IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0121537
(2005-05-03)
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등록번호 |
US-7585537
(2009-09-22)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Merrill, Richard K.
- Singh, Mayank
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
18 인용 특허 :
90 |
초록
▼
Methods for preparing cheese are provided that involve combining a slurry with a cheese precursor to form an admixture that is subsequently processed to form the cheese product. The slurry typically includes a liquid such as water, milk and/or cream and one or more ingredients that are useful for in
Methods for preparing cheese are provided that involve combining a slurry with a cheese precursor to form an admixture that is subsequently processed to form the cheese product. The slurry typically includes a liquid such as water, milk and/or cream and one or more ingredients that are useful for inclusion in the final cheese product. Systems for preparing such slurries and cheese products are also provided.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A method of preparing a cheese product comprising: (a) providing a slurry that comprises one or more ingredients; (b) adding a dry powder ingredient to a cheese precursor; (c) combining the slurry with the cheese precursor to form an admixture; and (d) processing the admixtur
What is claimed is: 1. A method of preparing a cheese product comprising: (a) providing a slurry that comprises one or more ingredients; (b) adding a dry powder ingredient to a cheese precursor; (c) combining the slurry with the cheese precursor to form an admixture; and (d) processing the admixture to form the cheese product. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cheese precursor is selected from the group consisting of a cheese curd ingredient, a mixture of cheese curd ingredients, a coagulum, a cheese curd, concentrated milk, and a heated mass of cheese. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the cheese precursor is a cheese curd ingredient selected from the group consisting of unpasteurized milk, pasteurized milk and cream. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein cheese precursor is a mixture containing pasteurized milk, starter, and cream. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the cheese precursor is a coagulum. 6. The method of claim 2, wherein the cheese precursor is an unprocessed cheese curd. 7. The method of claim 2, wherein the cheese precursor is a heated mass of soft or firm/semi-hard cheese. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising preparing the heated mass of soft or firm/semi-hard cheese by heating a mass of cheese curd in the absence of exogenous water. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the slurry lacks cheese curd. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the slurry lacks one or more analog cheese ingredients. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more ingredients in the slurry are selected from the group consisting of nonfat dry milk, a milk protein, an acidity regulator, an acid, an anticaking agent, an antifoaming agent, a coloring agent, an emulsifier, an enzyme preparation, a flavoring agent, a firming agent, a food protein, a gelling agent, a preservative, sequestrants, a stabilizer, a starch, a thickener, an oil, a fat, a cheese powder, a salt, a nutritional supplement, an acid, an enzyme, a neutraceutical, a carbohydrate, a vitamin, and a mineral. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more ingredients in the slurry are selected from the group consisting of procream, whey cream, a dairy solid, a foodstuff, and a food product. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the slurry by performing one or more processes selected from the group consisting of heating the slurry, subjecting the slurry to high shear conditions, homogenizing the slurry and adjusting the water content of the slurry, wherein the processing is performed prior to combining. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein processing the slurry comprises heating the slurry; and combining comprises combining the slurry with a heated mass of cheese curd. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein processing the slurry further comprises: heating the slurry to about 90° F. to about 300° F.; subjecting the slurry to high shear conditions; homogenizing the slurry; and adjusting the water content of the slurry to about 5-95 wt. %. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the slurry is heated by injecting steam directly into the slurry. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the slurry is heated by an indirect heat source. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein combining comprises mixing one or more dry ingredients with the slurry and the heated mass of cheese curd. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition of the slurry and the cheese precursor are controlled such that the final cheese product has a combined moisture and wet milkfat content of at least about 70% and processing comprises cooling the admixture in a brine solution and freezing within about 5 minutes to 48 hours after being removed from the brine solution. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein processing comprises comminuting the admixture into small particles, freezing the particles and packaging the particles before moisture loss. 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the cheese product has a moisture on a fat-free basis (MFFB) of 54-80 weight percent. 22. The method of claim 1, wherein the cheese product has a MFFB of greater than 60 weight percent. 23. A method for preparing a heated slurry for use in the preparation of a soft or firm/semi-hard cheese, the method comprising: a) blending together a liquid and one or more GRAS ingredients to form a slurry; and b) processing the slurry by heating the slurry to a temperature of about 90° F. to about 300° F.; c) subjecting the slurry to high shear conditions, and performing one or more additional processing steps selected from the group consisting of homogenizing the slurry and adjusting the moisture content of the slurry. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein processing comprises subjecting the slurry to high shear conditions, homogenizing the slurry and adjusting the moisture content of the slurry to about 5-95 wt. %. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the moisture content is adjusted with an evaporator unit that is responsive to a moisture detector, and adjusting comprises monitoring the moisture content of the slurry with the moisture detector, whereby the moisture detector regulates the evaporator unit such that the moisture content of the slurry is adjusted to about 5-95 wt. %. 26. A method for preparing a soft or firm/semi-hard cheese, comprising: a) combining a slurry with a heated and homogenous mass of soft or firm/semi-hard cheese to form an admixture; and b) shaping and cooling the admixture to form the cheese, wherein the slurry contains water and one or more ingredients, and wherein the one or more ingredients have a combined concentration of greater than 10%, by weight in the cheese. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more ingredients is selected from the group consisting of a starch, a nonfat dry milk, and a gum or cellulose. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the slurry contains at least two of the ingredients. 29. The method of claim 27, wherein the slurry contains all three of the ingredients. 30. The method of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises adding a dry powder ingredient to the admixture. 31. The method of claim 1, wherein the dry powder ingredient is selected from the group consisting of nonfat dry milk, a milk protein, an acidity regulator, an acid, an anticaking agent, an antifoaming agent, a coloring agent, an emulsifier, an enzyme preparation, a flavoring agent, a firming agent, a food protein, a gelling agent, a preservative, sequestrants, a stabilizer, a starch, a thickener, an oil, a fat, a cheese powder, a salt, a nutritional supplement, an acid, an enzyme, a neutraceutical, a carbohydrate, a vitamin, and a mineral. 32. The method of claim 1, wherein the dry powder ingredient is selected from the group consisting of procream, whey cream, a dairy solid, a foodstuff, and a food product. 33. A method for preparing a soft or firm/semi-hard cheese, comprising: a) adding a dry salt to a heated and homogenous mass of soft or firm/semi-hard cheese; b) combining a slurry with the homogenous mass of soft or firm/semi-hard cheese to form an admixture; and c) shaping and cooling the admixture to form the cheese, wherein the slurry contains a dairy solid, and the soft or firm/semi-hard cheese has one or more of the following characteristics (i) a starch concentration of about 0.5 to 20 wt % or (ii) a non-fat dry milk concentration of about 0.5 to 25 wt %, or (iii) a gum or cellulose concentration of about 0.5-20 wt. %. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the method further comprises adding a dry powder ingredient to the homogenous mass of soft or firm/semi-hard cheese before combining the cheese with the slurry. 35. The method of claim 33, wherein the dairy solid comprises nonfat dry milk. 36. The method of claim 33, wherein the dry salt is added between heating the homogenous mass of soft or firm/semi-hard cheese and the shaping and cooling of the cheese. 37. The method of claim 33, wherein the slurry is combined with the homogenous mass of soft or firm/semi-hard cheese between heating the mass and the shaping and cooling of the cheese. 38. The method of claim 33, wherein the dry powder ingredient is selected from the group consisting of nonfat dry milk, a milk protein, an acidity regulator, an acid, an anticaking agent, an antifoaming agent, a coloring agent, an emulsifier, an enzyme preparation, a flavoring agent, a firming agent, a food protein, a gelling agent, a preservative, sequestrants, a stabilizer, a starch, a thickener, an oil, a fat, a cheese powder, a salt, a nutritional supplement, an acid, an enzyme, a neutraceutical, a carbohydrate, a vitamin, and a mineral. 39. The method of claim 38, wherein a plurality of ingredients in the form of dry powder or slurry are added at a combined or individual level such that 0.5 to 25% have been added to the cheese precursor. 40. The method of claim 38, wherein the starch concentration of the cheese is about 0.5 to 20 wt %, and wherein the starch comes from the slurry, and/or the dry powder.
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