JP2024123747A - How to make low-fat cheese - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a low-fat cheese that is soft without hard elasticity and has a strong flavor. [Solution] A method for producing low-fat cheese with a soft texture and aged flavor, comprising the steps of adding non-dairy food ingredients at a solid ratio of 20% by weight or less to raw milk with a fat content of 2.0% by weight or less, and adding lactic acid bacteria as a starter after sterilization. [Selected Drawing] None

Description

The present invention relates to low-fat cheese made from raw milk with a fat content of 2.0% by weight or less, a method for producing the same, and low-fat processed cheese and low-fat cheese food made from the low-fat cheese. These cheeses are softer than conventional low-fat cheeses and have an improved aged flavor, making them suitable for a wide range of uses as low-calorie foods.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for low-calorie or low-fat foods due to the growing health consciousness and the prevention of metabolic syndrome, and low-fat dairy products have also been launched on the market. It is known that cheese products made using low-fat raw milk generally have a rubbery, hard texture, a bland flavor, and low palatability. This is because the rennet enzyme used in cheese production acts on casein micelles, hydrolyzing the κ-casein present on the micelle surface, resulting in the aggregation of casein micelles. When forming a coagulated mass called curd, fat globules are also incorporated, and it is believed that in low-fat milk with fewer fat globules, the aggregation of casein micelles becomes stronger, resulting in the formation of a hard, elastic curd.

Several methods have been proposed to improve the texture of low-fat cheeses.
Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication 1-196256A) shows that removing fat from natural cheese makes it possible to achieve a good flavor even with low fat content. This method requires a process of heating and melting normal natural cheese and removing fat, which requires new equipment and the disposal of the recovered fat.

Patent Document 2 (JP Patent Publication 9-262053A) shows that low-fat cheese is high in moisture, soft, and has little syneresis by adding 0.1 to 3% by weight of a hygienically acceptable monovalent cation salt to low-fat raw milk and producing natural cheese. If salts are added to the raw milk in advance, the salts inhibit the action of the milk-clotting enzyme, making it easy for fine coagulated matter called fine curd to form, resulting in a decrease in yield and the time required to remove the whey.

Patent Document 3 (JP Patent Publication 8-289728A) shows that by mixing skim milk with fat extracted from cheese called cheese oil, emulsifying it, forming curds, and maturing it, a low-fat cheese with a higher moisture content, softer texture, and better flavor than conventional low-fat cheeses is produced. This requires the installation of a new process for separating the fat and a new device for emulsifying the cheese oil, which can be said to lead to higher production costs.

Patent Document 4 (Patent Publication No. 3157642) reports low-fat cheeses produced by using a combination of molten salt and an emulsifier. This is a method for producing a processed cheese type cheese, which differs from the cheese of the present invention.

Patent Document 5 (JP Patent Publication 2000-333601) relates to a method for producing low-fat processed cheese with a fat content of 20% by weight or less, and reports a method in which molten salt is added to low-fat raw cheese so that the amount is 0.5 to 5% by weight, and then the cheese is heated and emulsified at 110°C or higher. This method, which also relates to the production of processed cheese, requires a high temperature of 110°C or higher, whereas the production of processed cheese is usually heated and emulsified at 80 to 95°C, and this poses problems in terms of equipment.

Non-Patent Document 1 states that adding whey protein concentrates (WPCs) with different degrees of thermal denaturation to cheese ingredients improves the texture of low-fat processed cheese, including its hardness and melt-in-the-mouth feel. There are many methods for improving the texture of low-fat processed cheese by emulsifying with heat using molten salts.

Patent Document 6 (JP Patent Publication 2011-19455A) proposes a method for producing a low-fat natural cheese with a calcium content of 500mg/100g or less and a fat percentage in solids of 35% or less by weight, which has the characteristic of being excellent in suitability for cooking with heat. Acidification is required to reduce the calcium content to 500mg/100g or less, and when lactic acid bacteria is used, there are issues such as the need to sterilize the curd when the pH reaches 4.8-6.3, and the difficulty of controlling the calcium content.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 196256/1999 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-262053 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-289728 Patent No. 3157642 JP 2000-333601 A JP 2011-19455 A

Nippon Shokuhin Kagaku Kogaku Kaishi, 59(3), 122-126 (2012)

The present invention aims to provide a low-fat cheese that is soft without hard elasticity and has a strong flavor.

In light of the above current situation, the present inventors considered that the formation of hard texture in cheeses made low in fat is due to the formation of excessive networks between caseins. As a result of extensive research, they discovered that the cheese texture could be improved by adding a certain amount of a non-dairy food ingredient that inhibits casein network formation to low-fat raw milk and producing natural cheese, which led to the invention. This is because the non-dairy food ingredient is interposed in the casein network, which not only improves the elastic, hard texture, but also effectively promotes maturation, and has the effect of expressing aged flavors such as umami.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
[1] A method for producing a low-fat cheese with a soft texture and a ripe flavor, comprising the steps of adding non-dairy food ingredients in a solid ratio of 20% by weight or less to raw milk with a fat content of 2.0% by weight or less, and adding lactic acid bacteria as a starter after sterilization.
[2] A method for producing the low-fat cheese of [1], comprising the steps of adding non-dairy food materials in a solid ratio of 20% by weight or less to raw milk having a fat content of 2.0% by weight or less, pasteurizing the milk, and then adding lactic acid bacteria as a starter, obtaining coagulated milk by adding rennet, removing whey from the coagulated milk to obtain curds, and molding and maturing the curds.
[3] A low-fat cheese with a soft texture and a ripe flavor, produced by a cheese manufacturing method that includes adding 20% by weight or less of non-dairy food ingredients in solid proportions to raw milk with a fat content of 2.0% by weight or less.
[4] Low-fat cheese [3] produced by the method [1] or [2].
[5] The low-fat cheese of [3] or [4], wherein the non-dairy food ingredient is a legume.
[6] The low-fat cheese according to [5], wherein the non-dairy food ingredient is soy milk.
[7] A low-fat cheese according to any of [3] to [6] having a moisture content of 30-55% and a free glutamic acid content 5-7% higher than that of cheese prepared without the addition of non-dairy food ingredients.
[8] A low-fat processed cheese or low-fat cheese food made from any of the low-fat cheeses [3] to [7].

The cheese of the present invention is low in fat, but does not have the hard elasticity of conventional low-fat cheeses and has a soft texture. In addition, it has a strong umami taste and a mature flavor.

The present invention will be described in detail below.
In the present invention, % means % by weight unless otherwise specified.

The low-fat cheese food of the present invention is characterized by the steps of adding non-dairy food ingredients at a solid ratio of 20% by weight or less to raw milk having a fat content of 2.0% by weight or less, adding starter lactic acid bacteria and rennet to curdle the milk, removing whey from the resulting coagulated milk to obtain curds, and molding the curds, salting them, and maturing them. The resulting low-fat cheese food is soft and has an improved maturation flavor.

In the present invention, low-fat cheese refers to cheese made from low-fat milk. For example, cheese with a non-fat moisture content of 49-63% and a fat content of 0-25% may be called low-fat cheese.

The raw milk used in the present invention is skim milk with a fat content of 2.0% by weight or less, obtained by removing fat from whole milk using a cream separator. Low-fat milk (fat content 0.5-1.5%) (Appendix 2 (2) (5)) and non-fat milk (fat content less than 0.5%) (Appendix 2 (2) (6)) in the Ministerial Ordinance on the Compositional Standards of Milk and Dairy Products (Milk, etc. Ministerial Ordinance) (Ministry of Health and Welfare Ordinance No. 52 of 1951) can also be used. The fat content can be measured in accordance with Appendix 2 (7) Test Methods for Compositional Standards of Milk, etc. (1) Milk and Dairy Products 3 Quantitative Method for Milk Fat and Milk Protein in Milk and Dairy Products in the above Ministerial Ordinance.

Next, the non-dairy food material is a food material processed from beans. Beans are edible annual and perennial plants belonging to the legume family. Specific examples include soybeans, adzuki beans, kidney beans, broad beans, peas, cowpeas, safflower beans, chickpeas, lentils, and mung beans. Soybeans, which have a particularly wide range of uses, are widely consumed in soy milk, tofu, fermented foods, and powdered soy protein is used as an ingredient in various processed foods, including processed meat products. In order to produce the low-fat cheese of the present invention, it is necessary to add the non-dairy food material in liquid or powder form to low-fat raw milk. In the case of soybeans, soy milk obtained by grinding, heating, and filtering soybeans that have been soaked can be used. According to the Japanese Agricultural Standards, soybeans are divided into soy milk (soybean solids of 8% or more), prepared soy milk (soybean solids of 6% to less than 8%), and soy milk beverage (soybean solids of 4% to less than 6%), and any of these soy milks can be used. In the case of powdered non-dairy food ingredients, concentrated soy protein (protein content 70% or more) extracted from defatted soybeans and isolated soy protein (protein content 90% or more) can be used as soy protein foods.

The amount of non-dairy food ingredients added to raw milk is 20% or less by solids weight relative to the solids of the raw milk, and may be added in powder or liquid form. If the amount of non-dairy food ingredients added is more than 20% by solids weight relative to the solids of the raw milk, the curdling by rennet will be insufficient, the curd will become fine and will be lost along with the whey, resulting in a lower yield, which is undesirable.

After mixing the low-fat raw milk with non-dairy food ingredients, it is sterilized and inoculated with a lactic acid bacteria starter. The raw milk can be sterilized by holding it at 55-70°C, preferably 60-65°C, for 10 minutes to 1 hour, or by high-temperature short-time sterilization. When the lactic acid bacteria starter is added, calcium chloride may be added to about 0.005-0.1% by weight. Lactic acid is then produced and the mixture becomes acidic. When the pH drops to 6.0-6.5, rennet (a milk-clotting enzyme) is added, stirred and coagulated to produce cheese curds. The curd is then cut into cubes and stirred to prevent the curd particles from clumping together. The curd is packed into an appropriate mold depending on the shape of the cheese and molded. The above steps of sterilizing the raw milk, adding the starter lactic acid bacteria, coagulating the cheese curd with the milk-clotting enzyme, cutting the cheese curd, and salting are general steps in cheese manufacturing, and the conditions may be changed as appropriate. Additionally, surface-ripened cheeses that use mold are made by inoculating the molded cheese surface with bacteria and then ripening at an appropriate temperature and humidity.

The low-fat cheese obtained by the present invention is a natural cheese, and has a moisture content of 30-55%, preferably 40-50%, more preferably 45-55%, more preferably 46-48%, more preferably 47-55%, more preferably 48-55%, more preferably 49-55%. The fat content in the cheese is 0-25%. Furthermore, the amount of free glutamic acid is preferably 140 mg/100 g solid or more, more preferably 145 mg/100 g solid or more, when aged for one month, preferably 210 mg/100 g solid or more, more preferably 213 mg/100 g solid or more, when aged for two months, preferably 250 mg/100 g solid or more, more preferably 260 mg/100 g solid or more, when aged for three months. The glutamic acid content of the low-fat cheese obtained by the present invention is 5-7% higher than that of cheese prepared without adding non-dairy food ingredients. In addition, it has a softer texture than cheese prepared without the addition of non-dairy food ingredients, and has a tastier taste and a more mature flavor than cheese prepared without the addition of non-dairy food ingredients. The low-fat cheese obtained by the present invention can be used in the same way as conventional natural cheese and processed cheese. The present invention includes low-fat processed cheese prepared by the method of the present invention and cheese foods obtained by processing the cheese. Cheese foods can include a wide range of foods containing processed cheese, such as spreads for bread, sponges for confectionery and bread, and cheese-flavored sauces for food ingredients.

The present invention will be specifically described with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[Example 1]
In the preparation of the low-fat cheese with soy milk, first, raw milk was skimmed and the fat content was adjusted to 1.5% by weight to prepare skimmed milk (raw milk). Commercially available soy milk (soybean solids 10%) was used as a non-dairy food material, and soy milk was added to the raw milk so that the soy milk content was 5% by weight. After thorough stirring, the raw milk was pasteurized at 65°C for 30 minutes and cooled to 30°C. Calcium chloride was added to 10 liters of raw milk to which soy milk had been added so that the content was 0.01% by weight, and 0.5 U of starter (manufactured by Christian Hansen) and 0.003% of rennet (manufactured by Christian Hansen) were added to cause curdling. After leaving to stand for 1 hour, the curd was cut, whey was removed, and the curd grains were packed into a mold, pressed, and molded. Salting was added by immersing in a 20% by weight salt solution to prepare a Gouda-type low-fat cheese, which was then aged at 10°C.

For comparison, a low-fat cheese made using the same skim milk but without adding soy milk as a non-dairy food ingredient was used as a control.

The moisture content and free glutamic acid content were measured one, two, and three months after aging. The results are shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the low-fat cheese with added soy milk had a slightly high moisture content, but the amount of free glutamic acid per solid was 5-7% higher than in the control, and aging was also promoted by the addition of soy milk as a non-dairy food ingredient.

For the sensory evaluation, five panelists rated the low-fat cheese two months after aging on a five-point scale for "cheese hardness" and "cheese flavor" according to the following criteria:

"Cheese hardness"
1: Very hard and elastic, like rubber.
2: Hard, but chewable.
3: Firm texture, but feels soft.
4: Soft tissue that crumbles in the mouth.
5: Very soft and melts in your mouth.

"Cheese flavor"
1: No flavor, no taste. Lacking the aged flavor.
2: A slight umami taste and a salty taste are detectable.
3: It has a delicious taste.
4: Umami is felt. Slightly mellow and full-bodied.
5: Strong umami taste. Mellow and full-bodied flavor.

The results are shown in Table 2, which shows the average evaluations of the five panelists.

The soy milk-added section had an improved texture that was easier to chew, rather than the hard, rubbery texture typical of low-fat cheese. This was thought to make the umami taste more noticeable. As shown in Table 1, the amount of free glutamic acid, one of the umami components, was also higher in the soy milk-added section than in the control section, suggesting that maturation was also more easily promoted.

In addition, the appearance of the low-fat cheese in the control group was slightly transparent, while the soy milk-added group was milky white, and panelists rated the soy milk-added group as more preferable in appearance as well.

This invention makes it possible to provide a low-fat cheese that is soft and has a strong flavor.

Claims (8)

A method for producing low-fat cheese with a soft texture and aged flavor, comprising the steps of adding non-dairy food ingredients at a solid ratio of 20% by weight or less to raw milk with a fat content of 2.0% by weight or less, and adding lactic acid bacteria as a starter after sterilization. The method for producing the low-fat cheese according to claim 1, comprising the steps of adding a non-dairy food material at a solid ratio of 20% by weight or less to raw milk having a fat percentage of 2.0% by weight or less, sterilizing the raw milk, and then adding lactic acid bacteria as a starter; obtaining coagulated milk by adding rennet; removing whey from the coagulated milk to obtain curd; and molding and maturing the curd. A low-fat cheese with a soft texture and aged flavor, produced by a cheese production method that includes adding non-dairy food ingredients at a solid ratio of 20% by weight or less to raw milk with a fat content of 2.0% by weight or less. The low-fat cheese according to claim 3, produced by the method according to claim 1. The low-fat cheese according to claim 3, characterized in that the non-dairy food material is a legume. The low-fat cheese according to claim 5, characterized in that the non-dairy food ingredient is soy milk. The low-fat cheese according to claim 3, having a moisture content of 30-55% and a free glutamic acid content 5-7% higher than that of cheese prepared without the addition of non-dairy food ingredients. A low-fat processed cheese or low-fat cheese food made from the low-fat cheese according to any one of claims 3 to 7.