Preparation method of plant cheese

Abstract

The preparation method of the plant cheese comprises the following steps: carrying out primary fermentation on plant-based milk by adopting zymophyte to obtain curds; dehydrating the curd to obtain cheese blocks; the zymophyte comprises fusion Weissella. Additives such as an emulsifying agent, a stabilizing agent and an adhesive substance are not needed, and the plant cheese can be prepared by taking the plant-based milk as a raw material; the obtained plant cheese is stable in texture, good in water-retaining property and free of bad flavors such as fishy smell and earthy smell, and is healthy food rich in nutrition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for preparing a fermented plant dairy product, and in particular to a method for preparing plant cheese. Background Art

[0002] Due to growing awareness of sustainability and the high resource requirements of animal protein production, the demand for plant-based dairy cheese alternatives has grown exponentially, with consumers seeking products that offer a similar experience to eating dairy cheese but based on plant-based raw materials.

[0003] The bottleneck technology in plant-based cheese production is mainly the formation of texture and flavor, which usually relies on the use of stabilizers and flavoring agents. Even so, the textural properties of most plant-based cheeses are still unsatisfactory.

[0004] The flavour of dairy cheeses is formed by a complex mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that depends on factors such as the VOCs and precursors already present in the milk and the metabolism of the bacteria fermenting the milk. It is therefore a challenge to replicate this complex VOC mixture with different starting materials, and the precursors of VOCs typical of dairy cheeses may not be found in plant protein matrices. The flavour profile of currently commercialised plant-based cheeses is either obtained with cheese flavourings or is characterised by the flavour of the plant raw material. The latter implies the presence of fishy, ​​nutty or earthy notes, with low levels of consumer acceptance. Summary of the invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art and provide a method for making plant cheese without using additives such as emulsifiers, stabilizers and adhesive substances.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is as follows: a method for making plant cheese, using fermentation bacteria 1 to pre-ferment plant-based milk to obtain curd; the curd is dehydrated to obtain cheese blocks; the fermentation bacteria 1 includes Weissella fusion.

[0007] Preferably, the number of live bacteria per liter of plant-based milk is equivalent to inoculating 5-60 mL of bacteria with a concentration of 10 6 -10 10 cfu / mL of fermentation broth.

[0008] Preferably, the fermentation bacteria 1 includes Weissella fusion SY628.

[0009] Preferably, the number of viable bacteria of Weissella SY628 inoculated per liter of plant-based milk is equivalent to that of 5-60 mL of bacteria with a concentration of 10 6 -10 10 cfu / mL of fermentation broth.

[0010] Preferably, fermentation bacteria 2 are added during the dehydration of the curd.

[0011] Preferably, salt is also added during the dehydration of the curd.

[0012] More preferably, the fermentation bacteria 2 include commercial lactobacillus.

[0013] More preferably, the amount of fermentation bacteria 2 added is: the number of viable bacteria of the inoculated fermentation bacteria 2 corresponding to each liter of curd obtained from plant-based milk is equivalent to inoculating 5-60 mL of bacteria with a concentration of 10 6 -10 10 cfu / mL of fermentation broth.

[0014] More preferably, the amount of salt added is: 5 to 15 g per liter of plant-based milk.

[0015] Preferably, the cheese block is further post-ripened by placing it in an anaerobic environment at 2-5° C. for more than 20 days.

[0016] Preferably, the temperature of the primary fermentation is 28-45°C.

[0017] Preferably, the primary fermentation time is 6 to 12 hours.

[0018] Preferably, the protein content in the plant-based milk is 1.5 g / 100 g or more; more preferably 2-10 g / 100 g.

[0019] Preferably, the particle size of the solid particles in the plant-based milk is less than 40 mesh.

[0020] Preferably, the particle size of the solid particles in the plant-based milk is less than 60 mesh.

[0021] Preferably, the plant-based milk is seed-based plant-based milk, more preferably one or more of nut-based plant-based milk, cereal-based plant-based milk, and bean-based plant-based milk.

[0022] Preferably, an edible carbon source is also added to promote pre-fermentation.

[0023] Preferably, the edible carbon source is one or more of sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, galactose, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.

[0024] Preferably, the edible carbon source is sucrose and / or lactose.

[0025] Preferably, the added amount of the edible carbon source is 6wt% to 12wt% of the weight of the plant-based milk.

[0026] Preferably, the moisture content of the cheese block is 40wt% to 80wt%.

[0027] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: the present invention does not require the use of additives such as emulsifiers, stabilizers and adhesive substances, and can produce plant cheese using plant-based milk as raw material; the obtained plant cheese has a stable texture, good water retention, and no undesirable flavors such as fishy smell and earthy smell, and is a nutritious healthy food; since no expensive additives such as stabilizers are required, the product has obvious cost advantages.

[0028] In addition to the above-described purposes, features and advantages, the present invention has other purposes, features and advantages. The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Description of microbial preservation:

[0030] The Weissella confusa SY628 involved in the present invention was deposited in the General Microbiology Center of China Microorganism Culture Collection Committee (referred to as CGMCC, address: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China) on September 19, 2024, and the culture deposit number is CGMCC No.32006. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The drawings constituting a part of this application are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 are photos of cheeses obtained in Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention: (A) cheese obtained in Example 1, (B) cheese obtained in Example 2, (C) cheese obtained in Example 3;

[0033] Figure 2 is a graph showing the hardness test results of the cheeses obtained in Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 is a graph showing the particle size distribution of the cheese obtained in Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 is a graph showing changes in viscosity of cheeses obtained in Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention at different shear rates;

[0036] Figure 5 is a graph showing changes in storage modulus and loss modulus of cheese obtained in Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention at different oscillation frequencies;

[0037] Figure 6 is a diagram showing the distribution of intermolecular forces in the cheeses obtained in Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 These are the observation pictures of the morphological characteristics of fused Weissella SY628: left picture, cell morphology of fused Weissella SY628; middle picture, colony morphology of fused Weissella SY628 on MRS solid culture; right picture, colony morphology and colony stringing of fused Weissella SY628 on mMRS solid culture medium. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In order to make the purpose, scheme and beneficial technology of the present invention clearer, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments and drawings. It should be pointed out that the embodiments described in this specification are only for explaining the present invention, not for limiting the present invention.

[0040] For simplicity, only some numerical ranges are explicitly disclosed herein. However, any lower limit can be combined with any upper limit to form an unambiguous range; and any lower limit can be combined with other lower limits to form an unambiguous range, and any upper limit can be combined with any other upper limit to form an unambiguous range. In addition, although not explicitly stated, each point or single value between the range endpoints is included in the range. Thus, each point or single value can be combined with any other point or single value as its own lower limit or upper limit or with other lower limits or upper limits to form an unambiguous range.

[0041] In the description of this article, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, “above” and “below” are inclusive of the number itself, and the “multiple” in “one or more” means two or more, and the “multiple” in “one or more” means two or more.

[0042] The embodiment of the present invention provides a method for making plant cheese, wherein a fermentation bacterium 1 is used to pre-ferment plant-based milk to obtain curd; the curd is dehydrated to obtain cheese blocks; the fermentation bacterium 1 includes Weissella fusion.

[0043] The method for making plant cheese provided by the embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages: no additives such as emulsifiers, stabilizers and adhesive substances are required, and plant cheese can be made with plant-based milk as raw material; the obtained plant cheese has a stable texture, good water retention, and no unpleasant flavors such as fishy smell and earthy smell, and is a nutritious and healthy food; since no expensive additives such as stabilizers are required, the product has obvious cost advantages.

[0044] In the embodiment of the present invention, the number of live bacteria per liter of plant-based milk is equivalent to inoculating 5-60 mL of bacteria with a concentration of 10 6 -10 10 cfu / mL of fermentation broth.

[0045] In an embodiment of the present invention, the fermentation bacteria 1 includes Weissella fusion SY628.

[0046] The fusion of Weissella SY628 was used as the fermentation agent, and the coagulation effect was excellent. After the pre-fermentation was completed, the formed curd could not only be well separated from the container, but also had a smooth, uniform and compact texture.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present invention, the number of viable bacteria of Weissella SY628 inoculated per liter of plant-based milk is equivalent to that of 5-60 mL of bacteria with a concentration of 10 6 -10 10 cfu / mL of fermentation broth.

[0048] Before inoculating the fermentation bacteria 1, the temperature of the plant-based milk should be controlled within a range suitable for the survival of the fermentation bacteria 1 to avoid the death of a large number of the fermentation bacteria.

[0049] Sterilization and / or sterilization can be performed according to actual needs, such as before inoculating the fermentation bacteria. Sterilization can be performed by pasteurization, and sterilization can be performed by high-temperature instantaneous sterilization.

[0050] In the embodiment of the present invention, fermentation bacteria 2 are further added during the dehydration process of the curd.

[0051] Adding fermentation bacteria 2 can add flavor substances to the cheese product, and the addition can be selected according to actual needs.

[0052] Before adding the fermentation bacteria 2, the temperature should be controlled within a range suitable for the survival of the fermentation bacteria 2 to avoid the death of a large number of fermentation bacteria.

[0053] In an embodiment of the present invention, salt is also added during the dehydration process of the curd.

[0054] Salt can adjust flavor, promote dehydration, and serve as a preservative, and the amount can be selected based on actual needs.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present invention, the fermentation bacteria 2 include commercial lactobacillus; commercialized lactobacillus strains can be directly purchased.

[0056] In some embodiments of the present invention, the amount of fermentation bacteria 2 added is: the number of viable bacteria of the inoculated fermentation bacteria 2 corresponding to each liter of curd obtained from plant-based milk is equivalent to inoculating 5-60 mL of bacteria with a concentration of 10 6 -10 10 cfu / mL of fermentation broth.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present invention, the amount of salt added is: 5 to 15 g per liter of plant-based milk.

[0058] Curd dehydration can be achieved by various methods such as squeezing, filtration, and centrifugation.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present invention, the curd is first shredded, the whey is filtered out, and then the water is further removed by squeezing.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present invention, the curd is chopped into 1 cm 3 The pieces were separated into small pieces and filtered through gauze for 12 hours to remove the whey.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present invention, fermentation bacteria 2 and / or salt are added after the whey is filtered out.

[0062] Before inoculating the fermentation bacteria 2, the temperature should be controlled within a range suitable for the survival of the fermentation bacteria 2 to avoid the death of a large number of the fermentation bacteria.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cheese block is further post-ripened: placed in an anaerobic environment at 2-5° C. for more than 20 days. During the fermentation and post-ripening process, the cheese will continue to react and produce flavor substances.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cheese block is placed in an anaerobic environment at 2-5° C. for 40-60 days during post-ripening.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cheese block is vacuum packed before ripening, and the vacuum packed cheese block is placed in an environment with a humidity of 85-95% during ripening. This condition helps maintain microbial stability and preserve product flavor and aroma.

[0066] In an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the primary fermentation is 28-45°C.

[0067] In an embodiment of the present invention, the time of the primary fermentation is 6 to 12 hours.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present invention, the protein content in the plant-based milk is above 1.5 g / 100 g.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present invention, the protein content in the plant-based milk is 2g / 100g to 10g / 100g.

[0070] In some embodiments of the present invention, the protein content in the plant-based milk is 2.50 g / 100 g to 3.50 g / 100 g.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present invention, the particle size of the solid particles in the plant-based milk is less than 40 mesh. When the maximum particle size of the solid particles in the plant-based milk is at the 40 mesh level, the plant-based milk contains more slag, and the taste itself is poor. The corresponding products are rare on the market, and conventional commercially available plant-based milks meet the requirement that the solid particle size is less than 40 mesh. When the fermentation bacteria include Weissella fusion SY628, it is also feasible for the maximum particle size of the solid particles in the plant-based milk to be at the 40 mesh level; because the bacteria have the ability to decompose dietary fiber (such as decomposing insoluble into soluble), and the fermentation time for making cheese is relatively long, the particle size of the solid particles in the plant-based milk can be larger, and a smooth and delicate product can be obtained even if it contains a certain amount of slag, and the product is rich in fiber and has better nutritional value.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present invention, the particle size of the solid particles in the plant-based milk is less than 60 mesh.

[0073] Plant-based milk can be purchased or made at home. If purchased, simply choose the product that meets your requirements. If made at home, the concentration of plant-based milk can be adjusted by controlling the amount of water added, and the particle size of the solid particles in plant-based milk can be controlled by screening.

[0074] Plant-based milk is a beverage made from plants. Since it is a plant product, it is rich in dietary fiber, and traditional yogurt fermentation bacteria have poor adaptability to it.

[0075] In some embodiments of the present invention, the plant-based milk is seed-based milk.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present invention, the plant-based milk is one or more of nut-based plant-based milk, cereal-based plant-based milk, and bean-based plant-based milk.

[0077] Leguminous plants are one of the raw materials for plant milk production. They are highly praised for being rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and fiber, making beans an ideal substitute for dairy products. However, there is currently no suitable fermentation agent for fermenting sour soy milk on the market. Public literature shows that sour soy milk fermentation often uses commercial fermentation agents used in fermenting yogurt. The fermented products have problems such as poor stability, easy whey precipitation and bad taste, and cannot obtain satisfactory products.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present invention, the plant-based milk is cooked soy milk.

[0079] The preparation of the cooked soy milk can adopt a conventional method, which generally includes soaking beans, grinding, and boiling the slurry, during which the dregs are filtered out to obtain the cooked soy milk.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present invention, the method for making cooked soy milk comprises: soaking the raw materials and then grinding them to obtain bean paste, removing the dregs from the bean paste to obtain raw soy milk, and boiling the paste to obtain cooked soy milk.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present invention, the raw material soaking time is more than 8 hours.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present invention, the pulping is performed by micro-pressure pulping at 102-105° C. for 5-15 minutes.

[0083] In some embodiments of the present invention, the bean raw material in the cooked soy milk is one or more of soybeans, kidney beans, peas, broad beans, lentils, black beans, green beans, mung beans, red beans, and chickpeas.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present invention, the bean raw material in the cooked soy milk is soybeans.

[0085] In some embodiments of the present invention, the raw soy milk and / or cooked soy milk is further subjected to a pressure homogenization process.

[0086] In some embodiments of the present invention, the pressure homogenization treatment of raw soy milk and / or cooked soy milk is performed at a temperature of 20 MPa to 50 MPa.

[0087] In an embodiment of the present invention, an edible carbon source is also added to promote pre-fermentation.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present invention, the edible carbon source is one or more of sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, galactose, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present invention, the edible carbon source is sucrose and / or lactose.

[0090] In some embodiments of the present invention, the added amount of the edible carbon source is 6 wt % to 12 wt % of the weight of the plant-based milk.

[0091] In some embodiments of the present invention, the moisture content of the cheese block is 40wt% to 80wt%.

[0092] The plant cheese of the present invention is formed by microbial fermentation. During the fermentation process, lactic acid bacteria grow in a plant protein matrix and produce lactic acid, thereby reducing the pH value to a value close to the isoelectric point of the plant protein. When the net charge of the protein is close to zero, it begins to aggregate and form curd, retaining water and oil in its pores. At the same time, since the Weissella used can produce more extracellular polysaccharides and has a certain viscosity, the three-dimensional structure can remain firm without the need for solid fat and stabilizers. Therefore, even without the addition of emulsifiers, stabilizers and adhesive substances, the gel formed by the obtained plant-based cheese is smooth and delicate, has good water retention, is easy to demould, is rich in dietary fiber, and has good taste, flavor and nutritional value.

[0093] The inventors also noticed that although lactic acid bacteria generally have the ability to produce extracellular polysaccharides, they cannot achieve the fermentation effect of the present invention using fused Weissella; it is speculated that on the one hand, it may be due to the higher level of extracellular polysaccharide production by fused Weissella SY628, and on the other hand, it is also due to the modification of plant protein by the fermentation bacteria, which causes the plant protein to gel during the fermentation process, thereby cross-linking the produced extracellular polysaccharides with the plant protein to form a more stable network structure, which has a qualitative improvement in the water retention and texture stability of the fermented product.

[0094] VOC products of carbohydrate metabolism are easily obtained through plant protein matrices. Different lactic acid bacteria fermentation will change the volatile compounds in different plant proteins, and accordingly, unpleasant flavor substances may also be produced. The fusion Weissella fermentation product used in the present invention has a lighter odor and does not have the problem of fishy smell of general commercial fermentation products, making this strain very suitable as a fermentation bacterium for plant cheese.

[0095] Example

[0096] The following examples describe the disclosure of the present invention in more detail, and these examples are intended for illustrative purposes only, as it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations will be made within the scope of the disclosure of the present invention. Unless otherwise stated, all parts, percentages, and ratios reported in the following examples are by weight. Unless otherwise stated, all reagents used in the examples are available through conventional commercial sources or are synthesized according to conventional methods and can be used directly without further processing. Unless otherwise stated, the instruments used in the examples are available through conventional commercial sources.

[0097] Example 1

[0098] The method for making the plant cheese of this embodiment comprises the following steps:

[0099] 1) Grinding: Mix the beans with water at a ratio of 1:1 (w / w, based on dry beans) and put them into a two-stage series high-concentration fine grinder for grinding;

[0100] 2) Filtration: The soy paste obtained above is preliminarily filtered by a centrifuge with a 60-mesh screen to obtain raw soy milk;

[0101] 3) Cooking: Cook the raw soy milk obtained above in a micro-pressure sandwich pot, raise the temperature to 102°C, and keep it for 10 minutes to obtain cooked soy milk;

[0102] 4) Secondary filtration: The cooked soybean milk obtained above is filtered again with a vibrating screen having a mesh size of 60, and filtered soybean milk is obtained after filtration; the slurry is diluted with water until the protein concentration in the soybean milk is 2.5 g / 100 g;

[0103] 5) Adding sucrose: the weight of sucrose used is 8% of the weight of soy milk;

[0104] 6) Pasteurization: pasteurize the soy milk obtained above at 85° C. for 20 min;

[0105] 7) Fermentation: Inoculate the above soy milk with Weissella confusa SY628, and increase the concentration of Weissella confusaSY628 to 10 8 cfu / mL of fermented bacterial liquid was inoculated into each liter of soy milk, and fermentation was carried out at 35°C for 6 hours, and curd was formed after the fermentation was completed.

[0106] 8) Compression molding: The curd is placed in a mold and compression molded for about 24 hours until the moisture content is 50-60 wt%.

[0107] 9) Ripening: The dehydrated curd is cut into small pieces and vacuum packed, and then matured in an incubator at 4°C and 90% humidity for 40 days. During the fermentation and ripening process, the cheese will react and produce flavor substances.

[0108] The obtained plant cheese product: the soy plant cheese has a uniform curd-like appearance, a milky yellowish and shiny color, and a smooth surface; the smell has a unique aroma of a mixture of rich fermented aroma and soybean fragrance, and the flavor is harmonious and has no peculiar smell; the texture is firm and elastic, delicate and has no graininess, has good chewiness and melting properties in the mouth, and can be evenly applied in the mouth.

[0109] Example 2

[0110] The method for making the plant cheese of this embodiment comprises the following steps:

[0111] 1) Grinding: Mix the beans with water at a ratio of 1:1 (w / w, based on dry beans) and put them into a two-stage series high-concentration fine grinder for grinding;

[0112] 2) Filtration: The soy paste obtained above is preliminarily filtered by a centrifuge with a 60-mesh screen to obtain raw soy milk;

[0113] 3) Cooking: Cook the raw soy milk obtained above in a micro-pressure sandwich pot, raise the temperature to 102°C, and keep it for 10 minutes to obtain cooked soy milk;

[0114] 4) Secondary filtration: The cooked soybean milk obtained above is filtered again with a vibrating screen having a mesh size of 60, and filtered soybean milk is obtained after filtration; the slurry is diluted with water to a protein concentration of 3.0 g / 100 g in the soybean milk;

[0115] 5) Adding sucrose: the weight of sucrose used is 8% of the weight of soy milk;

[0116] 6) Pasteurization: pasteurize the soy milk obtained above at 85° C. for 20 min;

[0117] 7) Fermentation: Inoculate the above soy milk with Weissella confusa SY628, and increase the concentration of Weissella confusaSY628 to 10 8 cfu / mL of fermented bacterial liquid was inoculated into each liter of soy milk, and fermentation was carried out at 35°C for 6 hours, and curd was formed after the fermentation was completed.

[0118] 8) Compression molding: The curd is placed in a mold and compression molded for about 24 hours until the moisture content is 50-60 wt%.

[0119] 9) Ripening: The dehydrated curd is cut into small pieces and vacuum packed, and then matured in an incubator at 4°C and 90% humidity for 40 days. During the fermentation and ripening process, the cheese will react and produce flavor substances.

[0120] The obtained plant cheese product: The appearance of soybean plant cheese is fine and uniform curd state, the color is between milky white and light yellow, the surface is smooth and has moderate gloss, without cracks or defects. When you smell it, it exudes a complex aroma with soybean original aroma as the base, fusion of sour aroma, ester aroma and other aromas produced by fermentation, the aroma is rich and harmonious and has no bad odor. The texture is firm and elastic, the touch is delicate and smooth, the edges are regular when cut, the chewing feeling is appropriate, and it has good melting and coating properties, which can fully show its unique flavor and texture characteristics in the mouth.

[0121] Example 3

[0122] The method for making the plant cheese of this embodiment comprises the following steps:

[0123] 1) Grinding: Mix the beans with water at a ratio of 1:1 (w / w, based on dry beans) and put them into a two-stage series high-concentration fine grinder for grinding;

[0124] 2) Filtration: The soy paste obtained above is preliminarily filtered by a centrifuge with a 60-mesh screen to obtain raw soy milk;

[0125] 3) Cooking: Cook the raw soy milk obtained above in a micro-pressure sandwich pot, raise the temperature to 102°C, and keep it for 10 minutes to obtain cooked soy milk;

[0126] 4) Secondary filtration: The cooked soybean milk obtained above is filtered again with a vibrating screen having a mesh size of 60, and filtered soybean milk is obtained after filtration; the slurry is diluted with water until the protein concentration in the soybean milk is 3.5 g / 100 g;

[0127] 5) Adding sucrose: the weight of sucrose used is 8% of the weight of soy milk;

[0128] 6) Pasteurization: pasteurize the soy milk obtained above at 85° C. for 20 min;

[0129] 7) Fermentation: Inoculate the above soy milk with Weissella confusa SY628, and increase the concentration of Weissella confusaSY628 to 10 8 cfu / mL of fermented bacterial liquid was inoculated into each liter of soy milk, and fermentation was carried out at 40°C for 6 hours, and curd was formed after the fermentation was completed.

[0130] 8) Compression molding: The curd is placed in a mold and compression molded for about 24 hours until the moisture content is 50-60 wt%.

[0131] 9) Ripening: The dehydrated curd is cut into small pieces and vacuum packed, and then matured in an incubator at 4°C and 90% humidity for 40 days. During the fermentation and ripening process, the cheese will react and produce flavor substances.

[0132] The obtained plant cheese product: the appearance of soy plant cheese is milky white with yellowish color, smooth and flat curd with soft luster; the smell is a unique complex aroma of soybean fragrance, fermented acid fragrance, ester fragrance, etc., which is rich and harmonious without any peculiar smell; the texture is firm and elastic, delicate and free of particles, the cutting is regular, the chewing feeling in the mouth is good, and the melting and coating properties are good.

[0133] Detection and analysis

[0134] In Examples 1 to 3, plant cheeses were prepared using soy milk having protein concentrations of 2.5 g / 100 g, 3.0 g / 100 g, and 3.5 g / 100 g, respectively. The corresponding plant cheeses are SY2.5, SY3.0, and SY3.5, respectively.

[0135] The appearance of the resulting cheese is Figure 1As shown, (A) is SY2.5, (B) is SY3.0, and (C) is SY3.5. No obvious whey precipitation was observed in SY2.5, SY3.0, and SY3.5 cheeses. They all have a smooth appearance, are relatively delicate, and present a thicker and tighter texture. SY3.5 cheese is closer to the color of soybeans, and SY2.5 and SY3.0 cheeses are softer and more elastic.

[0136] In each embodiment, only 60 meshes were sieved, and the bean dregs rich in dietary fiber were not completely filtered out, but the cheese product was still successfully obtained, and the obtained product had a smooth, uniform and compact texture. This shows that the bean dregs have been decomposed into smaller molecules (such as: insoluble dietary fiber is decomposed into soluble dietary fiber), the product has better nutritional value, and is conducive to human utilization.

[0137] Physical and chemical analysis of the three cheese products obtained in Examples 1 to 3:

[0138] 1) Nutritional Information

[0139] The nutritional components of the obtained cheese are shown in Table 1. It can be seen that with the increase of protein concentration in soy milk, the protein content, fat content and dietary fiber content in the product also increase accordingly. The protein content increases from 5.20g / 100 to 7.30g / 100g, the fat content decreases from 6.53g / 100g to 2.80g / 100g, and the dietary fiber content increases from 4.10g / 100g to 5.40g / 100g. Dietary fiber can increase the viscosity of food and help form a gel structure, especially in dairy products or soy products, forming a composite structure with the protein network, thereby enhancing the water retention and texture of the food. The reduction in fat content in cheese may be because the protein and polysaccharide present in the cheese embed the fat. In general, the use of a higher concentration of soy milk is more conducive to the formation of cheese, and the resulting product is more nutritious; the soy milk concentrations used in Examples 1 to 3 are all feasible.

[0140] Table 1 Nutritional composition of soy plant cheese with different concentrations

[0141]

[0142] 2) Hardness after dehydration

[0143] The cheese was tested for hardness. Figure 2 shown.

[0144] Measuring the hardness of cheese is important in many ways. Hardness can reflect the quality characteristics of cheese. Hardness can also reflect the maturity and stability of cheese, which helps to determine what stage of maturity it is in. Stable hardness can ensure that the shape and texture remain unchanged during the storage period. Abnormal changes in hardness can indicate microbial contamination or chemical changes in ingredients. At the product level, it can be used for product classification and market positioning. Different types of products such as blocks, slices, and spreads can be distinguished based on hardness, and market positioning can be carried out according to the needs of the target consumer groups. In addition, during the production process, hardness measurement can assist quality control as a basis for adjusting process parameters to optimize the production process. It is also an important physical indicator for quality inspection and batch management to ensure that qualified products flow to the market.

[0145] The formation of protein networks plays a central role in cheese hardness, especially during cheesemaking, where gelation and cross-linking of proteins have a significant impact on texture.

[0146] Figure 2 It can be seen that the hardness of cheese increases with the increase of protein concentration in soy milk. The reason is that as the protein concentration increases, the number of casein micelles increases, the density of the network is greater, and the hardness increases accordingly; during the cross-linking process between protein molecules, when the protein concentration increases, the number of hydrogen bonds increases, which enhances the network hardness; hydrophobic interactions make the proteins more tightly arranged, reducing the gaps in the network, thereby increasing the hardness; disulfide bonds also participate in the cross-linking of proteins, further enhancing the structural strength of the protein network. As the protein concentration increases, the moisture content of cheese decreases, and the hardness increases accordingly. Therefore, the hardness of cheese increases with the increase of protein concentration, mainly because the protein network is denser, the cross-linking is stronger, and the moisture content is reduced, thereby enhancing the strength and texture of the cheese.

[0147] 3) Particle size

[0148] Measuring the particle size of cheese helps determine whether its texture is uniform. During the cheese-making process, factors such as the mixing of raw materials and processing technology will affect the size distribution of internal particles. If the particle size is relatively consistent, it means that during the processing, such as the coagulation of soy protein and the dispersion of fat globules, the product texture is fine and uniform. For example, when making spreadable cheese, a smaller and more uniform particle size can make the cheese smoother during the spreading process without a grainy feeling, thus ensuring a good taste.

[0149] Particle size test method: Weigh 0.5g of freeze-dried cheese sample and disperse it in 20mL of distilled water. Use WJL-628 laser particle size analyzer to measure the particle size distribution of yogurt. The test parameters are: real part of refractive index: 1.76, imaginary part: 0.05, ideal shading ratio: 1-2, ultrasonic time: 60s, and water as the medium.

[0150] The particle size distribution of each cheese is as follows Figure 3 As shown in the figure, it can be seen that the particle sizes of all samples are bimodal, indicating that at different concentrations, proteins may coexist in the form of monomers and aggregates. The small particle size peak corresponds to the monomer, and the large particle size peak corresponds to the aggregate.

[0151] The first peak is at 11-27μm for SY2.5, and the second peak is at 42-114μm. The first peak SY2.5 has the highest peak, and the first peaks of SY3.0 and SY3.5 with high concentrations are lower and wider; the reason is that at low concentrations, the interaction between protein molecules is weak, and single molecules or small protein aggregates dominate. These smaller particles are better dispersed, so they are mainly manifested as a smaller particle size peak in particle size measurement. And because there are more of these aggregates, the peak value is higher. With the increase of protein concentration, protein molecules are more likely to aggregate to form larger aggregates. These larger aggregates cause the particle size distribution to extend toward the larger particle size, and the distribution becomes wider. The peak values ​​of the second peaks of SY2.5, SY3.0, and SY3.5 increase successively, and the width also increases successively. This is because with the increase of protein concentration, the interaction between protein molecules is enhanced, and aggregates of different sizes are formed, the particle size distribution is wider, and the peak value is larger.

[0152] 4) Water holding capacity

[0153] The water holding capacity of the obtained cheese was tested. The test results are summarized in Table 2. The water holding capacity of soybean vegetable cheese is closely related to the protein concentration. The products of each embodiment have good water holding capacity.

[0154] As shown in Table 2, as the protein concentration of soy milk increases, the water holding capacity of the resulting cheese also increases. The main reasons are that the protein network is denser, the hydration capacity of the protein is enhanced, and the protein-water interaction is stronger. The decrease in pH triggers protein denaturation, protein-peptide chain folding and charge neutralization, which ultimately leads to the formation of a gel structure. However, compared with animal milk, plant milk contains cellulose and polysaccharides, and the gelation mechanism is diverse. These factors work together to make it easier for water to be captured and fixed by the protein network, thereby reducing water loss and improving the water holding capacity of cheese. This phenomenon has an important impact on the texture, taste and shelf life of cheese.

[0155] Table 2 Effect of different concentrations of soy plant cheese on water holding capacity

[0156]

[0157] 5) Changes in viscosity

[0158] The viscosity of the cheese was tested at different shear rates. Figure 4 As shown. As the protein concentration increases, the viscosity also increases. At a shear rate of 100 (1 / s), the viscosity of sample SY2.5 is the lowest, at 206.34 (mPas), while the viscosity of sample SY3.5 is the highest, at 407.03 (mPas). As the protein concentration increases, the viscosity of the system increases mainly due to the enhanced interaction between protein molecules, the formation of a more complex network structure, the volume exclusion effect, the enhancement of non-Newtonian rheological properties, and the hydration effect of the protein. These factors work together to reduce fluidity and increase resistance, resulting in a significant increase in the viscosity of the system with increasing concentration.

[0159] 6) Changes in rheological properties

[0160] The changes of storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G") of the cheese obtained under different frequencies were tested. The results are as follows Figure 5 shown.

[0161] In general, the values ​​of G′ and G” increase with increasing frequency, with G’ being higher than G” over the entire frequency range. This is due to the fact that the protein network structure of cheese dominates its elastic properties. This protein network restricts fluidity and enhances the solid-state characteristics of the system through intermolecular cross-linking and gelation, enabling it to better store elastic deformation energy with less viscous dissipation. Therefore, the rheology of cheese exhibits the typical characteristics of G’>G”, reflecting its solid-state and elastic-dominated behavior.

[0162] 7) Changes in intermolecular forces

[0163] Test method: Weigh 0.5g sample and mix evenly with 5mL S1 (0.05mol / LNaCl), S2 (0.6mol / LNaCl), S3 (0.6mol / LNaCl+1.5mol / L urea), S4 (0.6mol / LNaCl+8mol / L urea), S5 (0.6mol / LNaCl+8mol / L urea+0.5mol / mercaptoethanol), then adjust the volume to 25mL. Centrifuge at 10000g for 10min at 4°C to obtain precipitate and supernatant. The protein content of the supernatant was determined using a modified Brodford kit. Take 20μL of the supernatant and 200μL G250 reagent and place them in a 96-well plate, and measure at 595nm using an enzyme reader. S2 solvents disrupt ionic bonds; S3 mixed solvents disrupt ionic bonds and hydrogen bonds; S4 mixed solvents disrupt ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophobic interactions; S5 mixed solvents disrupt ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and disulfide bonds. Ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and disulfide bonds are expressed as the differences in protein concentrations in S2 vs. S1, S3 vs. S2, S4 vs. S3, and S5 vs. S4, respectively.

[0164] Ionic bonds are formed by electrostatic repulsion between the ionic groups of proteins and water molecules, which is caused by the negative charge on the protein surface. Hydrogen bonds can improve the stability of the gel. Hydrophobic interactions are the main force supporting the spatial folding structure of proteins. Disulfide bonds are the key intermolecular forces in the formation of protein gel networks.

[0165] like Figure 6 As shown, the disulfide bond content was the highest in all samples, followed by hydrophobic interactions, indicating that the soybean casein gel induced by lactic acid bacteria mainly relied on disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions, while ionic bonds and hydrogen bonds had less influence.

[0166] Comparative Example

[0167] The preparation method of this comparative example is basically the same as that of Example 3, except that commercial bacteria are used for fermentation. The commercial bacteria used in this comparative example are Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus (1:1).

[0168] The resulting plant cheese product: Soy cheese prepared using commercial bacteria forms a soft, low-viscosity curd structure, which is not conducive to molding and is prone to problems such as porosity and deformation. During the molding process, a large amount of whey is precipitated, reducing the product yield and nutritional value, making it difficult to mold and demold.

[0169] Reference example

[0170] Weissella confusa SY628 is a strain selected by the inventor from sour soy milk, which was accidentally obtained by the inventor in the Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Soy Products Processing and Safety Control of Shaoyang University. It is a solidified sour soy milk made by natural fermentation of soy milk. After fermentation test verification, it was confirmed that Weissella confusaSY628 is the key strain that transforms soy milk into solidified sour soy milk in the natural fermentation.

[0171] See also Figure 7 :The cell morphology of Weissella confusa SY628 is as follows Figure 7 As shown in the left figure, the bacteria are short rod-shaped, arranged singly or in pairs, and Gram-positive; the colony morphology of Weissella confusa SY628 on MRS solid medium supplemented with 2% calcium carbonate is as follows Figure 7 As shown in the middle picture, the colonies are milky white, opaque, round, with irregular edges, flat and not raised; the colony morphology of Weissella confusa SY628 on mMRS solid medium is as follows Figure 7 As shown in the right picture, the colony morphology is transparent and mucus-like, and appears to be stringy when picked up, indicating that the strain produces a high amount of viscous polysaccharides.

[0172] The fusion Weissella SY628 was deposited on September 19, 2024 in the General Microbiology Center of the China Culture Collection Administration (CGMCC for short, address: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China), and the culture collection number is CGMCC No.32006.

Claims

1. A method for making plant cheese, characterized in that: The plant-based milk is pre-fermented by using a fermentation bacterium 1 to obtain curd; the curd is dehydrated to obtain a cheese block; the fermentation bacterium 1 includes Weissella fusion.

2. The method for making plant cheese according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of live bacteria per liter of plant-based milk is equivalent to inoculating 5-60mL of bacteria with a concentration of 10 6 -10 10 cfu / mL of fermentation broth.

3. The method for making plant cheese according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fermentation bacteria 1 include Weissella fusion SY628.

4. The method for making plant cheese according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of viable bacteria of Weissella SY628 inoculated per liter of plant-based milk is equivalent to inoculating 5-60mL of bacteria with a concentration of 10 6 -10 10 cfu / mL of fermentation broth.

5. The method for making plant cheese according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the dehydration process of the curd, fermentation bacteria 2 are added; during the dehydration process of the curd, salt is also added.

6. The method for making plant cheese according to claim 5, characterized in that: The fermentation bacteria 2 includes commercial lactobacillus; the amount of fermentation bacteria 2 added is: the number of live bacteria of the inoculated fermentation bacteria 2 corresponding to the curd obtained from the plant-based milk is equivalent to the number of live bacteria inoculated with 5-60 mL of the bacterial cell concentration of 10 6 -10 10 cfu / mL of fermentation broth; the amount of salt added is: 5 to 15 g for every liter of plant-based milk used.

7. The method for making plant cheese according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The cheese block is also post-ripened by being placed in an anaerobic environment at 2-5° C. for more than 20 days.

8. The method for making plant cheese according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The temperature of the pre-fermentation is 28-45°C; the time of the pre-fermentation is 6-12 hours; the protein content in the plant-based milk is above 1.5g / 100g; the particle size of the solid particles in the plant-based milk is less than 40 mesh, preferably less than 60 mesh; an edible carbon source is also added to promote pre-fermentation; the plant-based milk is a seed-based plant-based milk, preferably one or more of nut-based plant-based milk, grain-based plant-based milk, and bean-based milk.

9. The method for making plant cheese according to claim 8, characterized in that: The edible carbon source is one or more of sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, galactose, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides; the added amount of the edible carbon source is 6wt% to 12wt% of the weight of the plant-based milk.

10. The method for making plant cheese according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The moisture content of the cheese block is 40wt% to 80wt%.

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