Pasta filata cheese products of the Mozzarella type are suggested, obtainable or obtained by: (a) subjecting milk to bactofugation or filtration, obtaining a bactofugate or a bacterial concentrate and a treated milk; (b) sterilising and, optionally, standardising the bactofugate or the bacterial concentrate obtained in step (b); (c) blending the treated milk of step (a) with the sterilised bactofugate or the bacterial concentrate of step (b); (d) coagulating the blended product of step (c) while adding starter cultures and/or rennet; (e) separating the coagulated milk of step (d) into whey and curd; (f) processing the whey with fine curd particles contained therein obtained in step (e) into a stable suspension; (g) subjecting the curd obtained in step (e) to heat treatment, and (h) shaping the heat-treated product of step (g),
wherein the suspension produced in step (f) is either added to the bactofugate or the bacterial concentrate obtained in step (a), or to the sterilised bactofugate or the bacterial concentrate obtained in step (b).

Disclosed is method of removing spores from raw goat milk. Thereby raw goat milk is subjected to decreaming in a separator. Goat cream is thereupon subjected to mild heat treatment. Goat skim milk may be subjected to microfiltration. Retentate therefrom is subjected to sterilization. The process results in a goat milk that is low in bacteria and spores. Disclosed is a non-sterilized milk, the use of said milk in cheese production, a method of making cheese and the use of the purified goat milk for obtaining whey and casein.

A method for producing a milk or whey powder, involves providing milk or whey, thickening the milk or whey using a first evaporation process or second evaporation process, and drying the thickened milk or whey to provide a milk or whey powder. After the first or second evaporation process, the milk or whey is sterilized using a centrifugal bacteria-removing separator.

A separator for separating raw milk into a skimmed milk phase, a cream phase and an ejection phase that comprises solid impurities is disclosed. The separator includes an ejection port arranged at a periphery of the separator to eject the ejection phase. A cyclone is connected to the ejection port to receive and decelerate the ejection phase, and a vessel in fluid communication with an ejection phase outlet of the cyclone to receive and collect the ejection phase from the cyclone. The cyclone includes a port that is open to the atmosphere, such that pressure build-up created in the cyclone when the ejection phase is ejected from the separator into the cyclone is released.

The present invention relates to long shelf life milk and milk-related products having an improved taste and particularly a reduced cooked taste as well as to a method for reducing cooked taste of such long shelf life products.

Pasta filata cheese products of the Mozzarella type are suggested, obtainable or obtained by: (a) subjecting milk to bactofugation or filtration, obtaining a bactofugate or a bacterial concentrate and a treated milk; (b) sterilising and, optionally, standardising the bactofugate or the bacterial concentrate obtained in step (b); (c) blending the treated milk of step (a) with the sterilised bactofugate or the bacterial concentrate of step (b); (d) coagulating the blended product of step (c) while adding starter cultures and/or rennet; (e) separating the coagulated milk of step (d) into whey and curd; (f) processing the whey with fine curd particles contained therein obtained in step (e) into a stable suspension; (g) subjecting the curd obtained in step (e) to heat treatment, and (h) shaping the heat-treated product of step (g),
wherein the suspension produced in step (f) is either added to the bactofugate or the bacterial concentrate obtained in step (a), or to the sterilised bactofugate or the bacterial concentrate obtained in step (b).

A process for the production of cheese is suggested, comprising or consisting of the following steps: (i) providing milk; (ii) coagulation of the milk while adding starter cultures and/or rennet material; (iii) separation of the coagulated milk of step (ii) into whey and curd; (iv) processing the whey obtained in step (iii) with fine curd particles contained therein into a stable suspension; and (v) further processing of the curd obtained in step (iii) into cheese, characterised in that (a) before the separation of whey and curd, the process contains a further step, wherein milk is subjected to filtration and/or bactofugation, obtaining a bacterial concentrate and a treated milk; (b) the bacterial concentrate obtained in step (a) is sterilised, and the sterilised bacterial concentrate is re-added to the treated milk; and (c) the suspension produced in step (iv) is either added to the bactofugate obtained in step (a), or is added to the sterilised bacterial concentrate obtained in step (b).

A separator for separating raw milk into a skimmed milk phase, a cream phase and an ejection phase that comprises solid impurities is disclosed. The separator includes an ejection port arranged at a periphery of the separator to eject the ejection phase. A cyclone is connected to the ejection port to receive and decelerate the ejection phase, and a vessel in fluid communication with an ejection phase outlet of the cyclone to receive and collect the ejection phase from the cyclone. The cyclone includes a port that is open to the atmosphere, such that pressure build-up created in the cyclone when the ejection phase is ejected from the separator into the cyclone is released.

A method for producing fresh milk having a longer shelf life involves providing raw milk and performing an at least two-step centrifugal germ removal process of the raw milk before a standardization process of the raw milk is carried out. A method may also include performing a first step of a two-step centrifugal germ removal process before a skimming process separating skimmed milk is carried out and performing a second step of the two-step centrifugal germ removal process during the carrying out of the skimming process separating skimmed milk.

A process for manufacturing semi-hard cheese, wherein skimmed milk enriched in fat and proteins, but depleted in lactose is subjected to coagulation without the need for pre-drainage of whey and any washing operations.