Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
6~
This invention relates to a process for the production of a
cheese in powder form which, after reconstitution, has the properties of
mozzarella or of a cheese for souffles.
The fact that a stable product containing all the ingredients
requLred for making a pizza, including cheese, is virtually impossible to
obtain on the market shows just how difficult it is to provide for public
consumption a cheese in powder form of ~hich the taste, appearance and
properties after reconstitution are those of mozzarella. One known pro-
cess for the production of cheese in powder form comprises grinding a
cheese, mixing it with an aqueous solution of an emulsifier and then
heating and mixing the resulting product to form a homogenous creamy mass
which is spray dried. This technique is derived from the technique for
producing processed cheese for spreading. Another known process comprises
mixlng skimmed milk, vegetable oil or butter oil, non-fat milk solids,
an emulsifier and a little cheese as a natural source of bacteria,
enzymes and flavours, homogenising the resulting mixture, inoculating it
with a lactic ferment and leaving it to ferment for a few hours, followed
by spray drying. This process is used for the production of quick-maturing
cheese. It is not poss-lble by either of these two processes to produce
a cheese in powder form which, after reconstitution, has the properties
of mozzarella. However, there are processes for producing a stable form
of this extruded cheese which is so important for domestic use and for
the preparation of commercial products such as pizza. In one of these
processes, mozzarella is passed through an extruder and the noodle issuing
rom the extruder is dried in air. In another process, mozzarella is
ground in the presence of liquid nitrogen and the frozen grains are dried
in air. Finally, there is also a process for producing a substitute for
- 2 - ~
~C~7~L64 -
mozzarella, in which an aqueous dispersion of sodium caseinate and butter
fat is inoculated with Streptococcus lactis, followed by inoculation with
Micrococcus caseolyticus, after which the mass is left to ferment under
aerobic conditions for a few days and is then acidified and dried, for
example by centrifuging, which gives an elastic, plastle product capable
of replacing mozzarella. If it is deslred to obtain a product in powder
form, the fermented acidified dispersion is spray dried.
The present invention is the outcome of a search for a simple,
economic process for producing a mozzarella substitute in powder form.
The present invention provides a process for the produetion of
a eheese in powder form whieh, after reconstitution with 40 to 60% by
weight of water and heatlng to 50 to 80C, has the properties of heated
mozzarella, which comprises inoculating a colloidal solution eonsisting
essentially of a skimmed milk or a reeonstituted skimmed milk powder
with a lactie ferment allowing the solution to ferment under aerobie
conditions until its pH falls to a value of from about 4.8 to 5.2, heating
the fermented solution to 40 to 70C to obtain curds and serum, separating
the curds from the serum, mixing with the eurds approximately 35 to 45%
by weight, based on dry matter, of fats, the pH of the mixture being main-
tained at a value of from about 501 to 5.3, homogenizing and spray drying
the mixture to obtain a powder form thereof.
It is preferred to adjust the pH of the mixture to a value of
from 5.4 to 5.7 if it is desired to obtain a powder which is particularly
suitable for use in the preparation of cheese souffles. Otherwise it is
of advantage to adjust the pH of the mixture, if necessary to a value of
from 5.1 to 5.3.
The product thus obtained keeps particularly well and, after
reconstitution, has a delicate milky taste, a creamy paste-like consistency
and properties of cohesion which are so reminiscent of as to be mistaken
7CI ~
for those of mozzarella.
The starting material used for carrying out the process according
to the invention may be milk, skimmed milk, milk powder or skimmed milk
powder, either as such or enriched with proteins of vegetable or micro-
bial origin for example. In the case of a powder, it is obvious that
it will be dispersed in water to form the colloidal solution.
The collo~dal solution may be pasteurised and cooled to a
temperature favourable to the development of the lactic microorganisms
u~ed. This may be followed by inoculation with a lactic ferment, such
as a,culture of Streptococcuss (Str.) thermophilus~ Str. lactis, Str.
cremoris, Str. diacetylactis, Lactobacillus (L.) helveticus, L. bulgaricus,
L. lactis, L. casei, L. brevis, L. plantarum, Leuconostoc (Leu ) citr_vorum,
Leu. lactis, Leu. cremoris, or a mixture of such cultures for example.
Acidification may be carried out either in batches or con-
tinuously. In the first case, the pH of the incubated solution may be
allowed to fall to the desired value in an incubation vat. Thereafter the
vat may be evacuated ~n a single operation. In the second case, solution
to be acidified may be added to the lncubation vat provided that acidified
solution is run off without changing the pH which is kept at the required
value. Acidiflcation may also be carried out in two stages, for example
by connecting two vats in series, the pH of one being kept at a value of
from about 5.6 to 6 and the pH of the other being kept at the required
value in the range from about 4.8 to 5.2.
The acidified solution may be coagulated to give grains of
curds and a serum of heating it to a temperature of from 40C to 70C
either in a heating chamber equipped with a stirrer or in an adequate tube
for example. ~ie grains of curds may then be separated from the serum,
for example by filtration or by centrifuging. The fats subsequently
-- 4 --
~,
~ ~7~64
mixed with the grains of curds in a quantity of approximately 5 to 50 % and
preferably ln a quantlty of approximately 35 to 45 % by we:Lght, based on
dry matter, may be for example cream, butter oil, a vegetable oil or an
animal fat.
If the pH at whichacidl~ication is stopped is below the pH at
which it is lntended to keep the mixture of curds and fats, the p~l of the
mixture may be ad~usted to the required value by the addition of an edible
alkali, such as sodium hydroxide for example.
The mixture may then be seasoned with cooking salt, homogenised
and, finally, dried in any adequate known manner, for example by spray
drying.
The invention is illustrated by the following Examples.
EXAMPLE 1
1000 litres of skimmed milk are pasteurised for 15 s at 72C.
After cooling to 40C, the pasteurised skimmed milk is introduced into a
1600 litre capacity vat where it is kept at 40C. This is followed by
inoculation with a culture of Steptococcus thermophilus. After incubation
for 2.5 hours, the pH has fallen to 4.9. Thereafter the acidified milk
is continuously run off from the vat at a rate of 1000 l/h, and the cond-
itions prevailing in the vat are maintained by adding to it at the same
rate milk which has been pasteurised for lS seconds at 72C and cooled
to 40C. The acidified milk run off is heated to 60C and is circulated
under turbulent conditions through a dwell tube where the grains of curds
are formed. The grains of curds are separated from the serum by centri-
fuging and are thoroughly mixed with 40% by weight, based on dry matter,
of butter oil. The pH of the mixture is adjusted to 5.2 by the addition
of sodium hydroxide. Cooking salt is then added. The mixture is homogenised
and dried by spray drying. A powder with the following composition (in %
by weight) is obtained:
` ~7~64~
total nitrogen 7.9
fats ~1
lactose 5
ash 2.5
cooking salt 1.1
water 2
protelns approx. 50
If this powder is rehydrated with various quantities of water
of from 40% to 6a% by weight, followed by heating to various temperatures
of from 50C to 80C, a pasty mass so resembling as to be mistaken for
mozzarella is obtained on each occasion.
If the powder is hydrated without being heated and if a pizza
is made from the mass obtained, the mass has the appearance, texture
and taste of traditional mozzarella on removal from the oven.
EX~MPLE 2
The procedure is the same as in Example 1 except that a mixture
of cultures of Streptococcus lactis and Str. cremoris is used for inoculation
instead of Str. thermophilus, and incubation is carried out at 32~C as
opposed to 40C.
A powder is obtained which has the same characteristics of the
powder obtained in Example 1.
-EXAMPLE 3
The procedure ~s as in Example 1, except that acldiflcation i8
stopped when the pH reaches 4.9 and the entire batch is subjected to the
treatment described. The same powder as that described ln Example 1 is
obtained.
EXAMPLE 4
The procedure is as ln Example 1 except that 36% of soya oil
-- 6 --
~ ~7~
instead of 40% of butter oil are mixed with ~he grains of curd. A powder
wlth the following composition (in % by weight) is obtalned:
total nitrogen 8.1
fats 37
lactose 6
ash 3
cooking salt
water 3
proteins approx.50
After reconstitution, the powder has the same properties as
the powder of Example 1.
EXAMPLE 5
The procedure is as in Example 1, except that the pH of the
mixture of curds and butter oil is adJusted to 5.6 as opposed to 5.2.
A powder with the following composition (in % by weight) is
obtained:
total nitrogen 7.8
fats 41
lactose 4
ash 4
cooking salt
water 2
proteins approx. 50
If this powder is rehydrated and if the mass obt2ined is used
for making a souffle, the mass shows, after cooklng, a pleasant9 light and
appetising texture which is even better than that whlch can be obtained wlth
8 traditlonal cheese.
