New Zealand Milk Products (North America) Inc., a Californian company, was issued US patent 6177118 for ‘Methods for producing cheese and cheese products.’ The process is claimed to simplify and quicken cheesemaking.

Abstract:



    The invention relates to a simplified, rapid method which is suitable for making a variety of cheese and cheese products, including natural and processed cheese, in a single installation with common equipment. In particular, the invention concerns a method of making cheese, comprising the steps of:
    (a) concentrating milk or a reconstituted dry milk, having its pH adjusted to about 5.0 to 6.8, by ultrafiltration and diafiltration to produce a retentate;
    (b) supplementing said retentate with a protein concentrate or isolate and, optionally, fat and/or flavor; and
    (c) heating the mixture to produce a smooth consistency.


Others active in this technology are Snow Brand Milk Products Co. Ltd., Australian Dairy Corporation, Cornell Research Foundation Inc.,  and Land O’Lakes, Inc.


First of 29 Claims:



  1. A method of making cheese, comprising the steps of:
    (a) concentrating milk or a reconstituted dry milk concentrate, having its pH adjusted to about 5.0 to 6.8, by ultrafiltration and diafiltration to produce a retentate;
    (b) supplementing said retentate with a protein concentrate or isolate; and
    (c) heating the mixture obtained to produce a smooth consistency.

By Navroz Havewala, just-food.com correspondent

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