A device for forming and cooling an initially hot and therefore flowable melted cheese having (a) a first metallic cooling belt capable of moving in a downstream direction; (b) a counter-pressure roller proximal to the first metallic cooling belt; and (c) a rotatable shaping roller disposed proximal to the first metallic cooling belt downstream of the supply nozzle and upstream from the counter-pressure roller, wherein the rotatable shaping roller has a number of molding cavities formed in the surface, which are separated from one another by separating webs, wherein the separating webs are formed by the remaining surface of the rotatable shaping roller, wherein the rotatable shaping roller is capable of applying a pressure by way of the separating webs onto the cooling belt that results in displacement of the still-hot melted cheese from a region of the separating webs lying thereon, so that shaped bodies of melted cheese released from the molding cavities remain on the first metallic cooling belt for cooling.

An apparatus for producing a food product is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: an enclosed vessel for holding the food product, the vessel having a first end wall, a second end wall opposite to the first end wall, and a side wall between the first and second end walls; a first agitator rotatably mounted to the first end wall, the first agitator extending inside the vessel towards the second end wall; and a second agitator rotatably mounted to the second end wall, the second agitator extending inside the vessel towards the first end wall. The first agitator is unsupported by the second end wall, and the second agitator is unsupported by the first end wall.

A method of producing a pasta filata cheese product, such as a Mozzarella-type cheese, in a continuous process without emulsifier or pH regulator additives requires preparing a typical pasta filata-type cheese curd and supplying the curd in cut pieces to one end of a processing chamber. The chamber has an agitator which rotates to work, knead, stretch and move the curd through the chamber. At the same time, steam is injected into the curd in the chamber through a plurality of injection nozzles spaced along the length of the chamber to heat and cook the cheese while it is mechanically worked. The cooked product exiting from the chamber is molded to a desired shape.

The present invention is related to a process for preparing a vegan cheese product, comprising the steps of metering raw materials into an extruder, comprising 5-50 wt.-% zein protein or starch, 0-50 wt.-% of at least one component that provides a fat phase mimicking the thermal behavior of milk fat, preferably a vegetable oil, and 30-70 wt.-% water, wherein all amounts are based on the entire amount of the raw materials, mixing and processing said raw materials in said extruder, extruding and cooling the resulting extrudate so as to obtain the vegan cheese product, wherein in said extruder strain conditions of 300-3000 WATS, preferably 1000 to 3000 WATS are applied. The present invention is also related to vegan cheese product obtainable by said process.

A method for determining values of processing variables relating to processing steps in a cheese vat arrangement of a processing line for producing cheese. By a control device, obtaining a target moisture content value of the cheese, milk properties comprising pH, protein content, and fat content of milk fed into the cheese vat arrangement, obtaining, coagulant properties comprising type and amount of a coagulant fed into the cheese vat arrangement, obtaining, starter properties comprising type and amount of a starter culture fed into the cheese arrangement, then feeding the target moisture content value, the milk properties, the coagulant properties, and the starter properties into an artificial intelligence (AI) model, and in response, obtaining predictions in the form of values of the processing variables from the AI model comprising at least one number of cuts and at least one cooking time used in the cheese vat arrangement during cheese production.

A novel and advantageous system and method for producing cheese is disclosed. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous system and method for producing cheese wherein coagulation occurs while milk is moving. The system may include a tube or pipe and a grinder. Milk mixed with coagulant is pushed through the coagulation tube. The milk coagulates during transfer through the coagulation tube. Cheese curd is expelled from the coagulation tube and directed for further processing.