Method for reforming dairy products
AssigneeKraft Foods Holdings, Inc.
InventorVijay Arora
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for reforming small pieces of natural cheese or other dairy products, such as shreds, trim, or offcuts, wherein the small pieces are fed through a mechanical pump and a die that form the product into a cohesive larger chunk. The mechanical pump and the die operate such that natural cheese pieces may be formed into a larger chunk of natural cheese having a very similar texture and appearance to that of the original product.
Claims16
A method of reforming, sizing and shaping cheese pieces into a cheese bar of predetermined length having a substantially linear longitudinal axis comprising:
- mixing, compacting and reforming pieces of natural cheese into a solid, cohesive, substantially uninterrupted mass of cheese;
- extruding the cheese mass through a die having a region of substantially uniform cross-section;
- and forming the cheese mass into a cheese bar of predetermined length having a substantially linear longitudinal axis;
- the ratio of the length of said region of substantially uniform cross-section to its smallest cross-sectional dimension being at least 2:1.
A method of reforming, sizing and shaping cheese pieces into a cheese bar of predetermined length comprising:
- mixing, compacting and reforming pieces of natural cheese into a solid, cohesive, substantially uninterrupted mass of cheese;
- extruding the cheese mass through a die;
- forming the cheese mass into a cheese bar of predetermined length;
- and
- heating a region of said die to a temperature sufficient to reduce drag and to produce a thin surface seal about the exterior surface of the extrudate without excessive separation of oil therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.