Room-temperature processed cheese and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to normal-temperature processed cheese and a preparation method thereof. The moisture content of the normal-temperature processed cheese is 1-7%, the puffing rate is 110-140%, and the porosity is 40-60%. The invention also provides a preparation method of the normal-temperature processed cheese. The normal-temperature reprocessed cheese provided by the invention has a puffed and crisp taste, and the preparation process is simple and convenient, and the processing time is short. According to the preparation method, the technical characteristics of vacuum microwaves are utilized, normal-temperature storage and transportation are achieved by controlling the moisture content of the product, and meanwhile the product is endowed with crisp taste.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to room-temperature processed cheese and a preparation method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of processed cheese. Background Art

[0002] According to the different processing methods, cheese can be divided into natural cheese and processed cheese. Affected by the processing technology, the taste of natural cheese is generally special, salty and expensive, which is not in line with the eating habits of Chinese people. Although processed cheese products have a soft taste, diverse flavors and low prices, they need to be stored and sold through refrigeration to ensure a certain shelf life. Once they are defrosted, they will quickly deteriorate, which greatly limits the consumption scenarios of processed cheese. It is urgent to develop a processed cheese product that can be stored and transported at room temperature to meet market demand.

[0003] There are currently two technical routes for ambient temperature processed cheese products on the market: (1) UHT + aseptic filling: This processing method has high requirements for equipment technology and large investment; and after high temperature treatment, the product loses a lot of nutrients, and the taste, flavor, color, etc. will change to varying degrees; (2) Reduce water activity through drying / baking technology to achieve room temperature storage and transportation of the product; vacuum freeze-dried products have high processing costs, the product tastes soft and dense, has no chewiness, and the product is generally easy to stick to teeth; products made by baking technology have low porosity and poor crispness. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a novel room temperature processed cheese and a preparation method thereof, wherein the room temperature processed cheese has a good crispy taste.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention first provides a room temperature processed cheese, wherein the room temperature processed cheese has a moisture content of 1-7%, a puffing rate of 110-140%, and a porosity of 40-60%.

[0006] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the average hardness of the room temperature processed cheese is 1000-3000g, more preferably 1700-2700g.

[0007] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the crispness of the room temperature processed cheese is 5-25, more preferably 8-15.

[0008] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the crispness of the room temperature processed cheese is 5-25, more preferably 10-20.

[0009] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the moisture content of the room temperature processed cheese is 2-5%.

[0010] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the puffing rate of the room temperature processed cheese is 120-130%.

[0011] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the porosity of the room temperature processed cheese is 44-54%.

[0012] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the average hardness, brittleness and crispness are determined in the following manner: the sample to be tested is placed directly below the probe of the texture analyzer, and a cylindrical probe with a diameter of 8 mm is used to perform a puncture test on the sample, wherein the probe descending speed before the test is 1.0 mm / sec, the probe moving speed during the test is 1.0 mm / sec, the probe resetting speed after the test is 10.0 mm / sec, and the trigger force is 20 g;

[0013] The texture analyzer records the puncture time and the force (the force value of the peak in the curve) to obtain a texture curve; wherein the texture curve has the force value as the ordinate and the test time as the abscissa;

[0014] The average force value within the puncture time of 0-2s in the texture curve is taken as the average hardness, in g;

[0015] The number of peaks with force values ​​> 100 g in the texture curve was taken as the brittleness value;

[0016] The number of peaks with force values ​​between 20g and 100g in the texture curve is taken as the crispness value.

[0017] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the room temperature processed cheese is prepared from a semi-finished processed cheese product by vacuum microwave drying; wherein the moisture content of the semi-finished processed cheese product is 50-60%.

[0018] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, controlling the moisture content of the semi-finished processed cheese helps to ensure that the room temperature processed cheese has a puffed and crispy texture.

[0019] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the raw materials of the semi-finished processed cheese include, by weight: 40-65 parts of natural cheese, 20-50 parts of water, 0-10 parts of white sugar, 0-8 parts of protein raw materials, and 0-5 parts of emulsifying salt.

[0020] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the natural cheese meets the following conditions: the protein content is 20%-30%, the fat content is 30%-40%, the moisture content is 30%-45%, the salt content is 0-5%, and the pH value is 5.0-6.0.

[0021] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the protein raw material includes one or a combination of two or more of wheat gluten protein, whey protein, and soy protein; more preferably, it is wheat gluten protein.

[0022] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the raw materials of the semi-finished processed cheese also include fillers; in parts by weight, the fillers are selected from: 0-10 parts (preferably 3-10 parts) of sweet condensed milk, 0-5 parts (preferably 2-5 parts) of butter, 0-5 parts (preferably 2-5 parts) of skim milk powder, 0-5 parts (preferably 1-5 parts) of starch, and 0-5 parts (preferably 1-5 parts) of prebiotics. The filler of the present invention can be selected from one or a combination of two or more of the above fillers. The calculation basis of the weight parts of various fillers is consistent with the calculation basis of the weight parts of various raw materials of the semi-finished processed cheese.

[0023] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the emulsifying salt is selected from one or a combination of two or more of sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium polyphosphate, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, and tricalcium phosphate; more preferably, the emulsifying salt is a mixture of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, and tricalcium phosphate in a weight ratio of (30-55):(20-50):(0-25):(0-30), wherein the weight ratio of sodium phosphate to tricalcium phosphate can be 5-25, 5-30, that is, the emulsifying salt can be a mixture of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate, and sodium phosphate in a weight ratio of (30-55): (20-50): (5-25), or a mixture of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate, and tricalcium phosphate in a weight ratio of (30-55): (20-50): (5-30), or a mixture of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, and tricalcium phosphate in a weight ratio of (30-55): (20-50): (5-25): (5-30). By selecting a suitable combination of emulsifying salts, the formability and taste of the product can be improved.

[0024] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the starch is selected from one or a combination of two or more of potato starch, tapioca starch and wheat starch, more preferably tapioca starch.

[0025] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the prebiotic is selected from one or a combination of two or more of fructooligosaccharides, galacto-oligosaccharides and inulin.

[0026] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the semi-finished processed cheese product is obtained by mixing the raw materials of the semi-finished processed cheese product and heating and melting the milk; more preferably, the temperature of the heating and melting the milk is 85-95°C, and the time is controlled at 5-10min.

[0027] Vacuum microwave drying technology is a low-temperature drying technology, and its drying temperature is usually less than 80°C. Under vacuum conditions, moisture evaporates from the inside of the material, forming tiny pores inside the product, thereby expanding the material. Therefore, the present invention has found that the cheese product can have the characteristics of expansion and crispness by only using the characteristics of vacuum microwave technology, without adding a leavening agent.

[0028] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the vacuum degree of the vacuum microwave drying is ≤-0.085MPa.

[0029] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the microwave power per unit mass of the vacuum microwave drying is 1-6 W / g, more preferably 2-5 W / g, based on the mass of the processed cheese semi-finished product (i.e. the processed cheese semi-finished product formed by infusion during the preparation process).

[0030] The present invention also provides a method for preparing the above-mentioned room temperature processed cheese, which comprises the following steps:

[0031] The semi-finished processed cheese is injection-molded, and then vacuum-dried by microwaves. After drying, gas is injected to obtain room-temperature processed cheese with a crispy texture.

[0032] The preparation method provided by the present invention comprises the following steps: subjecting raw materials including natural cheese and fillers to a melting / emulsification process in a melting milk device with mechanical processing functions such as heating, shearing, and emulsification to obtain a semi-finished processed cheese product; and then subjecting the semi-finished product to a vacuum microwave drying process to drying and removing most of the water in the semi-finished product, thereby obtaining room temperature processed cheese.

[0033] In the above preparation method, in order to adapt to the raw material composition of processed cheese at room temperature, the present invention introduces a fabrication process (i.e., pouring molding) based on the material properties of the semi-finished processed cheese, which is used for direct segmentation and molding. The fabrication process includes two operations: pouring + mold-assisted molding: pouring refers to injecting the semi-finished processed cheese into the mold by extrusion and other methods; the mold plays a role in assisting molding. The pouring process can use a manual extrusion device or a mechanical device; the mold can be made of any suitable material and can also be designed into any shape. When natural cheese is directly dried, the cheese can maintain its original shape after absorbing heat and will not melt; while the present invention uses the semi-finished processed cheese as raw material, and the semi-finished processed cheese exhibits different fluidity when heated. The present invention uses a mold-assisted drying to avoid the problem of the semi-finished processed cheese not being formed due to melting and flowing.

[0034] In the above preparation method, preferably, during pouring, the temperature of the semi-finished processed cheese product is 0-100°C, more preferably 50-80°C.

[0035] In the above preparation method, preferably, the moisture content of the product dried by vacuum microwave is 3-5%.

[0036] In the above preparation method, preferably, the temperature of the product dried by vacuum microwave is less than 80°C.

[0037] In the above preparation method, preferably, the gas is sterile air with a humidity of ≤40% and a temperature of ≤30° C. The pressure of the drying chamber is restored to normal pressure by injecting sterile air, and the processed cheese product can be prevented from being contaminated by bacteria in the air during this process.

[0038] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the above preparation method comprises the following specific steps:

[0039] Step 1: heating and melting milk: pour all raw materials and fillers into a melting milk pot, introduce steam to heat and melt the milk to obtain a semi-finished processed cheese, wherein the melting temperature is 85-95°C and the emulsification time is controlled at 5-10min.

[0040] Step 2: Fabric: Pour the semi-finished processed cheese obtained in step 1 into a mold, and place it into a vacuum microwave drying chamber for drying. During pouring, the temperature of the semi-finished processed cheese is 0-100°C, preferably 50-80°C.

[0041] Step 3: Evacuate the vacuum microwave drying equipment until the vacuum degree in the vacuum microwave drying chamber is ≤-0.085MPa.

[0042] Step 4: After reaching the predetermined vacuum degree, start the microwave with the corresponding power according to the weight of the material, and the microwave power per unit mass is 2-5W / g. The entire drying process only requires one microwave power, and it is turned on throughout the process until the drying process is completed. There is no need to control the microwave in stages, nor is there any need to control the start and stop of the microwave according to the material temperature and the vacuum degree of the environment; the moisture content of the final product is controlled at 3-5%; when the moisture content meets the requirements, stop the microwave heating and end the drying process. The temperature of the microwave dried product is <80℃.

[0043] Step 5: After drying, sterile air with a humidity of ≤40% and a temperature of ≤30°C is quickly added into the vacuum microwave drying chamber to obtain room-temperature processed cheese with a puffed and crispy texture.

[0044] During the preparation process, the innovation of the present invention lies in that: there is no need to cool the semi-finished processed cheese and perform subsequent cutting (dicing / pressing), and the (hot) infusion + mold-assisted method is used to directly divide and shape it; this method can solve the problem that processed cheese melts at high moisture content or when heated, resulting in the inability to maintain its shape during vacuum microwave drying. In other words, this process can be used in situations where the material collapses and cannot be formed due to heat during vacuum microwave drying. Compared with the traditional cooling-division process, the technical solution of the present invention can reduce energy waste while improving production efficiency and simplifying the process.

[0045] The room temperature processed cheese provided by the invention is a room temperature processed cheese with a crisp taste.

[0046] Generally speaking, products with low puffing rate and porosity retain some of the original cheese taste, and the average hardness is generally high. At the same time, it is difficult for the product to have both crispy and crunchy tastes. The product often has a crispy but not crispy taste (strong graininess when chewing, the product is easy to break) or crispy but not crispy (thin taste when chewing). Products with too high puffing rate and porosity are often caused by the loss of control of the formula and process. At this time, the puffed porous structure formed in the cheese crisp product is not uniform, which reflects the appearance of a single large cavitation bubble inside the product. Strictly speaking, the product in this state is a defective product because the final product has different shapes and is not subject to production conditions.

[0047] The present invention can ensure that the product has a crispy taste by controlling the moisture content (water content) of the room temperature processed cheese within the range provided by the present invention. If the moisture content exceeds the range provided by the present invention, the water activity of the obtained product will be increased accordingly, so that the room temperature storage period will be shortened. In addition, when the moisture content exceeds the range provided by the present invention, the product itself will no longer have a crispy taste.

[0048] In addition, the present invention provides a material basis for the room temperature processed cheese to have a crispy taste by controlling the expansion rate and porosity within the range provided by the present invention. The present invention prepares room temperature processed cheese by vacuum microwave drying the room temperature processed cheese semi-finished product. The vacuum microwave drying can allow moisture to evaporate and escape from the inside of the processed cheese. In this process, tiny pores can be formed to expand the processed cheese; and during the drying process, the water vapor pressure gradient formed inside and outside the processed cheese is in the same direction as the temperature gradient. The pumping effect formed by the two together amplifies this expansion effect and forms larger pores. Based on the spatial network structure provided by the original cheese casein combined with reasonable ingredients and processes, a puffed and porous processed cheese structure is finally formed in the processed cheese finished product (cheese crisp), and the product has a crispy taste.

[0049] The preparation method provided by the present invention is a technical solution that can make the product have a puffed and crispy taste, a simpler process and a shorter processing time. The preparation method utilizes the technical characteristics of vacuum microwaves, controls the moisture content of the product to achieve room temperature storage and transportation, and gives the product a crispy taste; controls the moisture content of the semi-finished processed cheese product within a reasonable range, increases the microwave tolerance dose, makes the product texture crispy and not burnt, optimizes the process parameters of the drying process, and improves the drying efficiency; optimizes the segmentation and molding process of the drying process, improves the production efficiency and simplifies the production process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] Figure 1 It is a room temperature processed cheese product.

[0051] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a room temperature processed cheese product.

[0052] Figure 3 The cross-sectional view is compared between Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 (the marked part is the sample of Example 1). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] In order to have a clearer understanding of the technical features, purposes and beneficial effects of the present invention, the technical solution of the present invention is now described in detail below, but it should not be construed as limiting the applicable scope of the present invention.

[0054] The test methods involved in the embodiments and comparative examples are as follows:

[0055] 1. Moisture content

[0056] Refer to the first method in GB 5009.3-2016.

[0057] 2. Expansion rate

[0058] The expansion rate is the percentage of the volume of the room temperature processed cheese product after expansion and drying to the volume of the semi-finished processed cheese before expansion and drying; the calculation formula is as follows:

[0059]

[0060] P—Expansion rate

[0061] V1—Volume of room temperature processed cheese product after drying and expansion, mL

[0062] V0—the volume of semi-finished processed cheese before drying and puffing, mL;

[0063] Specific determination method:

[0064] The volume of the semi-finished processed cheese before expansion is directly measured by a measuring cylinder;

[0065] The method for determining the volume of the puffed room temperature processed cheese product (hereinafter referred to as "cheese crisp") adopts the displacement method: the displacement medium is millet, and the millet particle size is controlled at 1.0±0.1mm; the specific operation method is: take 10 cheese crisp products, and add them into the measuring cylinder in the order of millet-cheese crisp-millet. When all the cheese crisps and millet are added, shake the measuring cylinder until the scale line does not change. The volume is the volume of cheese crisp + millet (V z ); then take out all the cheese crisps in the measuring cylinder and measure the volume of millet used in the test process (V m ); the test was repeated 3 times and the average value was taken as the volume of the cheese crisp. The total volume of the cheese crisp (V 10 ) is calculated according to the following formula:

[0066] V 10 =V z -V m

[0067] V 10 —Total volume of 10 cheese crisps, mL

[0068] V z —Volume of cheese crisps + millet, mL

[0069] V m —volume of millet, mL;

[0070] V1—the volume of a cheese crisp, V1=V 10 ÷10.

[0071] 3. Porosity

[0072] Porosity is the percentage of the pore volume of the cheese crisp to the entire cheese crisp volume, and the calculation formula is as follows:

[0073]

[0074]

[0075]

[0076] K—porosity of cheese crisp, %

[0077] V k —Volume of all holes in the cheese crisp, mL

[0078] V 10 —Total volume of cheese crisps, mL

[0079] V j —Total volume of cheese crisps in an absolutely dense state, mL

[0080] ρ 10—Volume density of cheese crisp, g / cm 3

[0081] ρ j —True density of cheese crisp, g / cm 3

[0082] m 10 —Total mass of cheese crisps, g

[0083] m f —Total mass of cheese crumbs after crushing, g

[0084] V f —Total volume of cheese crisps after crushing, mL;

[0085] Specific measurement method: (1) The total mass of the cheese crisps can be directly measured; (2) The total volume of the cheese crisps can be measured by referring to the above-mentioned displacement method; (3) All 10 cheese crisps are crushed into 40-mesh powder to eliminate the air and voids in the sample. The total mass and total volume of the cheese crisps after crushing can be measured, that is, the total mass and total volume of the cheese crisps in an absolutely dense state. The true density of the cheese crisps can be calculated based on this data.

[0086] 4. Average hardness, crispness and brittleness

[0087] 4.1 Testing equipment

[0088] Brand: STABLE MICRO SYSTEMS; Model: TA.XT.Plus texture analyzer.

[0089] 4.2 Detection methods

[0090] Place the sample to be tested directly under the texture analyzer probe and use a cylindrical probe with a diameter of 8 mm to perform a puncture test on the sample.

[0091] 4.3 Parameter setting

[0092] Probe speed: The descending speed before the test is 1.0mm / sec, the movement speed of the probe during the test is 1.0mm / sec, the reset speed of the probe after the test is 10.0mm / sec, the downward pressure distance is 5mm, and the trigger force is 20g.

[0093] 4.4 Curve analysis

[0094] The texture curve of the product is obtained through testing, and then the curve is specifically analyzed:

[0095] Average hardness: The average force value between 0-2s on the curve reflects the average hardness of the sample, in g.

[0096] Brittleness: The number of peaks in the curve with force values ​​> 100 g.

[0097] Crispness: The number of peaks in the curve with force values ​​between 20g-100g.

[0098] Example 1

[0099] This embodiment provides a room temperature processed cheese with a crispy taste, and its raw materials and preparation process are as follows:

[0100] 1. Prepare raw materials:

[0101] (1) Natural cheese: Cheddar cheese (unripened fresh cheese): protein content 24%, fat content 35%, water content 36%, salt content 2%, pH value 5.40.

[0102] (2) 47 parts of natural cheese, 38 parts of water, 8 parts of white sugar, 5 parts of wheat gluten protein, and 2 parts of emulsifying salt.

[0103] (3) The emulsifying salt is a mixture of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate and tricalcium phosphate, with the weight percentage contents being 50wt%, 25wt% and 25wt% respectively.

[0104] (4) The moisture content of the processed cheese semi-finished product is controlled at 55%.

[0105] 2. Preparation steps:

[0106] Step 1: heating and melting milk: pouring all raw materials into a melting milk pot, introducing steam to heat, melt and emulsify, and obtain a semi-finished processed cheese, wherein the melting temperature is 90° C. and the emulsification time is 8 minutes.

[0107] Step 2: Inject the semi-finished processed cheese into a silicone mold and place it into a vacuum microwave drying chamber for drying.

[0108] Step 3: Start the vacuum function of the vacuum microwave drying equipment, and before turning on the microwave, evacuate the chamber until the vacuum degree in the vacuum microwave drying chamber reaches -0.09MPa.

[0109] Step 4: After reaching the above vacuum degree, turn on the microwave of corresponding power according to the weight of the material, turn on the corresponding microwave power according to the unit mass microwave power of 5W / g, and record the drying time.

[0110] Step 5: After drying, sterile air with a humidity of 40% and a temperature of 25° C. is quickly added into the cavity to obtain room-temperature processed cheese with a puffed and crispy texture.

[0111] Example 2

[0112] This embodiment provides a room temperature processed cheese with a crispy taste, and its raw materials and preparation process are as follows:

[0113] 1. Prepare raw materials:

[0114] (1) Natural cheese is Gouda cheese: protein content 23%, fat content 30%, moisture content 43%, salt content 2%, pH value 5.60.

[0115] (2) 53 parts of natural cheese, 32 parts of water, 8 parts of white sugar, 5 parts of wheat gluten protein, and 2 parts of emulsifying salt.

[0116] (3) The emulsifying salt is a mixture of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate and tricalcium phosphate, with the weight percentage contents being 50wt%, 35wt% and 15wt% respectively.

[0117] (4) The moisture content of the processed cheese semi-finished product is controlled at 55%.

[0118] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1.

[0119] Example 3

[0120] This embodiment provides a room temperature processed cheese with a crispy taste, and its raw materials and preparation process are as follows:

[0121] 1. Prepare raw materials:

[0122] (1) Natural cheese: Cheddar cheese (unripened fresh cheese): protein content 24%, fat content 35%, water content 36%, salt content 2%, pH value 5.40.

[0123] (2) 44 parts of natural cheese, 33 parts of water, 5 parts of white sugar, 5 parts of sweetened condensed milk, 3 parts of wheat gluten protein, 2.5 parts of emulsifying salt, 2 parts of butter, 2 parts of skim milk powder, 2 parts of tapioca starch, and 1.5 parts of galacto-oligosaccharide.

[0124] (3) The emulsifying salt is a mixture of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate and sodium phosphate, with the weight percentage contents being 40wt%, 40wt% and 20wt% respectively.

[0125] (4) The moisture content of the semi-finished processed cheese is controlled at 50%.

[0126] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1.

[0127] Example 4

[0128] This embodiment provides a room temperature processed cheese with a crispy taste, and its raw materials and preparation process are as follows:

[0129] 1. Prepare raw materials:

[0130] (1) Natural cheese: Cheddar cheese (unripened fresh cheese): protein content 24%, fat content 35%, water content 36%, salt content 2%, pH value 5.40.

[0131] (2) 47 parts of natural cheese, 36 parts of water, 5 parts of white sugar, 5 parts of sweetened condensed milk, 3 parts of wheat gluten protein, 2.5 parts of emulsifying salt, and 1.5 parts of tapioca starch.

[0132] (3) The emulsifying salt is a mixture of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate and sodium phosphate, with the weight percentage contents being 40wt%, 40wt% and 20wt% respectively.

[0133] (4) The moisture content of the processed cheese semi-finished product is controlled at 55%.

[0134] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1.

[0135] Example 5

[0136] This embodiment provides a room temperature processed cheese with a crispy taste, and its raw materials and preparation process are as follows:

[0137] 1. Prepare raw materials: Repeat Example 4, except that the water content is changed to 31 parts and the moisture content of the semi-finished product is controlled at 50%.

[0138] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1.

[0139] Example 6

[0140] This embodiment provides a room temperature processed cheese with a crispy taste, and its raw materials and preparation process are as follows:

[0141] 1. Prepare raw materials: Repeat Example 4, except that the amount of water is changed to 41 parts, and the moisture content of the semi-finished processed cheese is controlled at 60%.

[0142] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1.

[0143] Comparative Example 1

[0144] This comparative example provides a room temperature processed cheese, the raw materials and preparation process of which are as follows:

[0145] 1. Prepare raw materials:

[0146] (1) Natural cheese uses cream cheese: protein content 9%, fat content 34%, water content 54%, salt content 0.5%, pH value 4.70.

[0147] (2) 63 parts of natural cheese, 21 parts of water, 8 parts of white sugar, 5 parts of wheat gluten protein, and 3 parts of emulsifying salt.

[0148] (3) The emulsifying salt is a mixture of sodium citrate, sodium hexametaphosphate and sodium phosphate, with the weight percentage contents being 50wt%, 30wt% and 20wt% respectively.

[0149] (4) The moisture content of the processed cheese semi-finished product is controlled at 55%.

[0150] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1.

[0151] Comparative Example 2

[0152] This comparative example provides a room temperature processed cheese, the raw materials and preparation process of which are as follows:

[0153] 1. Prepare raw materials: Repeat Example 4, except that the amount of water is changed to 26 parts, and the moisture content of the semi-finished processed cheese is controlled at 45%.

[0154] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1.

[0155] Comparative Example 3

[0156] This comparative example provides a room temperature processed cheese, the raw materials and preparation process of which are as follows:

[0157] 1. Prepare raw materials: Repeat Example 4, except that the amount of water is changed to 21 parts, and the moisture content of the semi-finished processed cheese is controlled at 40%.

[0158] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1.

[0159] Comparative Example 4

[0160] This comparative example provides a room temperature processed cheese, the raw materials and preparation process of which are as follows:

[0161] 1. Prepare raw materials: Repeat Example 4, except that the amount of water is changed to 46 parts, and the moisture content of the semi-finished processed cheese is controlled at 65%.

[0162] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1.

[0163] Comparative Example 5

[0164] This comparative example provides a room temperature processed cheese, the raw materials and preparation process of which are as follows:

[0165] 1. Prepare raw materials: Repeat Example 4.

[0166] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1. The difference is that the microwave power per unit mass is 1 W / g.

[0167] Comparative Example 6

[0168] This comparative example provides a room temperature processed cheese, the raw materials and preparation process of which are as follows:

[0169] 1. Prepare raw materials: repeat Example 4.

[0170] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1. The difference is that the microwave power per unit mass is 8 W / g.

[0171] Comparative Example 7

[0172] This comparative example provides a room temperature processed cheese, the raw materials and preparation process of which are as follows:

[0173] 1. Prepare raw materials: Repeat Example 4, except that the amount of granulated sugar is changed to 16 parts, and the moisture content of the semi-finished processed cheese is controlled at 50%.

[0174] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1.

[0175] Comparative Example 8

[0176] This comparative example provides a room temperature processed cheese, the raw materials and preparation process of which are as follows:

[0177] 1. Prepare raw materials: repeat Example 4.

[0178] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1. The difference is that before turning on the microwave, vacuum is drawn until the vacuum degree in the vacuum microwave drying chamber reaches -0.05 MPa and is maintained until the drying is completed.

[0179] Comparative Example 9

[0180] This comparative example provides a room temperature processed cheese, the raw materials and preparation process of which are as follows:

[0181] 1. Prepare raw materials: Repeat Example 4, except that the emulsifying salt is changed to 1.5 parts, and the proportion remains unchanged.

[0182] 2. Preparation steps: Repeat the preparation steps of Example 1.

[0183] Effect Example

[0184] The drying phenomena and drying time of Examples 1-6 and Comparative Examples 1-9 were recorded (as shown in Table 1), and the moisture content, expansion rate, porosity, average hardness, crispness, brittleness, and sensory indexes of the obtained samples were measured and evaluated. Sensory evaluation 30 tasters were invited to taste the samples according to the sensory scoring criteria.

[0185] Table 1 Drying process record

[0186]

[0187] According to the contents recorded in Table 1, it can be seen that:

[0188] (1) The moisture content of Comparative Example 3 is 40%, which is outside the range of 50-60% required by the present invention. Due to the low moisture content, the finished product obtained in Comparative Example 3 has poor fluidity, is difficult to spread, does not expand the sample, and is burnt during the drying process, resulting in poor sensory performance of the cheese crisp product.

[0189] (2) The moisture content of Comparative Example 4 is 65%, which is outside the range of 50-60% required by the present invention. Due to the high moisture content and low solid content, the semi-finished product cracked and could not be formed during the drying process, which may be related to the inability of the solids to form a stable network structure during the evaporation of water.

[0190] (3) The white sugar content in Comparative Example 7 is relatively high, the viscosity of the semi-finished product obtained is relatively low, and the semi-finished product cannot be formed during the drying process. The reason may also be related to the inability of the solids to form a stable network structure during the drying process.

[0191] (4) The environmental vacuum degree of the drying process of Comparative Example 8 is -0.05 MPa. Under this vacuum degree, the boiling point of water is still relatively high, the water vapor pressure difference and temperature difference inside and outside the product are relatively small, and the water vapor pumping effect is weakened, so that the sample does not expand and burns.

[0192] Effect Example 1 Sensory Evaluation

[0193] The sensory scoring criteria are shown in Table 2, and the evaluation results are shown in Table 3.

[0194] Table 2 Sensory scoring standards

[0195]

[0196] Table 3 Sensory evaluation results

[0197]

[0198]

[0199] Sensory evaluation tests show that:

[0200] (1) In terms of the selection of natural cheese, the room temperature processed cheese prepared with cheddar cheese and Gouda cheese as the base has better crispness than cream cheese. This may be related to the fact that the protein content of cream cheese is relatively low and it cannot form a reticular porous structure when dried (e.g. Figure 3 ).

[0201] (2) In terms of moisture content control of the processed cheese semi-finished product, the crispness of the samples of Examples 1-6 was ≥ 8.0 points, and the crispness of the samples was relatively good (e.g. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in Figure 2, compared with Comparative Examples 2-4, it is shown that the moisture content of the processed cheese semi-finished product will significantly affect the crispness of the processed cheese product at room temperature. However, the moisture content of the processed cheese semi-finished product cannot be too high. For example, in Comparative Example 4, too high a moisture content will cause cracking during the drying process and will not be able to be formed.

[0202] (3) In terms of microwave dosage, at such a high moisture content, if the microwave dosage is too small, the product can be dried but the crispness is poor; if the microwave dosage is too high, it is very easy to burn.

[0203] (4) In terms of emulsifying salt, a lower amount of emulsifying salt added will cause the sample to taste sour and the flavor to be extremely unharmonious.

[0204] Effect Example 2 Physical Property Measurement

[0205] The physical property test results of Examples 1-6 and Comparative Examples 1-9 are shown in Table 4.

[0206] Table 4 Physical properties of samples (water content, hardness, porosity)

[0207]

[0208]

[0209] After physical property test, we know:

[0210] (1) In terms of the selection of natural cheese, the room temperature processed cheese prepared with cheddar cheese and Gouda cheese as the base has a lower hardness and a higher porosity than cream cheese. This may be related to the fact that the protein content of cream cheese is relatively low and it cannot form a reticular porous structure when dried. Using original cheese with a certain protein content as the raw material can help to obtain the appropriate hardness and porosity, and thus obtain a good crispy taste.

[0211] (2) In terms of the moisture content control of the processed cheese semi-finished product, the processed cheese semi-finished products of the samples of Examples 1-6 have a moisture content of 50-60%, a puffing rate of 120-130%, a porosity of 44-54%, an average hardness of 1700-2700g, a crispness of 8-15, and a brittleness of 10-20. The finished products obtained in Comparative Examples 2-4 have a puffing rate of 100-104%, a porosity of 20-40%, an average hardness>5000g, a crispness of 2-4, and a brittleness of 2-7. By comparison, it can be seen that when the moisture content of the processed cheese semi-finished product is low, its puffing rate and porosity are low, the average hardness is high, and the crispness and brittleness are low. The moisture content of the processed cheese semi-finished product will significantly affect the crispness of the processed cheese product at room temperature, which may be related to the influence of the moisture content of the semi-finished product on the puffing rate and porosity.

[0212] (3) In terms of microwave dosage, at a relatively high moisture content in the comparative example, if the microwave dosage is too small, the product can be dried, but the crispness is poor, such as in comparative example 5, the hardness is greater than 3000g, the crispness is 6, and the crispness is 8. The microwave dosage provided by the present invention can ensure the crispness of the product.

Claims

1. A room temperature processed cheese, wherein: The room temperature processed cheese has a water content of 1-7%, a swelling rate of 110-140% and a porosity of 40-60%.

2. The room temperature processed cheese according to claim 1, wherein The average hardness of the room-temperature processed cheese is 1000-3000g.

3. The room temperature processed cheese according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The room temperature processed cheese has a crispness of 5-25 and a crispness of 5-25.

4. The room temperature processed cheese according to claim 1, wherein: The moisture content of the room temperature processed cheese is 2-5%.

5. The room temperature processed cheese according to claim 1, wherein: The expansion rate of the room temperature processed cheese is 120-130%.

6. The room temperature processed cheese according to claim 1, wherein: The porosity of the room temperature processed cheese is 44-54%.

7. The room temperature processed cheese according to claim 2, wherein: The hardness of the room-temperature processed cheese is 1700-2700g.

8. The room temperature processed cheese according to claim 3, wherein: The crispness of the room-temperature processed cheese is 8-15 and the crispness is 10-20.

9. The room temperature processed cheese according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The room-temperature processed cheese is prepared from a semi-finished processed cheese product through vacuum microwave drying; the water content of the semi-finished processed cheese product is 50-60%.

10. The room temperature processed cheese according to claim 9, wherein: The raw materials of the semi-finished processed cheese product include, by weight: 40-65 parts of natural cheese, 20-50 parts of water, 0-10 parts of white sugar, 0-8 parts of protein raw materials, and 0-5 parts of emulsifying salt; Preferably, the natural cheese meets the following conditions: the protein content is 20%-30%, the fat content is 30%-40%, the moisture content is 30%-45%, the salt content is 0-5%, and the pH value is 5.0-6.0; Preferably, the protein raw material includes one or a combination of two or more of wheat gluten protein, whey protein, and soy protein; more preferably, wheat gluten protein; Preferably, the raw materials of the semi-finished processed cheese further include fillers, and the fillers are selected from: 0-10 parts (preferably 3-10 parts) of sweetened condensed milk, 0-5 parts (preferably 2-5 parts) of butter, 0-5 parts (preferably 2-5 parts) of skim milk powder, 0-5 parts (preferably 1-5 parts) of starch, and 0-5 parts (preferably 1-5 parts) of prebiotics; Preferably, the emulsifying salt is selected from one or a combination of two or more of sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium polyphosphate, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, and tricalcium phosphate; more preferably, the emulsifying salt is a mixture of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, and tricalcium phosphate in a weight ratio of (30-55):(20-50):(0-25):(0-30); Preferably, the starch is selected from one or a combination of two or more of potato starch, tapioca starch and wheat starch, more preferably tapioca starch; Preferably, the prebiotic is selected from one or a combination of two or more of fructooligosaccharides, galacto-oligosaccharides and inulin.

11. The room temperature processed cheese according to claim 10, wherein: The semi-finished processed cheese product is obtained by mixing the raw materials of the semi-finished processed cheese product and heating and melting the raw materials; Preferably, the temperature of the heated molten milk is 85-95°C, and the time is controlled at 5-10 minutes.

12. The room temperature processed cheese according to claim 9, wherein: The vacuum degree of the vacuum microwave drying is ≤-0.085MPa.

13. The room temperature processed cheese according to claim 9, wherein: The microwave power per unit mass of the vacuum microwave drying is 1-6 W / g, preferably 2-5 W / g, based on the mass of the semi-finished processed cheese product.

14. The method for preparing room temperature processed cheese according to any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising the following steps: The semi-finished processed cheese is injection-molded, then vacuum-dried by microwave, and then filled with gas after drying to obtain the room-temperature processed cheese.

15. The preparation method according to claim 14, wherein: During pouring, the temperature of the semi-finished processed cheese product is 20-100°C, preferably 50-80°C.

16. The preparation method according to claim 14, wherein: The moisture content of the vacuum microwave dried product was 3-5%.

17. The preparation method according to claim 14, wherein: The temperature of the vacuum microwave dried product was < 80°C.

18. The preparation method according to claim 14, wherein: The gas is sterile air with a humidity of ≤40% and a temperature of ≤30°C.

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