The present invention provides a process for the preparation of a cheese, the process comprising the steps of (i) providing milk; (ii) acidifying the milk, where the mild is acidified with carbon dioxide to a pH of 6.2 to 6.6 when measured at a temperature of 29 to 38 C. to provide an acidified milk; (iii) inoculating the acidified milk with a starter culture, wherein the inoculation is a direct vat inoculation, to provide an inoculated acidified milk and making the cheese therefrom; wherein the inoculated acidified milk contains a coagulant, wherein the coagulant comprises at least a microbial protease coagulating agent.

The present invention provides a process for the preparation of a cheese, the process comprising the steps of (i) providing milk; (ii) acidifying the milk, where the mild is acidified with carbon dioxide to a pH of 6.2 to 6.6 when measured at a temperature of 29 to 38 C. to provide an acidified milk; (iii) inoculating the acidified milk with a starter culture, wherein the inoculation is a direct vat inoculation, to provide an inoculated acidified milk and making the cheese therefrom; wherein the inoculated acidified milk contains a coagulant, wherein the coagulant comprises at least a microbial protease coagulating agent.

The present invention relates to an acidified protein product. Particularly, the invention relates to acidified protein product which can be used as a cheese or a meat substitute that can be fried or grilled. The present invention relates also the processes for producing such acidified protein products.

The present invention relates to an acidified protein product. Particularly, the invention relates to acidified protein product which can be used as a cheese or a meat substitute that can be fried or grilled. The present invention relates also the processes for producing such acidified protein products.

The present invention relates to a casein concentrate wherein the milk protein comprises not more than 10% serum protein, and wherein the casein micelles have an average size of less than 175 nm in diameter; and wherein the concentrate has a pH below 6,7. Treating milk so as to shift the equilibrium out of the casein micelles and towards the serum phase modifies the micelles so as to allow increased water binding by the casein concentrate. High shear processing also allows for the increased water binding in the milk product, such as cheese. The invention further relates to a process of preparing a modified casein concentrate comprising the steps of treating milk by microfiltration to produce a microfiltration retentate comprising casein micelles and a reduced amount of serum proteins compared to the starting milk, adding an agent capable of modifying the chemical equilibrium between the calcium bound in the casein micelles and present in the serum phase treating the resulting product in a dynamic high pressure shear process. Finally, the invention provides cheese and dairy products which can be prepared by using the casein concentrate of the invention.

Disclosed herein are melt-restricted, natural cheeses, and methods of providing melt-restricted, natural cheeses.

Process: providing concentrated milk composition including milk protein; providing plant fat composition including plant fat; combining first amount of concentrated milk composition together with second amount of plant fat composition, forming concentrated milk-plant fat composition having initial pH and having concentration by weight of water being within range of between about 49% and about 57%; combining concentrated milk-plant fat composition together with amount of edible acid, and directly setting concentrated milk-plant fat composition by adjusting initial pH to reduced pH being within range of between about 4.9 and about 4.5; thereby forming uniform non-separating direct-set milk-plant fat product substantially retaining the milk protein. Process also includes providing concentrated milk composition and plant fat composition respectively at first and second temperatures being at least about 20 F. above melting points of respective compositions. Composition: uniform non-separating direct-set milk-plant fat product.

The present disclosure relates generally to smooth cheese products and method of producing smooth cheese products.