The disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for the production of cheese. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for making pasta filata cheese. In one embodiment, electromagnetic energy is used for the production of pasta filata cheese.

An inventive solution directed to the production and lamination of pasta filata type cheese ribbons, such as mozzarella, provolone and blends thereof by concurrently and continuously pulling, stretching, cooling, and molding cheese through a series of channels, preferably elongated in nature, having enclosed cavities of particular negative dimension for molding purposes. The cheese is cooled by indirect heat transfer through thermal conductive walls of the elongated channels. The cheese is allowed to set as it is formed within the cooling and molding channels. As the cheese is pulled through and out of the distal end of the elongated channels, the series of released cheese ribbons are combined and pulled through a second series of compression channels by which multiple ribbons are compressed together to form larger laminated strips ready for immediate packaging, storage or further processing.

A device for filling cheese curd into a pressing mould comprising a curd distributor, having an inlet end through which cheese curd may be received, and an outlet end through the cheese curd may exit the curd distributor, a pressing-mould holder arranged below the outlet of the curd distributor, one or more drive units, configured to perform a relative motion between the curd distributor and the pressing mould holder in accordance with a selected number of motion patterns, a control unit, configured to control the motion pattern based on input comprising an identifier of a pressing-mould configuration positioned by the pressing-mould holder.

A forming machine for making pasta filata cheese sticks, comprising a motorized cylindrical drum with a horizontal axis, which has a series of mutually parallel grooves, a body provided with a concave surface with a profile shaped like a cylindrical sector that has the same diameter as the drum and is arranged adjacent thereto, the body having an elongated slit that leads onto the concave surface and is adapted to receive pasta filata under pressure; the grooves have a profile that is elongated along the longitudinal dimension of the drum and the slit is extended obliquely with respect to them.

An apparatus for draining and forming curd is presented. The apparatus comprises multiple, vertically arranged towers, a common curd distribution arrangement for distributing a curd and whey mixture into the multiple towers and a drainage section for draining whey from the curd and whey mixture. The drainage section forms a continuous space that extends horizontally over each of the multiple towers, each of the multiple towers having openings into the space formed by the drainage section for allowing whey to pass from the multiple towers and into the drainage section. A base unit beneath the multiple towers receives drained curd from the multiple towers and place the drained curd in moulds.

Dry matter content in curd is adjusted by feeding starting product into a nozzle separator while determining a content of dry matter and/or protein, and measuring mass flow of the starting product. The nozzle separator separates the starting product into whey and curd fractions, which are separately discharged from the separator and the mass flow of the whey fraction is measured. Mass flow rate of supplied starting product is adjust based on the determined content of dry matter or protein of the starting product, measure mass flow of the starting product, and measured mass flow of the whey fraction. A determination of the dry matter content and/or the protein content of the curd fraction is carried out based on the determined mass flow of the starting product and the mass flow of the whey fraction and the determined dry matter content and/or protein content of the starting product.

A method and a control system of a food treating process made of a plurality of sub-processes is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of product sensors including at least a spectrograph sensor and a thermograph sensor, plant sensors, control devices, a main hardware and software architecture apt, and a database structure to provide timely and automatic regulation controls, preferably exploiting synergies between various optimised parallel processes.

A method and a control system of a food treating process made of a plurality of sub-processes is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of product sensors including at least a spectrograph sensor and a thermograph sensor, plant sensors, control devices, a main hardware and software architecture apt, and a database structure to provide timely and automatic regulation controls, preferably exploiting synergies between various optimised parallel processes.

Machinery for the production of pasta filata cheeses includes a preparation cell that receives, moves, and heats raw material, the raw material being rennet, and then transfer the heated rennet to a spinning cell that adds water and steam. Next the mixture is moved and heated to a desired density and then transferred, as paste, to a forming cell, the forming cell being provided with timed augers and a thermometer to determine the moment in which to push the paste into a forming drum.

Disclosed is a method for the manufacturing of pasta filata cheese, wherein skim milk is first supplied to a transport system having a plurality of separate transport containers, wherein curd is produced from the skim milk in the region of a first process section of the transport system, by the addition of acidification cultures; wherein the curd produced is coagulated in the region of a second process section, wherein the coagulated curd is exposed to an acidification process for an acidification period in the region of a third process section; and wherein the acidified curd is removed from the transport system in an outgoing section at the end of the acidification period and is supplied to a subsequent process step in which the acidified curd is divided into portions. The curd remains in the transport system up to the removal of the curd after the end of the acidification process.