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.

A gripping device for at least one deformable food product has at least one perforated plate defining at least one receiving surface for the deformable food product, and for each receiving surface, a pair of needles associated with the receiving surface. Each needle of the pair is able to be moved between a retracted position, in which the needle does not pass through the receiving surface, and a deployed position, in which the needle passes through the receiving surface. A facility has the gripped device for producing deformable food products, and a method for moving a deformable food product uses the gripping device.

A cheese package has at least three individual slices of cheese in a stack. The cheese package includes a separator between each adjacent pair of slices such that adjacent slices do not contact one another. Each separator has a body and a tab extending beyond the stack, the body having sufficient rigidity for a user to lift any one of the separators using the tab from the stack to remove at least one slice while maintaining the integrity of the removed at least one slice. The cheese package also includes packaging surrounding the stack.

A cutting device, knife carrier suitable for use in the cutting device, a cutting system and method for cutting a strand of stacked bands of a food product are disclosed. The cutting device, knife carrier, cutting system and method combine a transverse cutting knife with a diagonal cutting knife disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the transverse cutting knife. The diagonal cutting knife diagonally cuts the stack simultaneously with transverse cutting of the stack by the transverse cutting knife to form substantially triangular prism shaped stacks made of corresponding substantially triangular shaped slices. A food product obtainable by the method is disclosed, wherein (a) the food product comprises at least two stacks of food product, wherein the edges of individual slices forming the hypotenuse of one substantially triangular prism shaped stack are disposed adjacent to the edges of the individual slices forming the hypotenuse of the other substantially triangular prism shaped stack in one-to-one relation to one another and/or (b) the substantially triangular footprint of each stack is in the form of a quadrilateral, wherein at least 80 percent of the surface area of the quadrilateral is triangular.

A cutting device, knife carrier suitable for use in the cutting device, a cutting system and method for cutting a strand of stacked bands of a food product are disclosed. The cutting device, knife carrier, cutting system and method combine a transverse cutting knife with a diagonal cutting knife disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the transverse cutting knife. The diagonal cutting knife diagonally cuts the stack simultaneously with transverse cutting of the stack by the transverse cutting knife to form substantially triangular prism shaped stacks made of corresponding substantially triangular shaped slices. A food product obtainable by the method is disclosed, wherein (a) the food product comprises at least two stacks of food product, wherein the edges of individual slices forming the hypotenuse of one substantially triangular prism shaped stack are disposed adjacent to the edges of the individual slices forming the hypotenuse of the other substantially triangular prism shaped stack in one-to-one relation to one another and/or (b) the substantially triangular footprint of each stack is in the form of a quadrilateral, wherein at least 80 percent of the surface area of the quadrilateral is triangular.

The invention relates to a method for preparing a partially cooked cheese product, as well as the partially cooked cheese product itself. The method appears applies specific times and temperatures to produce a pliable, carbohydrate free cheese product, which is free of carbohydrates. The product can be used, for example, as a carbohydrate free all cheese bread substitute in sandwich wraps or other applications.'

Equipment for the production of stuffed cheeses, particularly burrata cheese, the equipment (1) comprising: one base frame (2); supporting means (3) of a cheese (C) of the fresh pasta filata type associated with the base frame (2); gripping means (6) of the cheese (C) adapted to retain one portion (P) of the cheese (C); filling means (7) adapted to inject a stuffing inside the cheese (C) through the portion (P) to obtain a stuffed cheese (S); one mutual movement unit (20) between the supporting means (3) and the gripping means (6); and one mutual movement assembly (21) between the gripping means (6) and the filling means (7); wherein the gripping means (6) comprise at least one blade element (34) adapted to cut the portion (P) from the stuffed cheese (S).

A method of preparing a food item includes the steps of placing a first food element in a package base, placing a second food element in the package base, adding a package top to create a package, and drawing the first food element around the second food element by vacuum sealing the package. The method also includes the step of forming a food item in which the first food element substantially envelops the second food element by cooking the first and second food elements in the sealed package. Each food element retains its identity after cooking.

The equipment (1) comprises: supporting means (3) of at least one cheese (C) of the fresh pasta filata type; gripping means (6) adapted to retain at least one portion (P) of the cheese (C); filling means (7) adapted to inject a stuffing inside the cheese (C) to obtain a stuffed cheese (S); one mutual movement unit (20) between the supporting means (3) and the gripping means (6); and one mutual movement assembly (21) between the gripping means (6) and the filling means (7);
wherein the supporting means (3) comprise at least a first container element (51) defining a first housing (51a) adapted to contain the cheese (C) and at least a second container element (52) defining a second housing (52a) adapted to contain the stuffed cheese (S), wherein said housings (51a, 52a) have a relative radius of curvature, the radius of curvature of the second housing (52a) being greater than the radius of curvature of the first housing (51a).

The invention herein relates to a very effective compound and method of use for a seamless lamination between cooled surfaces of multiple layers of pasta filata cheese wherein the end result between said laminated cooled surfaces is a continuous mass of cheese with a consistent and non-perceptible change in texture between the cheese ribbons at the location of lamination. The results from this process are a visibly consistent protein structure and cheese mass texture throughout and between the cheese ribbons and the location of lamination.