Pasta filata cheese
AssigneeLand O'Lakes, Inc.
InventorsDonald G. Dahlstrom, James Wiegand, William R. Aimutis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention includes a process of manufacturing a mozzarella variety of cheese or a mozzarella-like cheese wherein a milk composition is pasteurized and formed into a coagulum. The coagulum is cut to separate curd from whey and the whey is drained therefrom. The curd is then heated preferably in a liquid-free environment and mechanically worked until the curd forms a fibrous mass. The cheese is then formed into a selected shape. Additionally, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) ingredients are added after the whey is drained but prior to heating the curd. In addition, the curd may be comminuted to a selected size after the whey is drained.
Claims113
A process of manufacturing, a pasta filata cheese or a mozzarella-like cheese comprising:
- providing a milk composition having a selected protein and fat composition;
- pasteurizing the milk composition;
- forming a coagulum from the milk composition;
- cutting the coagulum to separate curd and whey;
- draining the whey from the curd;
- heating the curd without aqueous immersion to an approximate temperature range of 130° F. to 160° F.;
- adding a cheese emulsifying salt or a dairy ingredient or both prior to mechanical working;
- mechanically working the curd into a fibrous mass;
- and
- forming the cheese into a selected shape.
A process of manufacturing a pasta filata cheese or a mozzarella-like cheese comprising:
- providing a milk composition having a selected protein and fat composition;
- pasteurizing the milk composition;
- forming a coagulum from the milk composition;
- cutting the coagulum to separate curd and whey;
- draining the whey from the curd;
- heating the curd to an approximate temperature range of 130° F. to 160° F.;
- adding phosphate or citrate emulsifying salts or a combination thereof to the curd;
- mechanically working the curd into a fibrous mass;
- and
- forming the cheese into at selected shape.
A process of manufacturing a pasta filata cheese or a mozzarella-like cheese comprising:
- providing a milk composition having a selected protein and fat composition;
- pasteurizing the milk composition;
- forming a coagulum from the milk composition;
- cutting the coagulum to separate curd and whey;
- draining the whey from the curd;
- adding generally recognized as safe ingredients into the curd in amounts effective to obtain selected compositional or functional properties in a final cheese product, the generally recognized as safe ingredients including cheese emulsifying salt, a non-dairy ingredient, or dairy ingredient, or any combination thereof;
- heating the curd to a range of approximately 130 to 160° F.;
- mechanically working the cheese curd into a fibrous mass;
- and
- forming the cheese into a selected shape.
A process of manufacturing a pasta filata cheese or a mozzarella-like cheese comprising:
- providing a milk composition having a selected protein and fat composition;
- adding an acidifying agent to the milk composition;
- pasteurizing the milk composition after acidification;
- cutting the coagulum to separate curd and whey;
- draining the whey from the curd;
- heating the curd to an approximate temperature range of 130° F. to 160° F.;
- adding phosphate or citrate emulsifying salt or a combination therefore to the curd;
- mechanically working the curd into a fibrous mass;
- and
- forming the cheese into a selected shape.
An improved process of manufacturing a pasta filata cheese or a mozzarella-like cheese, the improvement comprising:
- after a coagulum is formed from a milk composition, and the coagulum cut to separate the curd and whey and the whey drained from the curd, heating the curd in an aqueous free environment to an approximate temperature range of 130° F. to 160° F. and adding either a cheese emulsifying salt, a non-dairy ingredient or a dairy ingredient or any combination thereof and mechanically working the curd in the aqueous free environment until a mozzarella-type texture is achieved.
A process of manufacturing a pasta filata cheese or a mozzarella-like cheese comprising:
- providing a milk composition having a selected protein and fat composition;
- pasteurizing the milk composition;
- forming a coagulum from the milk composition;
- cutting the coagulum to separate curd and whey;
- draining the whey from the curd;
- heating the curd without aqueous immersion to an approximate temperature range of 130° F. to 160° F.;
- adding, a cheese emulsifying, salt composition, a non-dairy ingredient, a dairy ingredient or any combination thereof via a starter culture medium;
- mechanically working the curd into a fibrous mass;
- and
- forming the cheese into a selected shape.
A process of manufacturing a pasta filata cheese or a mozzarella-like cheese comprising:
- providing a milk composition having a selected protein and fat composition;
- pasteurizing the milk composition;
- forming a coagulum from the milk composition;
- cutting the coagulum to separate curd and whey;
- draining the whey from the curd;
- heating the curd without aqueous immersion to an approximate temperature range of 130° F. to 160° F.;
- adjusting pH of the curd to a range of approximately 5.0 to 5.4 after the whey is drained;
- mechanically working the curd into a fibrous mass;
- and
- forming the cheese into a selected shape.
A process of manufacturing a pasta filata cheese or a mozzarella-like cheese comprising:
- providing a milk composition having a selected protein and fat composition;
- pasteurizing the milk composition after acidification;
- adding an acidifying agent to the milk composition after pasteurization;
- cutting the coagulum to separate curd and whey;
- draining the whey from the curd;
- heating the curd to an approximate temperature range of 130° F. to 160° F.;
- adding phosphate or citrate emulsifying salt or a combination therefore to the curd;
- mechanically working the curd into a fibrous mass;
- and
- forming the cheese into a selected shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.