Food products and systems and methods of making same

Abstract

Dairy products, such as cheese sauces, heat-treated cheese sauces, pasteurized cheese sauces, process cheese, pasteurized process cheese, dairy spreads, pasteurized process cheese spreads, pasteurized process cheese products, and methods and systems for producing such products are disclosed. A substantial portion of the product formulation is derived directly from milk. Methods include adjusting the protein, fat, lactose, and / or moisture content of the milk composition and then fermenting the adjusted milk composition to produce in situ lactic acid, and in some cases, an antimicrobial such as nisin. Methods may also include one or more of pH-controlled fermentation, enzyme treatment, and split-fed batch processing. The methods are performed in a continuous, nearly continuous, or semi -continuous manner.