The invention relates to a method for producing a cheese having spreading and/or ropy properties when cooked, said cheese being produced from powdered milk protein concentrates. Especially the ratio of the weight of the calcium to the weight of the total nitrogenous matter (Ca/TNM) in said milk protein concentrates is greater than or equal to 0.10% and less than or equal to 2.80%.

A block former (1) for the production of blocks of cheese (19) includes an upright drainage column (2) having a feed opening (3) for curd particles (4) at an upper end (5) of the drainage column (2). The drainage column (2) includes an inner wall (6) having an interior surface (7) against which a pillar of curd (8) formed of the curd particles (4) slides as the pillar of curd (8) moves downwardly through the drainage column (2). The upright drainage column (2) is divided into an upper part (9) and a lower part (10). The interior surface (7) at the upper part (9) has a first finish and the interior surface (7) at the lower part (10) has a second finish that provides higher friction with the pillar of curd (8) relative to the first finish.

Disclosed is a method for making freeze-dried shelf-stable natural cheese products having a softer, smoother texture than that of conventional freeze-dried cheese. Products made by the method include shelf-stable cheese snacks.

Fresh pasta filata cheese with a fat content equal to or lower than 0.5% w/w comprising a curd of fully skimmed milk and at least one vegetable oil and production process thereof.

Methods of making a powdered dairy composition are disclosed. The methods may include the steps of adding a sequestrant for calcium and rennet to a milk composition to make treated milk, and forming the treated milk into a milk powder. Powdered non-fat dry milk products are also disclosed. The products may include one or more milk proteins that have been enzymatically altered by chymosin, where the chymosin altered proteins are not coagulated. The products may also include one or more sequestants to bind calcium ions in the powdered product.

The present invention relates to a composition for coloring foods, beverages, animal feeds, cosmetics or drugs comprising 1) dissolved carotenoid emulsified as an oil-in-water emulsion using a suitable emulsifier and 2) crystalline carotenoid encapsulated in a suitable hydrocolloid, making it water-dispersible and thereby miscible with the oil-in-water emulsified carotenoid fraction, mixed in a ratio of between 1:100 to 100:1. The present invention further relates to a method for preparing the coloring composition, a method for preparing a food, beverage, animal feed, cosmetic or drug and a food, beverage, animal feed, cosmetic or drug comprising the coloring composition.

A method for producing a dairy-based product in pieces, said product being mozzarella cheese or a preparation based on dairy products. The method comprises the steps of: realising a first portion of a sheet (10) of said product; cooling said first portion of the sheet (10); obtaining pieces of said product from said first portion of the sheet (10).

A package for dairy products, in particular solid or semi-solid dairy products, including a bag provided with at least one pair of lateral walls reciprocally joined by means of first welding lines and at least one bottom wall, so as to define a housing compartment. A dairy product is housed in the compartment defined inside the bag. The bag includes second welding lines made in correspondence with top parts of the bag and positioned on opposite sides of the bottom wall. The second welding lines are disposed diagonally with respect to the first welding lines and with respect to the bottom wall and configured and oriented so as to progressively narrow the housing compartment toward the bottom wall of the bag. The dairy product includes at least a central support zone on the bottom wall and the bag includes at least lateral support zones defined by the opposite top parts.

A method for manufacturing a cheese string involves providing a cheese base, retexturing the cheese base to form a cheese paste, and extruding the cheese paste through a die with a diameter less than or equal to 10 mm to form the cheese string, in which the cheese base has a maximum tangent slope value of between 0.06 and 0.10.

An inventive solution directed to the production of pasta filata type cheese, such as mozzarella, provolone and blends thereof by concurrently and continuously pulling, stretching, cooling and molding cheese through a series of channels, preferably elongated in nature, having enclosed cavities of particular negative dimension for molding purposes. The cheese is cooled by indirect heat transfer through thermal conductive walls of the elongated channels. The cheese is allowed to set as it is formed within the cooling and molding channels. As the cheese is pulled through and out of the distal end of the elongated channels, the series of released cheese ribbons are combined and pulled through a second series of compression channels by which multiple ribbons are compressed together to form larger laminated strips ready for immediate packaging, storage or further processing.