Process for making cheeses from enzyme curds

A steady flow process for first converting a fluid proteinaceous mix to a cuttable interstage enzymatic curd and thereafter converting the interstage enzymatic curd to a desired end cheese product, comprising the steps of initially combining an accurately metered and proportioned well mixed pumpable stream containing proteins, fats or oils and an acid producing bacterial agent, and an accurately metered proportioned well mixed pumpable acidified water stream containing an enzyme and non-enzymatic components by directing the streams through an orifice into an acoustic resonating chamber to immediately admix the streams and thereby form a turbulent jet stream having such kinetic energy that the turbulent stream entering the acoustic chamber produces cavitational and high sonic and ultrasonic waves and shearing forces all contributing to immediate homogenization and reaction of the stream components to thereby produce and extrude within one minute an enzymatic curd at a predetermined optimum pH above the isoelectric point, and thereafter permitting the pH of the curd to be lowered by the action of the acid producing bacterial below the optimum curd forming pH to make a hard cheese product.

A steady flow process for first converting a fluid proteinaceous mix to a cuttable interstage enzymatic curd and thereafter converting the enzymatic curd to a desired end cheese product, comprising the steps of initially combining an accurately metered an proportioned, well mixed pumpable stream containing proteins, fats or oils, and an accurately metered proportioned well mixed pumpable acidified water stream containing an enzyme and non-enzymatic components by directing the streams through an orifice into an acoustic resonating chamber to immediately admix the streams and thereby form a turbulent jet stream having such kinetic energy that the turbulent stream entering the acoustic chamber produces cavitational and high sonic ultrasonic waves and shearing forces all contributing to immediate homogenization and reaction of the stream components and continually monitoring and maintaining the pH of the stream components above the isoelectric point thereof while maintaining the temperature of the stream components during reaction thereof below 45.degree. C. or below the denaturing temperature of the particular protein to be converted to thereby produce within one minute an enzymatic curd at a predetermined optimum pH above the isoelectric point.