Food products and systems and methods for their production involve microfiltration (“MF”) of fluid skim to form a MF retentate, combining the MF retentate with cream and subjecting the combination to ultrafiltration (“UF”) to form a UF retentate. Prior to UF, the composition is formed of non-acidified components. Following UF, the UF retentate is acidified and forms a food product including a high solids content. The solids content may be further increased using evaporation. The resulting cheese or cheese base contains a lower whey protein ratio in a fat:casein:whey protein ratio compared to systems and methods that do not employ MF.

Food products and systems and methods for their production involve microfiltration (“MF”) of fluid skim to form a MF retentate, combining the MF retentate with cream and subjecting the combination to ultrafiltration (“UF”) to form a UF retentate. Prior to UF, the composition is formed of non-acidified components. Following UF, the UF retentate is acidified and forms a food product including a high solids content. The solids content may be further increased using evaporation. The resulting cheese or cheese base contains a lower whey protein ratio in a fat:casein:whey protein ratio compared to systems and methods that do not employ MF.

Food products and systems and methods for their production involve microfiltration (MF) of fluid skim to form a MF retentate, combining the MF retentate with cream and subjecting the combination to ultrafiltration (UF) to form a UF retentate. Prior to UF, the composition is formed of non-acidified components. Following UF, the UF retentate is acidified and forms a food product including a high solids content. The solids content may be further increased using evaporation. The resulting cheese or cheese base contains a lower whey protein ratio in a fat:casein:whey protein ratio compared to systems and methods that do not employ MF.

Food products and systems and methods for their production involve microfiltration (MF) of fluid skim to form a MF retentate, combining the MF retentate with cream and subjecting the combination to ultrafiltration (UF) to form a UF retentate. Prior to UF, the composition is formed of non-acidified components. Following UF, the UF retentate is acidified and forms a food product including a high solids content. The solids content may be further increased using evaporation. The resulting cheese or cheese base contains a lower whey protein ratio in a fat:casein:whey protein ratio compared to systems and methods that do not employ MF.

Disclosed is a method for the manufacturing of pasta filata cheese, wherein skim milk is first supplied to a transport system having a plurality of separate transport containers, wherein curd is produced from the skim milk in the region of a first process section of the transport system, by the addition of acidification cultures; wherein the curd produced is coagulated in the region of a second process section, wherein the coagulated curd is exposed to an acidification process for an acidification period in the region of a third process section; and wherein the acidified curd is removed from the transport system in an outgoing section at the end of the acidification period and is supplied to a subsequent process step in which the acidified curd is divided into portions. The curd remains in the transport system up to the removal of the curd after the end of the acidification process.

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 invention relates to the manufacture of a pasta filata cheese comprising a moisture content of at least about 55% by weight, a solids-non-fat content of up to about 45% by weight, the solids-non-fat comprising at least about 70% by weight protein, the protein comprising at least about 65% by weight casein, and a mineral content comprising a total divalent cation content of about 25 to about 75 mMol of divalent cations/100 g casein, and a total monovalent cation content of about 100 to about 250 mMol monovalent cations/100 g casein, and a total cation content of about 150 to about 300 mMol total cations/100 g casein.

Food products and systems and methods for their production involve microfiltration (MF) of fluid skim to form a MF retentate, combining the MF retentate with cream and subjecting the combination to ultrafiltration (UF) to form a UF retentate. Prior to UF, the composition is formed of non-acidified components. Following UF, the UF retentate is acidified and forms a food product including a high solids content. The solids content may be further increased using evaporation. The resulting cheese or cheese base contains a lower whey protein ratio in a fat:casein:whey protein ratio compared to systems and methods that do not employ MF.