Process for relief marking of soft cheese, marking plate and strainer for use in such process

Abstract

To provide a marking method for soft cheese or fresh cheese that enables precise marking without use of a pressor damaging the cheese.SOLUTION: This method includes a molding step in which a curd is poured into a strainer 1 placed upright on a starter plate, and a whey removal step in which the strainer is successively turned over, the whey removal step starting with placing the strainer 1 upright on a first plate 5, placing the curd on an upper surface of the first plate 5, and placing a second plate 6 on the curd, the first plate 5 and the second plate 6 being dimensioned to slide inside the strainer 1 along an inner wall of the strainer 1. The first plate 5 and / or the second plate 6 includes, on one side, a protruding pattern configured to engage with the curd, and each time the strainer 1 is turned over, the first plate 5 and the second plate 6 respectively continue to contact the same surface of the curd.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for marking soft cheese or fresh cheese obtained from curd. The present invention also relates to a marking plate and a strainer used for carrying out this method.

Background Art

[0002] Pressed cheese can be very easily marked during the pressing process. On the other hand, for soft cheese, Camembert cheese, Brie cheese, etc., since the cheese will be destroyed when pressed, this process cannot be carried out. Generally, the production of soft cheese includes the following steps. The curdling stage consists of coagulating milk to produce curd. To do this, rennet and lactic acid bacteria are added to the milk.

[0003] The molding stage consists of pouring the curd into a perforated mold. The whey removal stage aims to discharge the whey contained in the curd over several hours. The obtained cheese can be salted, and then mold grows during the aging stage to form fluff on the surface of the cheese.

[0004] In this process of manufacturing soft cheese, the mold can be a strainer for removing whey from the curd, and the strainer may or may not have a bottom. When using a strainer without a bottom, the curd is directly discharged to the bottom through a mat made of various materials such as bamboo or food-grade plastic. To accelerate whey removal, a metal plate can be placed on the curd. During the whey removal stage, the curd in the strainer is inverted multiple times to make it uniformly acidic. When there is a metal plate on top, this metal plate is always placed back on top to accelerate whey removal.

[0005] In the manufacturing process of Camembert by ladle molding, it is necessary to carefully pour the ladle one by one so as not to break the curd, a total of 5 ladles, and wait 50 minutes between each ladle. Therefore, the contact time with the mat is 200 minutes, that is, 3 hours and 20 minutes. Patent Document 1 that describes a method of marking cheese by printing casein on the rind of the cheese is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to realize marking on soft cheese or fresh cheese. Another object of the present invention is to perform accurate marking without using a press that damages the cheese.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] At least one of the above objects is achieved by a method of marking soft cheese or fresh cheese obtained from curd, the method comprising the following steps, namely:

[0009] - Vertically placing a strainer having a shape of a hollow cylinder perforated to allow a liquid to pass through, disposing a starting plate as the bottom of the strainer, and a step of molding by pouring curd into the strainer, and - A whey removal step of continuously inverting the strainer and this whey removal step comprises: - Vertically placing the strainer, disposing a first plate as the bottom of the strainer, placing the curd on the upper surface of this first plate, and - Start by placing the second plate on the card, and the first and second plates are sized to slide inside the strainer along the inner wall of the strainer.

[0010] According to the present invention, the first plate and / or the second plate includes a protruding pattern configured to engage with the card on one side, and each time the strainer is inverted, the first plate and the second plate continue to contact the same surface of the card.

[0011] By the method according to the present invention, it becomes possible to make markings on the soft cheese. To do this, advantageously, the markings are made during the whey removal step. In such an embodiment, a pattern is maintained on at least one surface of the cheese, and this pattern is formed upside down in the cheese as the whey is removed.

[0012] The marking is carried out in a continuous process over time. By continuously inverting the strainer, it is possible to prevent the plates from clumping together with the card. When inverting, it is preferable to carefully remove the plate before inverting the strainer. In this way, soft cheese with markings on and / or under the cheese is produced while respecting the ladling process.

[0013] The pattern formed on the cheese can be the name of the cheese, a logo, or any other symbol or character. The strainer is a cylindrical body with a circular, square, or other cross-section. It can be seen that the plates configured to slide inside the strainer are of a shape compatible with the shape of the strainer.

[0014] The plate is dimensioned such that its outer peripheral shape is substantially the same as the inner shape of the strainer. A person skilled in the art is well aware of what dimensional deviations should be applied to make the plate slidable within the strainer while discharging the liquid without passing the card. The liquid, which is usually water or whey, can be discharged through holes provided in the wall of the strainer.

[0015] In the method according to the invention, advantageously, the discharge of whey is utilized to effect a continuous, safe and accurate marking.

[0016] During the whey removal step between two inversions, the card is enclosed within the strainer between the plate under the card and another plate pressing on the upper part of the card. With each inversion, the plate that was below moves up and the plate that was above moves down. Between two inversions, the card loses liquid and hardens. This reduces the bulk of the card, and the plate placed on top slides naturally while remaining on the upper surface of the card.

[0017] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the starting plate and the first plate can be identical. Thus, this first plate can be used as the starting plate and may not need to include a pattern if the card being processed cannot be patterned during the stuffing step. This first plate, which can also be used as the starting plate, can include a pattern when there is no risk of the card sticking to the plate during processing. In this way, the stuffing step and the whey removal step can be carried out successively more easily.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the invention, the starting plate may not include a pattern. This is the case for a plate whose surface configured to contact the card is smooth. The smooth surface can prevent the card from sticking to the starting plate.

[0019] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the stuffing step consists of the following steps, namely: - Place a plain starting plate at the bottom of the strainer and pour one or more layers of cards into the strainer; - Once all the planned cards have been poured into the strainer, place a second plate on top of the poured cards; - Invert the entire assembly including the strainer, starting plate, and second plate and place the strainer on the second plate; - Replace the starting plate with the first plate; - Invert the entire assembly including the strainer, first plate, and second plate and place the strainer on the first plate. It can include.

[0020] In the method according to the invention, the stuffing step includes placing the starting plate downwards and filling the strainer with cards. Once filling is complete, place the second plate on top and immediately invert the strainer. If the starting plate is different from the first plate, replace the starting plate with the first plate and invert the strainer again at the start of the whey removal step so that the first plate is at the bottom. The two inversions during the stuffing step can be carried out immediately, i.e., within seconds or minutes (e.g., 15 minutes) depending on the hardness of the cards. On the other hand, the time between the two inversions during the whey removal step is several tens of minutes or even several hours.

[0021] According to this embodiment, stuffing can be carried out without considering the markings. In this way, the whey removal step starts with two new plates (the first plate and the second plate).

[0022] According to the invention, the stuffing step comprises the following steps, namely: - Place a plain starting plate at the bottom of the strainer and pour one or more layers of cards into the strainer; - Once all the planned cards have been poured into the strainer, place a second plain starting plate on top of the poured cards. It can include.

[0023] This embodiment is particularly applicable when it is necessary to let the card rest for several hours before starting the whey removal stage in the production of cheese. Thus, for example, the two starting plates are capable of accommodating the card until the card reaches an appropriate consistency to be attached to the first and second plates.

[0024] According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the strainer can comprise a first mark shaped to engage a second mark provided on each plate configured to slide within the strainer along its inner wall, such that the plate can always slide in the same orientation within the strainer.

[0025] Such marks are protruding or hollow and are provided, for example, over the entire height of the strainer. When the plate is inverted during the whey removal stage, the plate can be manipulated and removed from and returned to the surface of the card. If the plate has a pattern and this pattern fits exactly into the grooves already made on the surface of the card before inversion, the rotation of the plate is prevented by the marks. If it is necessary to remove the plate during inversion and then return it into the strainer, the marks allow this plate to be repositioned in the same orientation and the pattern to be placed again into the existing grooves.

[0026] Advantageously, the marks can be flat surfaces and the strainer can have a circular cross-section. Other shaped marks such as dots, triangles, circles, etc. can also be considered.

[0027] According to the invention, the first plate and / or the second plate can include grooves provided in a part of the thickness of the plate on the surface configured to contact the card. These grooves can leave traces on the surface of the cheese.

[0028] For example, when the first plate and the second plate each include a pattern, the two patterns may be the same or different. The present invention proposes marking on one side, or marking the same pattern or two different patterns on both sides. Therefore, each side can be personalized.

[0029] Immediately after the whey removal step, or not immediately after, a ripening step may follow in which at least one ripening plate is placed under the cheese, and this ripening plate includes a pattern on the contact surface with the cheese.

[0030] Therefore, it can be configured to continue marking during ripening. The pattern used during whey removal is also used for ripening, but preferably only on one side. The upper free surface is exposed to the outside air, and the bacteria in the cheese can multiply to cover the upper part of the cheese with fluff regardless of the presence or absence of the marking. When there is a marking on the top, the ripening plate can remain below each time it is inverted, so the marking is strengthened during the next inversion.

[0031] When only one side of the cheese is marked, during ripening, the ripening plate with the pattern can always be placed on the marked surface each time it is inverted. The unmarked side can be left exposed to the outside air when placed on top, and when placed on the bottom, it can be placed on, for example, a flat surface.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the ripening plate can advantageously have a watermark pattern in the non-patterned part. Therefore, air can easily reach the surface of the cheese.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when both sides of the cheese are marked, the ripening step can include a plurality of steps of inverting the cheese placed on the ripening plate, and each time it is inverted, the next step, namely: - The step of placing a second ripening plate on the cheese, - Inverting the whole including the aging plate placed under the cheese, the cheese, and the second aging plate placed on the cheese; - Then, removing the aging plate placed on the cheese; including.

[0034] By such a method, it is possible to continue marking both sides of the cheese throughout the aging stage that may continue for several weeks.

[0035] Bacteria can multiply in the open area with the watermark pattern. The grooves formed on the surface of the cheese by the pattern will remain clearly visible at the end of the aging stage.

[0036] According to another aspect of the present invention, a marking plate for soft cheese or fresh cheese obtained from a card is proposed. This plate includes a plate made of a biocompatible material and a pattern made of a biocompatible material provided on one side of this plate and protruding from the surface of this side. This pattern is configured to engage with the card. This marking plate can further include marks on the periphery configured to cooperate with the engagement marks provided on the strainer.

[0037] According to still another aspect of the present invention, a strainer for marking soft cheese or fresh cheese obtained from a card is also proposed. This strainer - A hollow cylindrical body with holes for passing liquid, and - Engagement marks provided along the inner wall of the strainer and configured to cooperate with the marks on the marking plate including. Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent by considering the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0038]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] The embodiments described below are in no way limiting. Even if various modified embodiments of the present invention include only a selection of one of the plurality of features described below, separated from the other features, if the selection of these features provides a technical advantage or is sufficient to distinguish the present invention from the prior art, such modified embodiments can be particularly implemented. This selection includes at least one preferably functional feature that does not include structural details or, if only that part is sufficient to provide a technical advantage or distinguish the present invention from the prior art, includes only a part of the structural details.

[0040] In particular, all the described modified embodiments and all the embodiments are assumed to be combinable with each other in any combination as long as nothing at the technical level prevents this.

[0041] Although the present invention is not limited thereto, several manufacturing steps of soft cheese having different markings on both sides will be described below.

[0042] In FIGS. 1 and 2, a strainer 1 having the shape of a bottomless hollow cylinder is shown. The cross-section of this cylinder is circular, but other cross-sectional shapes such as a square or a triangle may be used.

[0043] The mark 2 is formed inside the strainer 1. This is a flat surface that extends over the entire height of the strainer.

[0044] A plurality of holes 3 are provided throughout the circumference through the wall of the strainer 1 and are configured to discharge moisture during the whey removal stage. The holes 3 are provided in groups of four arranged along the height, as shown in FIG. 2. These groups are evenly distributed around the strainer. Regarding the distribution of the holes through the wall of the strainer, other random or non-random arrangements may be considered.

[0045] Next, the stuffing step according to the present invention will be described. To carry this out, the strainer described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the starting plate shown in FIG. 3, and the first marking plate 5 shown in FIG. 4 are used.

[0046] In FIG. 3, the starting plate 4 is a plate having the shape of a non-hollow flat cylinder. The cross-section of this starting plate 4 is circular, and its diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the strainer. Slightly smaller means a difference in diameter that allows the starting plate to slide inside the strainer by gravity without the possibility of the card entering the gap between the strainer and the starting plate.

[0047] It can be seen that the engagement mark 4a is provided so as to face the mark 2 inside the strainer.

[0048] However, starting plates with different shapes and dimensions can also be considered, such as a square cross-section with a side larger than the diameter of the strainer, for example. Such a starting plate is not configured to slide inside the strainer and thus does not require an engagement mark. Such a starting plate is simply used to place the strainer on it and hold the card.

[0049] In FIG. 4, the first marking plate 5 is a plate having the shape of a non-hollow flat cylinder. The cross-section of this first marking plate 5 is circular, and its diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the strainer. Slightly smaller means a difference in diameter that allows the first marking plate to slide inside the strainer by gravity without the possibility of the card entering the gap between the strainer and the first marking plate 5.

[0050] It can be seen that the engagement mark 5a is provided so as to face the mark 2 when the first plate is inserted into the strainer 1. This engagement mark is a flat surface, that is, a plane formed by cutting the first marking plate along a chord. Also, a ring 5b is identified at the peripheral portion of the first marking plate. This ring has a smooth surface that contacts the card.

[0051] The ring 5b defines the boundary of the inner zone of the first marking plate where parallel grooves 5c are formed. These parallel grooves 5c are formed in a part of the thickness of the first marking plate, that is, they do not penetrate the thickness of the first marking plate. The groove-free strip is at the same height as the smooth surface of the ring 5b.

[0052] Also, a pattern 5d, which is characters protruding from the entire surface of the first marking plate and includes the surface of the ring 5b, is similarly identified. The pattern 5d is characters created in the opposite orientation so that they can be read when transferred to the surface of the cheese.

[0053] In FIG. 5, FIG. 5a is a cross-sectional view of the first marking plate 5 having the pattern 5d. FIG. 5b is a cross-sectional view of the second marking plate 6 having a pattern 6a different from the pattern 5d. The second marking plate has the same features, shape, and dimensions as the first marking plate 5, except for the pattern.

[0054] In FIG. 6, a first step 6a is identified in which the starting plate 4 is placed as the bottom of the strainer 1 and the card 7 is poured into the upright strainer 1.

[0055] In step 6b, the entire card 7 is poured into the strainer 1. The card 7 is covered with the second marking plate 6 and the pattern 6a is inserted into the card 7. In step 6c, the entire strainer 1, starting plate 4, and second marking plate 6 are inverted. Due to gravity, the card 7, second marking plate 6, and starting plate 4 slide downward, and as seen in step 6d, the second marking plate 6 comes to the bottom of the strainer 1.

[0056] In step 6e, the starting plate 4 is replaced with the first marking plate 5. Next, in step 6f, the whole is inverted. Preferably, steps 6a to 6f are carried out continuously without timing adjustment between each step. In this way, a configuration is obtained in which the card 7 is accommodated between the two marking plates in the strainer. In the embodiment described in steps 6a to 6f, at the end of the stuffing stage, the first marking plate is brought into contact with the portion of the card that was first poured. This facilitates marking.

[0057] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the strainer 1, the first marking plate 5 disposed under this strainer, and the second marking plate 6 disposed above the strainer. The two plates are designed to slide within the strainer 1.

[0058] Although the stuffing stage has been described using a plain starting plate, for example, if it is possible to let the card rest on the pattern for a long time, particularly for several hours, depending on the components of the card, a patterned starting plate can be used, and the card does not clump at the pattern.

[0059] In FIG. 8, the whey removal stage is described. This stage starts according to the arrangement of step 6f. The whole is allowed to rest for several hours. Liquids such as whey contained in the card 7 are naturally discharged through the holes 3. The overall bulk of the card 7 decreases. As a result, the second marking plate 6 slides downward due to gravity. The pattern remains inserted in the card 7.

[0060] In step 8b, the whole is inverted so that the second marking plate 6 is under the card and the first marking plate is above the card. Each marking plate retains its pattern inserted into the card. Thanks to the various marks provided on the marking plate and the strainer, the marking plate always slides in the same direction within the strainer. Thus, despite the various movements due to inversion, the pattern continues to remain in the same groove of the card. During inversion, the plate can be removed from the strainer and reintroduced without creating another groove in the card.

[0061] For example, after several hours of the timing adjustment phase, in step 8c, the whole is inverted again. This can be inverted several times in this way until the desired consistency of the card to be processed into cheese is obtained. While inverting several times like this, the volume of the card decreases over time, and the marking plate is adapted while sliding along the strainer accordingly. The formed cheese is as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 9, with patterns on each surface.

[0062] Thereafter, this cheese is allowed to rest outside the strainer so that appropriate bacteria can multiply, especially during the aging phase.

[0063] In FIG. 10, an aging plate 8 composed of a peripheral ring 8a is identified, and inside the ring, a grid 8b is provided to make the aging plate in a state with a watermark pattern. The grid 8b is provided with the same pattern 5d as the first marking plate 5.

[0064] Thanks to the grid 8b, air can widely penetrate into the aging plate and reach most of the surface of the cheese. This grid can be in the shape of a checkerboard or other watermark patterns.

[0065] Figure 11 shows the aging process in which the molded product 7 is placed on the aging plate 8 in a well-ventilated place. The continuity of the marking can be ensured by the pattern 5d. On the free surface of the cheese, fluff 9 is naturally formed over the entire surface including the grooves formed by the pattern 6a.

[0066] Figure 12 shows the aging process in which the molded product 7 is placed on the second aging plate 10 having the same pattern 6a as the second marking plate 6 in a well-ventilated place. By this pattern 6a, the continuity of the marking can be ensured. On the free surface of the cheese, fluff 11 is naturally formed over the entire surface including the grooves formed by the pattern 5d.

[0067] For example, if the cheese is inverted and moved from the configuration of Figure 11 to the configuration of Figure 12, the second aging plate 10 can be placed on the cheese. Therefore, by preparing two aging plates 8 and 10 and sandwiching the cheese 7 in the middle, the whole can be inverted without damaging the marking of the cheese. After inverting, leave the lower aging plate 10 in place to preserve the lower marking trace. When the upper aging plate 8 is removed, air can reach the cheese bacteria, allowing this cheese bacteria to multiply and cover the marking with fluff. The marking becomes clearer when the aging plate is left below during the next inversion.

[0068] Figure 13 is a photograph of the upper surface of the cheese marked with the pattern 5d according to the present invention.

[0069] The plate and strainer according to the present invention can be designed from one or a combination of food materials such as aluminum, food plastics, and porcelain.

[0070] In the method according to the present invention, at least one marking plate is used to maintain the pattern on one side of the card, whereby this pattern is formed upside down in the cheese as whey is removed and during aging.

[0071] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and many modifications can be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for marking soft or fresh cheese obtained from curd, comprising the following steps: - a moulding step in which a strainer (1) in the form of a hollow cylinder perforated to allow the passage of liquid is placed vertically and a starter plate (4) is placed as the bottom of said strainer (1) and said curd (7) is poured into said strainer; - a whey removal step in which the strainer (1) is continuously inverted; wherein the whey removal step comprises: - placing the strainer (1) vertically and placing a first plate (4) as the bottom of the strainer and placing the card on the top surface of this first plate (4); and - a method starting with placing a second plate (6) on top of the card (7), the first plate (4) and the second plate (6) being dimensioned to slide inside the strainer (1) along the inner wall of the strainer, wherein said first plate (4) and / or said second plate (6) include a raised pattern (5d, 6a) on one side configured to engage with said card, such that each time said strainer (1) is inverted, said first plate (4) and said second plate (6) each continue to contact the same surface of said card (7).

2. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the starting plate (4) and the first plate are identical.

3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the starting plate (4) does not include the pattern (5d).

4. The moulding step comprises the steps of: - placing said starter plate (4) without a pattern at the bottom of said strainer (1) and pouring one or more layers of said curd (7) into said strainer (1); - when all the intended curd has been poured into the strainer (1), placing the second plate (6) on top of the poured curd; - inverting the entire assembly including the strainer (1), the starting plate (4) and the second plate (6) so that the strainer (1) is placed on the second plate (6); - replacing said starting plate (4) with said first plate (5), - inverting the whole including the strainer (1), the first plate (5) and the second plate (6) to place the strainer on the first plate (5); The method of claim 3, comprising:

5. The moulding step comprises the steps of: - placing said starter plate (4) without a pattern at the bottom of said strainer and pouring one or more layers of said curd into said strainer (1); - when all the intended curd (7) has been poured into the strainer (1), placing the second starting plate, also without a pattern, on top of the poured curd. The method of claim 3, comprising:

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the strainer (1) comprises along its inner wall first markings (2) shaped to engage with second markings (4a, 5a) provided on each plate configured to slide within the strainer (1), so that the plates can always slide in the same orientation within the strainer.

7. 7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the markings (2) are flat surfaces and the strainer has a circular cross section.

8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first plate (5) and / or the second plate (6) comprise, on the face adapted for contact with the card, a groove (5c) provided over a part of the thickness of the plate.

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first plate (5) and the second plate (6) each comprise a pattern (5d, 6a), the two patterns being different.

10. 10. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the whey removal stage is followed by a maturation stage in which at least one maturation plate (8) is placed under the cheese, this maturation plate comprising a pattern (5d) on the contact surface with the cheese.

11. 11. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the maturation plate (8) is openworked in the parts not containing the pattern.

12. If the cheese is marked on both sides, the maturation stage comprises several steps of turning over the cheese placed on the maturation plate (8), performing the following steps at each turning: - placing a second maturation plate on top of the cheese; - inverting the whole including the maturation plate placed under the cheese, the cheese and the second maturation plate placed on top of the cheese, - then removing the maturation plate placed on top of the cheese.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that it comprises:

13. Cheese obtained directly from the marking method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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