Processed Cheese and Substitute/Imitation Cheese Products

Abstract

The development of pasteurised processed (also called process) cheese products (PCPs) in the early 1900s was motivated by the need to develop cheese-like products that were stable (i.e., did not leak fat, ‘sweat’ or become greasy) at ambient temperatures (≤40 °C) and could be stored for a long time without a change in quality. Today, PCPs are used mainly as ingredient cheese products with customized functionalities, and to a lesser extent as table cheese products (e.g., processed cheese spreads and slices). They are produced by comminuting, melting and emulsifying, into a smooth homogeneous molten blend, one or more varieties of natural cheese and optional ingredients using heat, mechanical shear and (usually) emulsifying salts (ES). The optional ingredients permitted are determined by the type of PCP, as defined by national legislation. Manufacture involves formulation, size reduction of cheese and blending of ingredients, heating to 75–85 °C while continuously shearing until a hot uniform molten mass is obtained, hot-filling into packages and cooling. While the ES are not emulsifying agents per se, they solubilise the cheese protein which binds the free water and emulsifies the free fat released during processing (heating and shearing). The ES, usually sodium citrates or sodium phosphates, mediate protein solubilisation by upward adjustment of the pH and sequestering calcium from the cheese protein. PCPs are packaged in varying formats, for example retail products are available as foil-covered blocks or triangle portions, individually wrapped- or stacked-slices or tubs of spread, while products for the catering trade are available as sliceable blocks, slabs, sausage form or spreadable products filled into drums or buckets. The texture, cooking attributes and overall quality of PCPs are influenced by many parameters including characteristics of the cheese and optional ingredients used in formulation, processing conditions (heat, shear) and composition.