Processed Cheese

Processed cheese is really a dairy product from the mixing and heating of countless lots of natural cheese, with suitable emulsifying agents, right into a homogeneous plastic mass. It might contain fruits, vegetables and spices. Cheese is processed for uniformity, safety and longer keeping quality and simpler merchandizing. Good processed cheese includes a smooth little body, without fermentative gas holes and it has a uniform colour. This kind of cheese might be sliced without having crumbling or sticking also it melts uniformly and smoothly.

Processed cheese might be defined as a modified type of natural cheese prepared with heat, by comminuting and blending a number of lots of cheese, except some types such as cream, cottage type cheese, etc. with water, salt, colour, emulsifier right into a homogeneous plastic mass, that is usually packed while hot.

As per the PFA rules (1976), processed cheese describes a product obtained by heating cheese with permitted emulsifiers or stabilizers, viz. citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium salts of orthophosphoric and polyphosphoric acid, with or without having added condiments and acidifying agents, viz. lactic acid, vinegar, phosphoric acid and citric acid. Processed cheese could have not more than 4.0% of anhydrous permitted emulsifiers, or stabilizers, provide the content of anhydrous inorganic salts in no case exceeds 3.0% from the finished product. It shouldn't contain a lot more than 47.0% moisture. The milk fat content shouldn't be less than 40.0% from the dry matter. Processed cheese could have 0.1% sorbic acid, or its sodium, potassium or calcium salts or 0.1% of nisin, either singly or perhaps in combination.

Broad outline on preparing processed cheese

Selection of cheese blocks

In order to create good quality cheese with standard composition, cheese blocks from various lots are selected based on age, flavour, body, texture etc. Often a trier is used to attract sample in the cheese blocks and also the fat, moisture, salt and acidity are tested.

Cleaning and grinding

The selected cheese lots are put on the cleaning table for tempering. The wax coating, if any, adhering at first glance of the cheese blocks is taken away along with non edible portions and difficult rind. The cheese is ground or cut into small pieces and also the weight is located out.

Processing and packaging of cheese

The ground cheese will be transferred to the processing kettle. The cheese is continually stirred and cooking continued with steam. Emulsifiers for example disodium phosphate or trisodium citrate are generally used in the recommended rate using the pre-calculated quantity of water. The kettle is heated to temperature, usually ranging between 80-85°C to obtain a good quality product. The cheese needs to be continuously stirred throughout the heating process. The cheese is used in the packaging machine and packed into convenient sizes. It's a common practice to keep the packaged processed cheese at 20°C overnight before transferring them to the cold store.

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The author is really a dairy expert, focusing on the technology and microbiology of dairy foods and holds a doctoral degree in Dairy Science as well as for more info on milk and milk products, please visit her site An expert Dairy Site.