A hopper is closed at its lower end by a scraper which is provided with two opposite edges that laterally delimit an elongated discharge opening, a motorized rotating shaft extends parallel to the elongated discharge opening in a scraping relationship with the opposite edges, and is provided with a plurality of blind receptacles that are adapted to receive doses of salt which is loaded into the hopper, and after passing the first edge in relation to the direction of rotation of the shaft, the salt is discharged by gravity.

The present disclosure relates to a naturally ripened, block-shaped cheese of the hard or semi-hard type comprising a water-permeable coating applied onto the entire surface of the cheese and a water-impermeable material applied onto the water-permeable coating, wherein at least all vertices and the four edges that connect the top face and bottom face of the block-shaped coated cheese are covered with a layer of the water-impermeable material while leaving the bottom face and top face of the block-shaped coated cheese largely uncovered. The present disclosure also relates to a method of making said naturally ripened, cylindrically shaped cheese of the hard or semi-hard type.

The present disclosure relates to a naturally ripened, block-shaped cheese of the hard or semi-hard type comprising a water-permeable coating applied onto the entire surface of the cheese and a water-impermeable material applied onto the water-permeable coating, wherein at least all vertices and the four edges that connect the top face and bottom face of the block-shaped coated cheese are covered with a layer of the water-impermeable material while leaving the bottom face and top face of the block-shaped coated cheese largely uncovered. The present disclosure also relates to a method of making said naturally ripened, cylindrically shaped cheese of the hard or semi-hard type.

Method for producing ripened hard or semi-hard cheese comprising the steps of: i) arranging one or more unripened cheese wheels (2) comprising phosphoproteins and lactic bacteria in a maturation environment (10); ii) providing at least one electro-acoustic transducer (6) configured to generate sound waves (4) in the maturation environment (10), at a time-varying frequency and at a sound pressure comprised in the range from 50-100 dB.sub.SPL; iii) for a treatment time, stimulating the at least one cheese wheel (2) of step i) with said sound waves (4) to accelerate a proteolysis of phosphoproteins by lactic bacteria; (iv) ripening the cheese wheel (2) for a ripening time to obtain a ripened cheese wheel (2). The present invention also regards a cheese wheel obtained using such method, and a production system.

Method for producing ripened hard or semi-hard cheese comprising the steps of: i) arranging one or more unripened cheese wheels (2) comprising phosphoproteins and lactic bacteria in a maturation environment (10); ii) providing at least one electro-acoustic transducer (6) configured to generate sound waves (4) in the maturation environment (10), at a time-varying frequency and at a sound pressure comprised in the range from 50-100 dB.sub.SPL; iii) for a treatment time, stimulating the at least one cheese wheel (2) of step i) with said sound waves (4) to accelerate a proteolysis of phosphoproteins by lactic bacteria; (iv) ripening the cheese wheel (2) for a ripening time to obtain a ripened cheese wheel (2). The present invention also regards a cheese wheel obtained using such method, and a production system.

A crate (1) for a cheese, said crate (1) comprising a base (2), an open top (3) substantially parallel to the base (2), a peripheral wall (4), the peripheral wall (4) forming a closed contour and forming with the base (2) a space (8) intended to receive the cheese, the peripheral wall (4) comprising a medium portion (29) which is approximately at mid-height of the space (8) intended to receive the cheese and further having at least one through-hole (36, 60) formed therein.

The peripheral wall (4) comprises a solid strip (27) enclosing the space (8) intended to receive the cheese while being substantially parallel to the base (2), said solid strip (27) including the medium portion (29) of the peripheral wall (4) and having a minimum height which is at least 15% of the height of the space (8) intended to receive the cheese.

A device for rapidly smoking food that is portable and adapted to accept and contain smoke from a smoke source. The smoking device has a housing with an internal chamber with a rack adapted to hold a food, such as one or more of a portion of solid food and a liquid such as a beverage. The device has a plurality of apertures that are sealable by a cover to contain smoke or other vapor within the device in order to infuse the food therewithin.

A device for rapidly smoking food that is portable and adapted to accept and contain smoke from a smoke source. The smoking device has a housing with an internal chamber with a rack adapted to hold a food, such as one or more of a portion of solid food and a liquid such as a beverage. The device has a plurality of apertures that are sealable by a cover to contain smoke or other vapor within the device in order to infuse the food therewithin.

The invention provides a method of selecting the suitability of a lighting device (100) for use in cheese lighting, the method comprising (a) defining a normalization factor (k) for a spectral power distribution (SPD()) of lighting device light (101) of said lighting device (100) in a wavelength range of 380-780 nm, (b) defining the lighting device (100) suitable for use in cheese lighting when a cheese damage function value (CDFV) is equal to or below 2, wherein the cheese damage function value (CDFV) is defined as: (I) wherein: (II) wherein y () is a 2-degree color matching function, and wherein DF()=1 for 380 nm<410, and wherein for 410780: (III).

The invention provides a method of selecting the suitability of a lighting device (100) for use in cheese lighting, the method comprising (a) defining a normalization factor (k) for a spectral power distribution (SPD()) of lighting device light (101) of said lighting device (100) in a wavelength range of 380-780 nm, (b) defining the lighting device (100) suitable for use in cheese lighting when a cheese damage function value (CDFV) is equal to or below 2, wherein the cheese damage function value (CDFV) is defined as: (I) wherein: (II) wherein y () is a 2-degree color matching function, and wherein DF()=1 for 380 nm<410, and wherein for 410780: (III).