Process for producing cheese

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing cheese from enzyme-treated cheese milk, and the use of the resulting produced cheese as ingredient in food products. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for producing cheese from cheese milk treated with a enzyme selected from the group of phospholipases, in particular phospholipase A 1 , A 2 and B. Also, the present invention relates to a process for stabilizing the fat emulsion of a milk composition, e.g. cream, and the use of such stabilized milk composition, e.g. for the manufacturing of UHT-cream or cream liquor.

1 . A process for stabilising the fat of a milk composition, comprising treating milk or a fraction of milk with a phospholipase selected from phospholipase A 1 , phospholipase A 2  or phospholipase B.  
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the fraction of milk is cream and further comprising subjecting the cream to a UHT treatment after treatment with a phospholipase.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising producing a cream liquor from the phospholipase treated milk fat composition.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of inactivating or removing the phospholipase after the phospholipase treatment.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the phospholipase is obtained by use of recombinant techniques.  
     
     
         6 . A process for stabilising the fat of a milk composition, comprising treating milk or a fraction of milk with a purified phospholipase.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the fraction of milk is cream.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7  wherein cream is treated with a purified phospholipase and further comprising subjecting the cream to a UHT treatment after treatment with the purified phospholipase.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 6  further comprising producing a cream liquor from the phospholipase treated milk fat composition.  
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 6 , further comprising the step of inactivating or removing the phospholipase after the phospholipase treatment.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the phospholipase is obtained by use of recombinant techniques.  
     
     
         12 . A process for producing cheese, which comprises the steps of: 
 a) treating cheese milk or a fraction of cheese milk with a purified phospholipase; and    b) producing cheese from the cheese milk or the fraction of cheese milk,    wherein step a) is conducted before and/or during step b).    
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the fraction of milk is cream.  
     
     
         14 . The process of to  claim 12  further comprising the subjecting the cream to pasteurization after treatment with the purified phospholipase.  
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of subjecting the cheese to a heating treatment.  
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 12 , further comprising the step of processing the cheese into a food product or an ingredient in other food products.  
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of inactivating or removing the phospholipase after the phospholipase treatment.  
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the phospholipase is obtained by use of recombinant techniques.