METHOD FOR PRODUCING DAIRY PRODUCTS WITH THE ADDITION OF ESSENTIAL OILS

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing dairy products with the addition of essential oils. The products obtained have features that improve the defense of the human organism. For the preparation of the products, milk is pasteurized, culture is added and the product is fermented appropriately. Thereafter, it is strained, as required, and the selected essential oils are added. If the product to be obtained is cheese, then curing of the product is effected as required. In an alternative embodiment of the method, the essential oils may be added in the starting material, immediately after milk pasteurization.

Claims

1. Method for producing dairy products with the addition of essential oils, characterized in that for the production of any kind of cheese, milk is pasteurized, essential oils are added, culture is added and the product coagulates, before being placed in containers with brine, left to cure for the necessary time period and packaged.

2. Method for producing dairy products with the addition of essential oils, according to claim 1, characterized in that the essential oils are added before being placed in the containers with brine.

3. Method for producing dairy products with the addition of essential oils, according to claim 1, characterized in that pure herbs are added before packaging.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0015] The present invention aims at providing a method for producing dairy products with the addition of essential oils therein, thereby reinforcing and improving their properties. According to the method described in detail in below, essential oils may be added both to fresh, pasteurized milk and to yogurt, cheese, of any kind, as well as to any kind of milk beverages and fermented milk products. As it will be apparent from the detailed description of the method, this addition may be effected both to the final product and before its packaging, and to the starting material, without any significant differences in the final product.

[0016] Cheese production with the addition of essential oils in the final product, whether yellow cheese or white, hard or semi-hard cheese or whey, is performed with the initial pasteurization of the milk at 72 C. for a suitable time period. The common practice in the field of cheese products is a time period of ca. 15 seconds for the specific procedure. Subsequently, during production, an bacterial culture is added in the milk, in a ratio of 1 sachet per 1000 liters of milk. The mixture is left to coagulate and fermented for a time period equal to 2 hours, then is strained and in the brine the desired essential oils are added in a ratio of ca. 2% of the total brine quantity. After completion of ca. 24 hours, the cheese is placed in containers with the brine and left to cure for at least 60 days. As it is apparent, the curing period may be longer, depending on the type of cheese produced.

[0017] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, and given that the essential oils do not affect the cheese production procedure, these may be added in the starting material, immediately after the milk pasteurization and before the addition of the bacterial culture. The proportion of the added essential oils does not differ in this case either, and exemplarily it amounts to 2% of the total.

[0018] In the yogurt production procedure, as well in the production procedure for products such as yogurt with fruits and/or fermented milk products, the production method with the addition of essential oils in the final step includes milk pasteurization at 72 C., for a suitable time period, followed by culture addition, corresponding to 1 sachet per 1000 liters of milk. Thereafter, the product is fermented for a time period equal to 4 hours, without being limited to that, and then is strained, as required, and the essential oils are added. The proportion of the essential oils is exemplarily 2%, without being limited to that. Finally, the product is packaged for use by consumers.

[0019] In an alternative embodiment of the method for producing the said products, the addition of the essential oils may be effected in the starting material, before the addition of the bacterial culture, without needing to change the proportions or the steps.

[0020] Furthermore, as regards the production of fresh or chocolate milk with the addition of essential oils, the method comprises milk pasteurization at the suitable temperature for the necessary time period, and then the addition of the essential oils, before packaging. In an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment, pasteurization lasts for 15 seconds at 72 C., before adding 2% essential oils and packaging of the product.

[0021] It is noted that the essential oils used are derived from oregano, basil and rosemary, however any other suitable essential oil, or a combination thereof may be added, depending on the desires and the individual demands of the consumers.

[0022] Finally, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the method for producing dairy products with the addition of essential oils may be further refined with the use of pure herbs in the final step of the method, further reinforcing the organoleptic and bioactive features of the final products. The added herbs may match with the respective essential oils, such as oregano, basil and rosemary, however any combination with the use of other herbs not mentioned in the present description may be provided.

[0023] It should be noted that the description of the invention was made with reference to exemplary non-limiting embodiment. Thus, any variation or modification as regards the materials used, the steps of the method, the production procedure and the respective time period of each step, as long as they do not constitute a new inventive step and do not contribute to the technical progress of the already known state of the art, are encompassed in the scope of the present invention.