Novel process for producing a cheese with a natural moldy rind

Abstract

Process for producing a soft cheese with a natural moldy rind, the starting material being a milk, this process comprising the steps of preparing a cheese slurry, inoculation with microorganisms, ripening, heat treatment by immersing in an atmosphere saturated with steam or in a water bath. This process makes it possible to obtain a cheese which may be packaged and preserved in the form of slices.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A soft cheese with a moldy rind, which is produced from milk by a process comprising the step of:
 a) preparing a cheese slurry from milk, either by renneting, or by gelling of the milk, and molding the cheese slurry;   b) inoculating the molded cheese obtained in step (a) with microorganisms, at least one of which is a mold;   c) ripening the cheese in step (b); and   d) subjecting the ripened cheese obtained at the end of step c) to a heat treatment; wherein said heat treatment consists in immersing the ripened cheese in an atmosphere saturated with steam or in a water bath and wherein said heat treatment is effected for about 10 seconds to 5 minutes in said steam or water bath at a temperature of about 60 to 100° C.; which has in a rind a quantity of mold spores, measured in logarithmic unit of spores which form colonies, of about 0.75 to 3.5 units and which contains live lactic ferments.   
     
     
         26 . The cheese of  claim 25 , wherein the milk of step a) is selected from the group consisting of cow milk, goat milk, sheep milk and buffalo milk. 
     
     
         27 . The cheese of  claim 25 , which is camembert, brie, coulomniers, pont-l'eveque or saint nectaire. 
     
     
         28 . The cheese of  claim 25 , wherein the mold of step b) is  Penicillium  or  Cylindrocarpon  or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         29 . The cheese of  claim 28 , wherein the mold is  Penicillium.    
     
     
         30 . The cheese of  claim 29 , wherein the mold is  Penicillium candidum.    
     
     
         31 . The cheese of  claim 25 , wherein the inoculation of step b) comprises adding one or more yeasts or lactic acid bacteria or both. 
     
     
         32 . The cheese of  claim 25 , wherein the milk of step a) is subjected to a pretreatment comprising ultrafiltering the milk, heat treating the milk or inoculating the milk with  Penicillium candidum  or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         33 . The cheese of  claim 25 , wherein after the molding or gelling, curd or gelled cheese Slurry is acidified and then salted by soaking in a brine bath. 
     
     
         34 . The cheese of  claim 33 , wherein the curd or gelled cheese slurry is acidified such that a pH of between 3 and 5.5 is obtained. 
     
     
         35 . The cheese of  claim 34 , wherein the obtained pH is less than 5.2. 
     
     
         36 . The cheese of  claim 25 , wherein the heat treatment of step d) consists of immersing in a hot water bath for from 40 to 60 seconds. 
     
     
         37 . The cheese of  claim 25 , wherein the heat treatment of step d) is effected at a temperature of from 80 to 100° C. 
     
     
         38 . The cheese of  claim 25 , which further comprises a step of drying said ripened cheese after step d). 
     
     
         39 . The cheese of  claim 38 , wherein the drying is effected at a temperature of from −2 to 20° C. at a humidity of 50 to 90% and for a period of from 12 to 48 hours. 
     
     
         40 . The cheese of  claim 25 , which further comprises a slicing step after step d). 
     
     
         41 . The cheese of  claim 38 , which further comprises a slicing step after said drying. 
     
     
         43 . The cheese of  claim 25 , which further comprises, after step d), packaging said cheese under an inert gas in a packaging which acts as a barrier to oxygen. 
     
     
         44 . The cheese of  claim 43 , wherein said inert gas comprises from 0 to 50% of carbon dioxide and from 50 to 100% of nitrogen. 
     
     
         45 . A soft cheese with a moldy rind, which is produced from milk, which has in the rind a quantity of mold spores, measured in logarithmic units of spores which form colonies, of from 0.75 to 3.5 units and which contains live lactic ferments. 
     
     
         46 . The cheese of  claim 45 , wherein the mold is  Penicillium candidum.    
     
     
         47 . The cheese of  claim 45 , having its rind a quantity of mold spores of 1 to 3 logarithmic units. 
     
     
         48 . The cheese of  claim 47 , having in its rind a quantity of mold spores of 1.5 to 2.5 logarithmic units. 
     
     
         49 . The cheese of  claim 45 , which comprises live lactic ferments. 
     
     
         50 . The cheese of  claim 45 , which is packaged in slices under an inert gas in a packaging which acts as a barrier to oxygen. 
     
     
         51 . The cheese of  claim 50 , wherein the inert gas comprises from 0 to 50% of carbon dioxide from 50 to 100% of nitrogen. 
     
     
         52 . The cheese of  claim 50 , wherein the packaging is a plastic tub with a top.