A method of preparing a less sodium food product involves forming a reaction mixture of one or more of liquid sodium potassium hydrogen phosphate and liquid sodium dipotassium phosphate and combining a food ingredient with the emulsifying salt mixture. A reduced sodium process cheese product is formed of a sol to gel conversion fat stabilized via a hydrated protein matrix by a combination of potassium caseinate and sodium caseinate in which the caseinates are derived from an emulsifying salt mixture of liquid sodium potassium hydrogen phosphate and liquid sodium dipotassium phosphate, which, prior to reaction, accounts for at least about 2.5 and up to about 8.32 percent by weight of a total weight of the process cheese product. The emulsifying salt mixture formed of the reaction mixture remains in solution at ambient conditions for at least two weeks prior to incorporation with a food ingredient.

Soft or firm/semi-hard ripened or unripened cheese products that has a native or modified starch and one or more additional ingredients are described. The additional ingredients may be chosen from a non-fat 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 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. The starch, and additional ingredients may have a combined concentration of greater than 10%, by weight of the cheese product.

Soft or firm/semi-hard ripened or unripened cheese products that has a native or modified starch and one or more additional ingredients are described. The additional ingredients may be chosen from a non-fat 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 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. The starch, and additional ingredients may have a combined concentration of greater than 10%, by weight of the cheese product.

A food is provided that includes cheese and/or imitation cheese and sauce, that meets a predetermined nutritional standard, and that has excellent sensory quality. In the food, the cheese and/or imitation cheese includes 5% by mass or less (including 0% by mass) of a total amount of choline, and/or the sauce includes 40% by mass or more of a total amount of choline, the cheese and/or imitation cheese includes 10% by mass or less (including 0% by mass) of a total amount of magnesium, and/or the sauce includes 40% by mass or more of a total amount of magnesium, and the cheese and/or imitation cheese includes 5% by mass or less (including 0% by mass) of a total amount of calcium, and/or the sauce includes 60% by mass or more of a total amount of calcium.

A food is provided that includes cheese and/or imitation cheese and sauce, that meets a predetermined nutritional standard, and that has excellent sensory quality. In the food, the cheese and/or imitation cheese includes 5% by mass or less (including 0% by mass) of a total amount of choline, and/or the sauce includes 40% by mass or more of a total amount of choline, the cheese and/or imitation cheese includes 10% by mass or less (including 0% by mass) of a total amount of magnesium, and/or the sauce includes 40% by mass or more of a total amount of magnesium, and the cheese and/or imitation cheese includes 5% by mass or less (including 0% by mass) of a total amount of calcium, and/or the sauce includes 60% by mass or more of a total amount of calcium.

A food and beverage bottle assembly is described. A food collar is adapted to slip onto the neck of a beverage bottle to create and a food and beverage bottle assembly. The assembly is particularly useful for gifts or special occasions such that particular food and beverage combinations, such as wine and chocolate or cheese may be paired and assembled together in a unique assembly.

A food and beverage bottle assembly is described. A food collar is adapted to slip onto the neck of a beverage bottle to create and a food and beverage bottle assembly. The assembly is particularly useful for gifts or special occasions such that particular food and beverage combinations, such as wine and chocolate or cheese may be paired and assembled together in a unique assembly.

The present invention is directed to process cheese type products prepared with calcium-reduced ingredients but without emulsifying salts and methods of producing such process cheese type products without emulsifying salts. The process cheeses of the present invention are advantageously resistant to separation during heating and retain desirable organoleptic properties, such as texture, without using emulsifying salts. The process cheeses of the present invention are also lower in sodium than conventional produces cheese products.

The present invention relates to Lactococcus starter cultures that are compatible with nisin-producing strains and simultaneously do not degrade nisin. The present invention defines starter cultures that can be used in combination with nisin-producing cultures, without degradation of nisin. Furthermore, it is also disclosed that starter cultures can be made by a combination of nisin-producing strains and strains containing nisin-immunity genes and/or and absent of the gene to prevent degradation of nisin.

Described are cheese compositions and methods of making cheese compositions, including methods of formulating cheese compositions, wherein the cheese compositions may include combinations of casein protein, fiber, non-casein protein, non-pregelatinized, modified starch, and a fat component.