Production of cottage cheese by using streptococcus thermophilus

Abstract

A method for producing cottage cheese by using Streptococcus thermophiles bacteria.

1 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A cottage cheese obtained by a method comprising:
 (a) inoculating milk with  Streptococcus thermophilus  bacteria that are not able to release ammonia from urea (herein termed  S. thermophilus  ur(−) bacteria); and   (b) fermenting the milk with the bacteria to obtain a coagulum.   
     
     
         15 . The cottage cheese of  claim 14 , where the method further comprises separating the coagulum into curd and whey, wherein the method results in less floating curd than if the milk had been inoculated via a comparable method using a  Streptococcus thermophilus  bacteria that is able to release ammonia from urea. 
     
     
         16 . The cottage cheese of  claim 14 , wherein the  Streptococcus thermophilus  ur(−) bacteria is one or more selected from the group consisting of 298-K (CNCM 1-2311), 298-10 (CNCM 1-2312), and CHCC9908. 
     
     
         17 . The cottage cheese of  claim 14 , wherein the milk is cow milk. 
     
     
         18 . The cottage cheese of  claim 14 , wherein the milk is inoculated with from 10 4  to 10 13  cfu/ml of the  S. thermophilus  ur(−) bacteria. 
     
     
         19 . The cottage cheese of  claim 14 , wherein the milk is inoculated with from 10 8  to 10 12  cfu/ml of the  S. thermophilus  ur(−) bacteria. 
     
     
         20 . The cottage cheese of  claim 14 , wherein the fermenting is for 3 to 7 hours. 
     
     
         21 . The cottage cheese of  claim 14 , wherein the milk is also inoculated with  Lactococcus  bacteria. 
     
     
         22 . The cottage cheese of  claim 21 , wherein the  Lactococcus  bacteria are homofermentative  Lactococcus  bacteria. 
     
     
         23 . The cottage cheese of  claim 21 , wherein the  Lactococcus  bacteria is  Lactococcus lactis  bacteria. 
     
     
         24 . The cottage cheese of  claim 21 , wherein the milk is inoculated with from 10 4  to 10 12  cfu/ml of the  Lactococcus  bacteria. 
     
     
         25 . The cottage cheese of  claim 21 , wherein the milk is inoculated with from 10 8  to 10 12  cfu/ml of the  Lactococcus  bacteria. 
     
     
         26 . The cottage cheese of  claim 15 , wherein the separating is performed after the milk has been fermented to a pH of 4.0 to 5.0. 
     
     
         27 . The cottage cheese of  claim 15 , wherein the separating comprises cutting the coagulum into the whey and curd. 
     
     
         28 . The cottage cheese of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises scalding the separated whey and curd. 
     
     
         29 . The cottage cheese of  claim 28 , wherein the scalding comprises heating with a steam injector positioned below the surface of the whey and above the curd.