System and Method for Producing a Non-Dairy Cheese Product

Abstract

A method of producing a non-dairy cheese includes fermenting non-dairy milk with lactic acid bacteria and mixing the fermented non-dairy milk with dry ingredients. The dry ingredients include one or more gums and one or more starches. The method further includes heating the fermented non-dairy milk and dry ingredients to 180 degrees and mixing oil into the fermented non-dairy milk in an in-line high shear mixer creating an oil/non-dairy milk mixture. The method further includes circulating the oil/non-dairy milk mixture through the inline high shear mixer until the droplet size of the oil in the non-dairy milk is 15 micrometers or less, removing air from the oil/non-dairy milk mixture, and packaging the oil/non-dairy milk mixture to yield a non-dairy cheese product.

1 . A method, comprising:
 adding dextrose, sodium citrate, and plant-based protein to a coconut milk;   pasteurizing the coconut milk;   fermenting the coconut milk with lactic acid bacteria;   mixing the fermented coconut milk with dry ingredients, the dry ingredients comprising:
 one or more gums comprising Xanthan gum and Konjac gum; and 
 one or more starches comprising de-branched waxy starch; 
   heating the fermented coconut milk and dry ingredients to at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit;   mixing oil into the fermented coconut milk in an in-line high shear mixer creating an oil-coconut milk mixture;   circulating the oil-coconut milk mixture through the in-line high shear mixer until the droplet size of the oil in the non-dairy milk is 15 micrometers or less;   removing air from the oil-coconut milk mixture to yield a product;   packaging the product;   separating layers of packaged product allowing air to circulate between layers; and   cooling the product to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler using refrigerated air.   
     
     
         2 . A method for producing a non-dairy cheese product, comprising
 fermenting a non-dairy milk with lactic acid bacteria;   mixing the fermented non-dairy milk with dry ingredients, the dry ingredients comprising:
 one or more gums; and 
 one or more starches; 
   heating the fermented non-dairy milk and dry ingredients to at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit;   mixing oil into the fermented non-dairy milk in an in-line high shear mixer creating an oil/non-dairy milk mixture;   circulating the oil/non-dairy milk mixture through the inline high shear mixer until the droplet size of the oil in the non-daily milk is 15 micrometers or less;   removing air from the oil/non-dairy milk mixture; and   packaging the oil/non-dairy milk mixture to yield a non-dairy cheese product.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the non-dairy milk comprises one or more of an almond cashew milk, a soy milk, a coconut milk, a pea milk, a macadamia milk, a tiger nut milk, a chickpea milk, a rice milk, and a flax milk. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the lactic acid bacteria comprises bacteria from one or more of the following strains:  Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactococcus lactis,  and  Leuconostoc cremoris.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein, wherein the lactic acid bacteria comprise bacteria used to create one of the following dairy cheeses: Cheddar cheese, Mozzarella cheese, and Jack cheese. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising adding dextrose, sodium citrate, soluble fibers, prebiotics, and plant-based protein to the non-dairy milk prior to fermenting the non-dairy milk, wherein the dextrose, sodium citrate, soluble fibers, probiotics, and plant-based protein provide substrates for cultures of the lactic acid bacteria during fermentation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising adding legume flour to the non-dairy milk before fermentation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the oil mixed into the heated mixture is a palm oil having a melting point between 90 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 separating layers of packaged non-dairy cheese product allowing air to circulate between layers; and   cooling the packaged non-dairy cheese product to 40 degrees Fahrenheit using refrigerated air.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more gums mixed with the fermented non-dairy milk comprise Xanthan gum and Konjac gum. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more starches blended with the fermented non-dairy milk comprise a de-branched waxy starch prepared by enzymatically hydrolyzing alpha 1,6-D-glycosidic bonds. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising adding one or more of herbs, spices, dried fruit pieces, dried vegetable pieces, nuts, and seeds to the oil/non-dairy milk mixture before removing the air from the oil/non-dairy milk mixture. 
     
     
         13 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A system, comprising:
 a first blender configured to mix a non-dairy milk with dry ingredients to a substantially uniform consistency;   a pasteurizer, configured to:
 received blended non-dairy milk; and 
 pasteurize the non-dairy milk; 
   an incubator configured to ferment the non-dairy milk with lactic acid bacteria at 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for 6 to 20 hours;   a second blender configured to blend the fermented non-dairy milk with other dry ingredients, the dry ingredients comprising one or more starches and one or more gums;   a heating system configured to heat the mixture with the fermented non-dairy milk to at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit;   an inline high shear mixer coupled to the heating system, the inline high shear mixer configured to:
 receive a flow of the mixture containing the fermented non-dairy milk 
 receive an oil; 
 mix the oil into the flow of the mixture containing the fermented non-dairy milk; and 
 circulate the oil and mixture to the heating system; 
   a de-aeration tank configured to remove air from the heated mixture;   a vertical form, fill, and seal apparatus configured to receive the mixture from the de-aeration tank and package the mixture to yield a non-dairy cheese product.