IMPROVED PROCESS FOR MOZZARELLA-TYPE CHEESE

摘要

The invention is directed to an improved process of producingmozzarella-type cheese. The process starts with a liquid dairy substrate thatis cultured and coagulated. The coagulated dairy substrate is cut, and thecurds are separated from the whey and collected to form a base curd. Thebase curd is blended with a farinaceous material. The base curd/farinaceousmaterial blend is then cooked in a cooker or cooker/stretcher (preferably in alay-down cooker). The cheese mass is then cooled to produce themozzarella-type cheese. The blending of the farinaceous material with thebase curd before cooking/stretching allows it to act as a fat mimetic, whichimparts a product characteristic in reduced-fat or fat-free cheese resemblingafull-fat product, such as improved mouthfeel. It also serves to improvemoisture binding in the product and results in a firmer cheese which may beeasier to shred, and produces a more homogenous product.