Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Fermentation processes – Of milk or milk product
Patent
1992-11-07
1997-12-30
Wong, Leslie
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Fermentation processes
Of milk or milk product
426 34, 426 42, 426580, 426582, A23C 912
Patent
active
057027382
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a surface-ripened cheese product, and to methods for production of same. In particular, the invention relates to a surface-ripened cheese product produced from a stable natural cheese base.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Surface-ripened cheese products are of considerable economic importance, and command a significant and increasing share of the natural cheese market.
Traditionally, the surface-ripening culture plays an important role in the maturation and development of the cheese. The culture also contributes to the rapid breakdown and short shelf life of these cheeses.
German Utility Model (Gebrauchsmuster) No. 8433396 describes a block of processed cheese or processed cheese product, which is coated with a surface layer of Camembert or Roquefort mould in order to provide a harder rind, and thus enhance shape and storage stability. In a preferred embodiment, layers of a natural cheese such as a blue vein cheese or a second processed cheese or processed cheese product are incorporated into the processed cheese block. However, the product described in the specification is not what would normally be referred to as a surface-ripened cheese, as there is no modification of flavour or texture of the starting processed cheese material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,935by Bongrain S. A. describes a food product Comprising a mass of cheese having a semi-permeable external envelope covering its exterior surface, on which a surface mould may be grown to improve maturation of the cheese without rapid degradation. The semi-permeable layer is a food gel, preferably carrageenan, an alginate, gelatin, food protein, or a mixture thereof.
European Patent No. 33635 by C.P.C. International Inc. describes a packaged cheese spread based on a natural cheese, in which the natural cheese is combined with an edible fat and a stabilising agent, heated, mixed and poured into containers, and then coated with an edible barrier material which forms an impermeable film over the cheese spread surface, and then inoculated with Penicillium camemberti to form a camembert-type crust.
Czechoslovak Patent No. 249009 describes a process of manufacturing a surface-ripened cheese in which the surface of a naturally ripening cheese, of unspecified origin, is pasteurised in a saline solution at 75.degree. to 90.degree. C. and then inoculated with a culture of lactic fermentation bacteria together with a culture of Penicillium camemberti, in order to form a surface layer which prevents the growth of undesirable microorganisms, thus avoiding the need fro the cheese surface to be scraped or washed before marketing. It appears that this product may not undergo any maturation of flavour.
However, most surface-ripened cheeses on the market are of the Camembert, Brie, or Chevre types, prepared using traditional methods.
The shelf life of most such surface-ripened cheeses is in the range of 6 to 10 weeks. So far, the only practicable way in which this shelf life can be extended has been by canning the cheese, which results in a product with reduced consumer appeal.
We have now found it possible to produce a surface-ripened product which has an improved shelf life (greater than 20 weeks, and usually 25 to 30 weeks) and which does not suffer any loss in consumer appeal over this extended shelf life, without the need to employ an impermeable or permeable external layer, or to use an additional culture inoculum following a pasteurisation step.
We have surpisingly found that by using a stable natural cheese as a starting product, applying a surface-ripening culture to the outside surface of the cheese, and incubating under carefully controlled conditions, the resulting product has considerably extended shelf life. By using an existing stable cheese as substrate for the surface-ripening culture a stable base is provided, which resists breakdown by the surface-ripening culture:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a surface-ripened cheese product prepared from a stable natural cheese base
REFERENCES:
patent: 4568548 (1986-02-01), Sprenger
patent: 4911935 (1990-03-01), Fillaud et al.
87:16342 FSIA DN 87-11-P0099, Kornacki et al., Przemysl Spozywczy, (1985) 39 (11/12) 386-388, abstract only.
Grim Linn I.
Kraft Foods Limited
Marcoux Thomas A.
Savoie Thomas R.
Wong Leslie
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