Process for the manufacture of a fat free cream cheese product

A process for making a cultured fat-free cream cheese product comprising the steps of:

• (a) inoculating a pasteurized mixture comprising non-fat milk, said pasteurized mixture having a solid matter content ranging between about 23% wt. and about 27% wt., with a dairy starter culture so as to form an inoculated mixture;
• (b) fermenting said inoculated mixture at a temperature ranging between about 68.degree. F. and about 110.degree. F. so as to obtain a fermented mixture having a pH ranging between about 4.7 and about 5.0;
• (c) cooling said fermented mixture to a temperature ranging between about 35.degree. F. and about 45.degree. F. and allowing said fermented mixture to sit at said temperature for a period ranging between about 48 and about 96 hours so as to produce a flavor-rich precheese base;
• (d) introducing a predetermined amount of said precheese base into a processing tank (4), said processing tank (4) being connected to a liquefier tank (7) in a recirculation loop comprising a processing tank (4), positive displacement pump (5), valve (6), liquefier tank (7), valve (10), positive displacement pump (11), grinding pump (8), and valve (9);
• (e) adding dry cottage cheese curd in an amount ranging between about 30% wt. and about 70% wt. and an emulsifying salt in an amount ranging between about 0.25% wt. and about 2.0% wt. into said liquefier tank (7) while recirculating said precheese base in said recirculating loop for a period ranging between about 3 and about 15 minutes and a temperature ranging between about 40.degree. F. and about 80.degree. F. so as to form a blended mixture;
• (f) allowing the blended mixture to sit quiescently at said temperature for a period ranging between about 15 minutes and about 60 minutes;
• (g) heating the blended mixture of step (f) to a temperature ranging between about 140.degree. F. and about 180.degree. F.;
• (h) adding a stabilizing hydrocolloid in an amount ranging between about 0.2% wt. and about 2.0% wt. into said liquefier tank (7) while recirculating step (g) mixture in said recirculating loop for a period ranging between about 4 and about 12 minutes so as to form a stabilized mixture;
• (i) heating the stabilized mixture to a temperature ranging between about 165.degree. F. and about 190.degree. F.;
• (j) adding cultured skim milk solids, salt, sugar, food preservative, texturizing agent, and stabilizing hydrocolloid into liquefier (7) while recirculating said mixture of step (i) in said recirculation loop at said third predetermined temperature so as to form a final mixture;
• and
• (k) homogenizing, packaging, and cooling said final mixture by passing said final mixture through a homogenization path (4), (5), (6), (8), (9), and (12) so as to produce said fat-free cream cheese product.