The invention provides natural cheese and a method for making natural cheese with specific texture attributes.

Disclosed is to a process for manufacturing a cheese product whose fat content is less than or equal to 5% by weight relative to the total weight of the cheese product, having a moisture of the fat-reduced cheese product of 60 to 75% by weight of the total weight of the cheese product. Also disclosed is a cheese product having a moisture of the fat-reduced cheese product of 60 to 75% of the total weight of the cheese product and including at least one protein material in an amount sufficient for the protein content to represent 10 to 35%, the material protein including at least one protein material of dairy origin, at most 5% of fat and supplemental water up to 100%.

Disclosed herein is a method for producing a package of cheese shreds. Cheese shreds and anticaking agent are mixed at a load between 2 wt. % and 10 wt. % in relation to the cheese shreds to form anticake-coated cheese shreds. The anticaking agent comprises 15-30 wt. % reducing sugar; 0.2-0.8 wt. % glucose oxidase; and 0.5-2 wt. % salt chosen from sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride. The anticake-coated cheese shreds are then sealed into a package without modifying the atmosphere in the package or using an inert gas flush.

A method to produce cheese chips provides that cut cheese slices are frozen and then raised by means of rapid water evaporation due to the application of microwave and vacuum drying. The freezing step is preceded by drying and cooling, and the raised cheese chips containing cheese and flavourings are characterised in that their density does not exceed 0.46 g/cm.sup.3, the porosity does exceed 40%, and the crunchiness does exceed 4.

The present invention describes a method for producing a set-type yogurt snack, said method comprising allowing said yogurt snack to set in a mold or block and wherein said yogurt snack comprises at least 12% (w/w) protein and at least 35% (w/w) total solids.

The object of the present invention is a mozzarella cheese obtained from a mixture of raw materials consisting of milk, rennet, salt and optionally lactic bacteria and having a high residual moisture content. Said mozzarella cheese can be obtained by means of a production method comprising a cooling step in air for cooling a sheet of mozzarella cheese.

Disclosed herein is a method for producing a package of cheese shreds. Cheese shreds and anticaking agent are mixed at a load between 2 wt. % and 10 wt. % in relation to the cheese shreds to form anticake-coated cheese shreds. The anticaking agent comprises 15-30 wt. % reducing sugar; 0.2-0.8 wt. % glucose oxidase; and 0.5-2 wt. % salt chosen from sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride. The anticake-coated cheese shreds are then sealed into a package without modifying the atmosphere in the package or using an inert gas flush.

A cheese slurry suitable for topical application on a snack product prior to baking includes natural cheese powder solids, an emulsifier, oil, water, and pregelatinized starch in amounts effective to provide a crispy topping having an appearance of melted cheese uniformly adhered to the outer surface of the baked dough product, and up to 1 percent reducing sugars, polyols, or a combination thereof and substantially no enzyme-modified cheese, buttermilk, whey, maltodextrins, or yeast extract so that the cheese slurry composition is resistant to undesirable browning and burning upon baking.

A method and device for handling cheese blocks. Compressed cheese curd is released from the inner wall of a mould and after a turning operation is evacuated from the mould, with the mould rotated, lowered and shaken or blown. A lifting gripper is guided as far as the stop on a pick-up device, and in the mould the cheese block is subjected to a shaking movement. The mould, that is to say, the cassette, is then raised, rotated and guided back into the cassette press, so that the cheese block can be fixed in position on the lifting gripper by a clamping means. The pick-up plunger with the cheese block is then lowered, that is to say, retracted, the lifting gripper is traversed towards a secondary mould for the cheese block, preferably downwards, the clamping means open, and the cheese block is positioned in a secondary mould.

A process of producing a filled sheet of process cheese, in which process cheese and a filling are co-extruded into a packaging material to produce a strand having a thickness, the strand is separated at predetermined locations to produce separate sheets, in which the filling is fully enclosed. A machine for producing filled sheets of process cheese, having a co-extrusion nozzle with an outer port for extruding an outer component and an inner port for extruding an inner component fully enclosed by the outer component into packaging material to form a co-extruded strand. The machine may comprise a device for reducing the thickness of the co-extruded strand, such as two or more cooperating rollers, and a device for separating the co-extruded strand, such as two or more rollers having ridges. A sheet of process cheese filled with a filling fully enclosed by the process cheese and having a thickness of 6 mm or less is also disclosed.