CREAM CHEESE

Abstract

The invention relates to a vegetable Cream Cheese, that is to say a product formulated with vegetable raw materials that reproduces the features of a dairy Cream Cheese in terms of texture and organoleptic profile.

Claims

1. A vegetable food product similar to Cream Cheese, comprising: crushed nuts, preferably in the form of a puree; with the addition of: at least one vegetable fat; at least one source of starch; at least one source of vegetable dietary fibres; a natural acidifying ingredient; and water; wherein the vegetable food product contains no added additives and has a median particle size D50 of less than 50 microns.

2. The vegetable food product according to claim 1, further comprising (percentages expressed by weight with respect to the total weight of the product): from 5 to 40% of crushed nut puree; from 5 to 30% of vegetable fat; up to 8% of saturated fatty acids; up to 1.5% of food salt; optionally, up to 1% of ferments; 0.5% to 20% of a source of starch; up to 30% of other raw materials such as vegetable or fruit purees or pieces, cereals, seeds, flavours, Lithothamnium powder or herbs; up to 8% of vegetable dietary fibres; up to 3.5% of acidifier such as concentrated lemon juice; and between 50% and 75% water.

3. The vegetable food product according to claim 1, further comprising (percentages expressed by weight with respect to the total weight of the product): from 10 to 30% of crushed nut puree; from 5 to 20% of vegetable fat; up to 3% saturated fatty acids; up to 1% of food salt; optionally, up to 1% of ferments; 1% to 15% of a source of starch; up to 30% of other raw materials such as vegetable or fruit purees or pieces, cereals, seeds, flavourings, Lithothamniun powder or herbs; up to 8% of vegetable dietary fibres; up to 1.2% acidifier such as concentrated lemon juice; and between 50% and 75% water.

4. The vegetable food product according to claim 1, further comprising: a dry extract content of between 20 and 50%; and a white colour, a smooth appearance, a spreadable rheology, a smooth texture and a fresh to fermented/acidic taste.

5. The vegetable food product according to claim 1, wherein the nut is almond.

6. The vegetable food product according to claim 1, wherein the vegetable fat is a fluid vegetable oil.

7. The vegetable food product according to claim 6, wherein the fluid vegetable oil is selected from rapeseed oil, sunflower oil or olive oil or a mixture thereof.

8. The vegetable food product according to claim 1, wherein the source of starch is rice flour and/or potato or manioc starch.

9. The vegetable food product according to claim 8, wherein the rice flour is pregelatinised.

10. The vegetable food product according to claim 1, wherein the vegetable dietary fibres are selected from non-texturizing soluble fibres including inulin, fructooligosaccharides, and resistant dextrins and or any other indigestible oligosaccharide of low molar mass, soluble and having a neutral taste.

11. A method for preparing the product according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: A) optionally, preparing a fermented vegetable raw material by fermenting part or all of crushed nuts, in their rehydrated and thermally-treated form prior to inoculation of the ferments; B) mixing the raw materials, which may include the fermented vegetable raw material obtained in step A), via vigorous shearing, and optionally preheating; C) thermally treating the mixture at a temperature between 75 and 90° C. for 1 to 10 minutes under vigorous shearing; D) optional degassing and homogenising; E) optionally overrun; F) optionally, adding raw materials, preferably vegetable; steps E) and F) can be reversed; G) hot dosing at a temperature above 70° C. of the finished product in its packaging or in an intermediate container; H) cooling between 4 and 10° C.; and I) optionally, in the case of dosing in an intermediate container, adding other raw materials, including vegetable flavouring, and/or ferments and then cold dosing the product into its final packaging.

12. The vegetable food product according to claim 2, further comprising (percentages expressed by weight with respect to the total weight of the product): from 10 to 30% of crushed nut puree; from 5 to 20% of vegetable fat; up to 3% saturated fatty acids; up to 1% of food salt; optionally, up to 1% of ferments; 1% to 15% of a source of starch; up to 30% of other raw materials such as vegetable or fruit purees or pieces, cereals, seeds, flavourings, Lithothamniun powder or herbs; up to 8% of vegetable dietary fibres; up to 1.2% acidifier such as concentrated lemon juice; and between 50% and 75% water.

13. The vegetable food product according to claim 2, further comprising: a dry extract content of between 20 and 50%; and a white colour, a smooth appearance, a spreadable rheology, a smooth texture and a fresh to fermented/acidic taste.

14. The vegetable food product according to claim 3, further comprising: a dry extract content of between 20 and 50%; and a white colour, a smooth appearance, a spreadable rheology, a smooth texture and a fresh to fermented/acidic taste.

15. The vegetable food product according to claim 2, wherein the nut is almond.

16. The vegetable food product according to claim 3, wherein the nut is almond.

17. The vegetable food product according to claim 4, wherein the nut is almond.

18. The vegetable food product according to claim 2, wherein the vegetable fat is a fluid vegetable oil.

19. The vegetable food product according to claim 3, wherein the vegetable fat is a fluid vegetable oil.

20. The vegetable food product according to claim 4, wherein the vegetable fat is a fluid vegetable oil.

Description

FIGURES

[0128] FIG. 1 is a photograph of the product of example 1, which is a non-overrun vegetable Cream Cheese;

[0129] FIG. 2 is a graphical representation of the sensory evaluation of the Cream Cheese of example 5.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0130] (FIG. 1): the Cream Cheese product is composed of 60% water, 15% almond puree, 10% rapeseed oil, 10% rice flour, 2.5% inulin, 1% NaCl, 1.5% concentrated lemon juice.

[0131] The method comprises the following steps from table 2 described above, namely

[0132] B-C-D-G-H

[0133] A finished product is obtained that has the appearance of a fresh dairy paste, with a smooth, white spreadable texture (see FIG. 1). The product has a pH of 4.7 and can be conserved before opening for several weeks (70 days) at a temperature of 4 to 10° C. without showing any noticeable change in texture or taste.

[0134] The nutritional values of the product of Example 1 are given below:

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Content per 100 g Energy (kcal) 234 Protein 4 Carbohydrates 12.5 Of which sugars 0.9 Fat 18 Of which Saturated Fatty Acids 2 Fibre 3

[0135] The addition of ingredients such as herbs, garlic or spices is a variant of this Nature formula, these ingredients being added in step F.

[0136] The steps B) and C) can be carried out with a Stephan or Karl-Schnell type cooker using shear parameters known to the skilled person. In this particular case, the two mixing steps were carried out at 1500 rpm.

Example 2

[0137] The Cream Cheese product is composed of 61.6% water, 13% almond puree, 8% rapeseed oil, 3% copra, 11% rice flour, 1% inulin, 1.2% NaCl, 1% concentrated lemon juice, 0.2% natural flavour.

[0138] The method comprises the following steps from Table 2 described above, namely:

[0139] B-C-D-G-H.

[0140] As in the Example 1, the addition of herbs, garlic, spices or other flavouring ingredients (vegetables, fruits) is a variant of this Nature formula, these ingredients being added in step F.

Example 3

[0141] Product composed of 58.9% water, 15% almond puree, 10% rapeseed oil, 10% rice flour, 2.5% inulin, 1.5% potato starch, 0.7% NaCl, 0.9% concentrated lemon juice and 0.5% of a commercial Lithothamnium powder

[0142] The addition of herbs, garlic or spices is a variant of this formula.

[0143] The method then comprises the following steps from table 2 described above: B-C-D-F-G-H or even B-C-D-G-H-I.

Example 4—Cream Cheese Overrun

[0144] Product composed of 65.1% water, 19% almond puree, 8% rapeseed oil, 4.5% potato starch, 3.5% inulin, 0.8% NaCl, 1.3% concentrated lemon juice.

[0145] The addition of ingredients such as herbs, garlic or spices is a variant of this formula.

[0146] The method used in this example is the one corresponding to the preferred values in the table 2 described above, namely: B-C-D-E-G-H or (if ingredients are added): B-C-D-E-F-G-H or if a fermentation step is added: A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H.

Example 5

[0147] In the following example, the almond puree with added water was inoculated and fermented with a strain of the species Lactococcus lactis ssp lactis biovar diacetylactis. The resulting mixture was fermented at 30° C. for 24 hours to obtain what will be called a leaven.

[0148] The leaven was then incorporated in step B) at a rate of 30% into the final mixture.

[0149] An unleavened product was also made for comparison. The composition of the two products is equivalent and is summarised in the following table:

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Product with 30% leaven Product without leaven Ingredients incorporated incorporated Almond puree 10.5%.sup.  15% Fermented leaven 30% 0 (15% almond puree + 85% water) Total almond puree 15% 15% Oil 10% 10% Rice flour 10% 10% Inulin 2.5%  2.5%  Salt  1%  1% Lemon juice 1.5%  1.5%  Water 34.5%.sup.  60%

[0150] The method used is that of Example 1.

[0151] Both products were made on the same day.

[0152] In this example, the nature of the flavour and taste interest provided by the Cream Cheese leaven was evaluated and validated by a sensory evaluation carried out with a panel of 10 judges according to a “double blind” protocol, i.e. the judges were not aware of the project, the nature of the problem and the nature of the samples. The order of tasting was also different and randomly assigned to each judge. Two Cream Cheese products were compared in this evaluation: the Cream Cheese product with 30% leaven (“30%” in the graph in FIG. 2) and the Cream Cheese product without leaven (“Control” in the graph in FIG. 2). They were evaluated by smell and then by tasting according to three criteria: Global flavouring intensity, dairy intensity and vegetal intensity. The judges were asked to describe the nature of the flavour and taste notes perceived in smell and tasting as well.

[0153] According to the graphical data in FIG. 2, the judges perceived the product with leaven to be significantly more dairy in smell and taste than the unleavened product. They also perceive the product with leaven to be significantly less vegetable than the unleavened product.

[0154] The judges describe the product with leaven as having “butter”, “cream”, and “almond” notes in smell and “dairy”, “sour cream”, “light almond” in taste. The unleavened product is described as “vegetable”, “almond”, “cooked” in smell and “almond” in mouth.

[0155] These data allow us to validate the flavouring gain brought by the leaven to the product: a dairy component is added. A reduction in the vegetable and almond notes is also perceived in the mouth.

Example 6: Characterisation of the Rheology of Products According to the Invention

[0156] Several publications are available on the rheological characterisation of dairy Cream Cheeses with this method and have been compared in Table 5.

[0157] All these measurements were carried out at a temperature of 5° C. and with a rotation speed of 0.05 rd/s (publication (1) and present application) or 0.06 rd/s (publication (2)):

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Flow Angular Threshold Deformation Product (kPa) (rd) Source Kraft Philadelphia Regular 4.4 0.24 (1) Kraft Philadelphia Neufchatel 2.7 0.43 (1) Kraft Philadelphia Whipped 1.3 0.63 (1) Kraft Philadelphia 2.2 0.23 (2) Product according to the 2.0 ± 0.5 0.28 ± 0.06 invention Example 1 Product according to the 1.2 ± 0.3 0.18 ± 0.03 invention Example 4 (overrun) [0158] (1) Breidinger, S. L. and Steffe, J. F., 2001, “Texture Map of Cream Cheese”, Journal of Food Science, 66, no 3, 453-456. [0159] (2) Coutouly, A., Riaublanc, A., Axelos, M., Gaucher, I., 2014, “Effect of heat treatment, final pH of acidification and homogenization pressure on the texture properties of Cream Cheese”, Dairy Science & Technology, 94, 125-144.

[0160] The products according to the invention give values close to Kraft Foods' Philadelphia product, a product considered the benchmark in the Cream Cheese category, which confirms the spreading nature of the products according to the invention.