Cheese Base for Processing. A High Yield Product from Whole Milk by Ultrafiltration

Abstract

Whole milk of normal pH or acidified to pH 5.7 was concentrated by ultrafiltration to 40% original milk weight, diafiltered at constant volume until a desired ratio of lactose to buffer capacity was established, and concentrated by ultrafiltration to 20% milk weight. The retentates were inoculated with cheese starter and incubated to ferment completely the residual lactose. Precise control of final pH was achieved readily.Fermented retentates were converted to cheese base in a swept surface vacuum pan evaporator. The product, which is a potential replacement for the immature natural cheese component of processed cheese blends, had the same pH and gross composition as Cheddar cheese. It also had good flavor and stability but lacked normal cheese body and texture characteristics.The process gave cheese base yields 16 to 18% greater than could be expected from conventional cheese-making processes. Unacidified milk offered process advantage compared with pH 5.7 milk, and the products were similar in quality.Blends of 80% base curd and 20% aged Cheddar cheese, produced good flavored process cheese and process cheese food. The body of the process cheese was excessively firm, but that of the process cheese food was satisfactory.