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