High moisture cream cheese texture control

US6303160A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• KRAFT FOODS HOLDINGS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Isabelle Laye · Wheeling, US
• Jimbay P. Loh · Libertyville, US
• David G. Pechak · Glen Ellyn, US
• Alice Shen Cha · Campion Road, US
• Bruce Campbell · Palatine, US
• Ted Riley Lindstrom · Lake Forest, US
• Matthew Zwolfer · Chicago, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 14, 2000
• Grant date: Oct 16, 2001
• Expiry date: Dec 14, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A23C19/0765
• WIPO field: Food chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process for producing a high moisture cream cheese having desirable textural characteristics (i.e., increased firmness) is provided. More specifically, the process of the invention provides a high moisture cream cheese with significantly increased firmness by controlling the moisture levels during the manufacturing process at levels below the final target moisture level of the final cream cheese product; the moisture level of the final composition is then adjusted to the final target moisture level by the addition of water. It has surprisingly been found that control of the moisture levels during the manufacturing process in this manner results in-significantly increased levels of firmness in the final cream cheese product. Indeed, the firmness of the high moisture cream cheese product produced using this method is about 5 to about 20 fold greater than standard cream cheese prepared without such moisture control.