Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Treatment or preparation of farinaceous dough – batter – or...
Utility Patent
1999-10-04
2001-01-02
Brouillette, Gabrielle (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Treatment or preparation of farinaceous dough, batter, or...
C426S497000, C426S582000, C426S407000
Utility Patent
active
06168818
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a commercial baking apparatus and process for cheesecake and, more particularly, to an automated apparatus and method for producing sterile cheesecake, which is stable and capable of maintaining its sterility for at least six months without preservatives and without refrigeration.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cheesecake is one type of food which has maintained its popularity amongst the baker and consumer alike. Cheesecake is typically made by the home baker by mixing a variety of ingredients including a major portion of milk or milk products to form a batter, placing the batter into a baking container, placing the baking container into an oven, sometimes within a water bath, at a preset temperature for a certain period of time sufficient to bake the cheesecake, removing the cheesecake from the oven, allowing the cheesecake to cool to room temperature in an ambient environment and placing the cheesecake in a cold environment for at least twenty-four hours before serving.
Home-baked cheesecake is usually consumed within 24 to 72 hours of the time it is removed from the oven as it cannot be stored for a very long time, even in a cold environment such as the one provided by a refrigerator since many changes occur rather quickly to the palatability and texture of the cheesecake. Such changes may even have serious consequences on the health of those who consume the cheesecake if the time for which the cheesecake has been stored in the refrigerator or the temperature of the refrigerator have been such that they have allowed for bacteria and mold to develop and grow either on or within the body of the cheesecake.
As the demand for cheesecake has grown steadily with the growing population and as more and more home bakers' time is taken up with working outside the home, commercial bakers have sought to mass-produce cheesecake. Such mass production and attempts at marketing this delectable dessert has led to the expansion of equipment and adoption of techniques which include: (a) automated on-line mixing of ingredients; (b) specialized baking forms and molds; (c) computer-controlled industrial size ovens; (d) automated transfer of ingredients throughout the baking method through the use of conveyors and other movers; and (e) automated packaging and labeling of baked goods. Despite all of these and other features, which have increased the speed by which commercial cheesecake can be made, such features often have a negative impact on the taste and quality of the cheesecake produced. More importantly, however, such techniques and equipment have failed to change the process of mixing, baking, cooling, serving the cheesecake and/or prolonging the storage time and/or shelf life of the cheesecake prior to consumption.
Commercial cheesecake, i.e. factory baked cheesecake generally sold in retail bakeries and supermarkets, has a very short shelf-life due to its high susceptibility to spoilage. Such spoilage is probably due to its milk and other highly perishable ingredients. Thus, commercially baked cheesecake must either be refrigerated, frozen, or baked with preservatives. Freezing most definitely spoils the taste. Refrigeration must be carefully monitored and is effective for only very short periods of time. As for using chemical preservatives as ingredients for the cheesecake to prolong its shelf life, it is not a desirable alternative because (a) such preservatives affect the flavor and other physical characteristics of the cheesecake; and (b) in view of the general health conscious attitudes adopted by the consuming public at large, use of such preservatives will most likely lead to a drop in sales and consumability of the commercially baked cheesecake. More importantly, however, is that no matter which one of these three methods is used, the shelf or storage life of commercial cheesecake is relatively short and, when exceeded, results in a great deal of spoilage and return of cheesecakes to the baker for credit or replacement. Such returns translate to economic loss for the bakers and, by extension, to an increase of cheesecake prices to the consumer.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a baking process and method for commercially available cheesecake which results in a product of such purity and lasting characteristics that it may be stored, transported and displayed without refrigeration.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a commercially baked cheesecake having a long shelf life under normal atmospheric conditions, without any freezing, refrigeration or preservatives whatsoever.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a baking process for commercially available cheesecake, the cheesecake having a flavor, aroma and taste similar to that of freshly made home-baked cheesecake, without needing preservatives, freezing or refrigeration to maintain its relatively long shelf life.
The objects and advantages together with others will be apparent from the following disclosure of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus and method for producing non-refrigerated, preservative-free cheesecake having extended shelf-life. Such apparatus includes an oven with means for conveying and baking cheesecake batter in individual cups from one end to the other and a cooling table arranged in line with the oven. As the baked cheesecake batter in the individual cups are discharged from the oven they are transferred via conveying means to the cooling table.
The cooling table itself is covered by a hood. The hood is outfitted to introduce sterile air into the hood so as to create a downward laminar sterile air flow, which envelopes the cooling table and the baked cheesecakes that are moving across the surface of the cooling table.
Furthermore, the cooling table and the hood are spaced from the other end of the oven a distance in which the flow of sterile air from the cooling table and the flow of heated vapor from the oven interact to maintain the baked cheesecake in the individual cups under constant sterile conditions, as it moves from the oven to the cooling table.
Full details of the present invention are set forth in the following description of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3889009 (1975-06-01), Lipoma
patent: 3891779 (1975-06-01), Robinson
patent: 3977091 (1976-08-01), Hortig et al.
patent: 4120984 (1978-10-01), Richardson et al.
patent: 6032573 (2000-03-01), Olkey et al.
Caruso Charles
Olkey David
Bauer & Schaffer, LLP
Brouillette Gabrielle
Carousel Foods, Inc.
Madsen Robert
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