen, free-flowing state;
d) removing the frozen, free-flowing cheese from the freezer before it has remained there long enough to lose substantial moisture;
e) coating the frozen cheese particles by simultaneously mixing them and spraying them with water containing one or more additives selected from the group consisting of cheese emulsifiers, cheese preservatives, GRAS-approved antifoamers, and sodium citrate, under such conditions that the water freezes on contact with the cheese particles, but the cheese remains in free-flowing condition, the combined amount of the water and additive used being 0.5 to 4% by weight of the cheese;
and
f) packing the coated cheese particles in plastic bags and placing the bags in cartons, without allowing the temperature of the cheese to rise above 0.degree. F.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process of preparing mozzarella cheese for shipment or storage

Life of this patent

Process of preparing mozzarella cheese for shipment or storage

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims59