Method of preparing cheese starter media
First Claim
1. A method of making a dried, reconstitutable, bacteriophage-resistant starter medium for cheese-making microorganisms, said method comprising the step of:
- providing a quantity of liquid nutrient for said microorganisms including a major proportion of whey;
preparing, separately from said quantity of nutrient, a liquid preblend having a phosphate anti-bacteriophage agent dispersed therein;
adding said liquid preblend to said nutrient to form a liquid mixture, and allowing said agent to react with available calcium ion in said mixture, said reaction step comprising the step of agitating the liquid mixture for a period of from about 1 to 12 hours; and
drying the reacted mixture to form a substantially uniform and homogeneous, flowable, dried starter medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Low cost, readily dispersible, phage-resistant cheese starter media are described which include milk-derived nutrients (e.g., nonfat milk and whey) along with a minor proportion of preferably free or unbound lecithin. The media also may advantageously include sodium tetraphosphate which assists in the dispersion of whey solids. The media of the invention can be used at significantly lower levels as compared with nonfat dry milk solids (e.g. 7 percent versus 12 percent), while nevertheless obtaining essentially equivalent results in terms of culture growth and final culture properties. A method of producing the media is also disclosed, involving liquid preblending of phosphates and lecithin, followed by addition thereof to milk-derived nutrients and reaction of the phosphates to tie up free calcium ion. Preferably, reaction is carried out for about 1 to 12 hours while agitating. The final step involves drying of the mixture to yield a substantially homogeneous, reconstitutable powder. In other cases the phosphate-lecithin preblend can be dried for later addition to milk-derived nutrients to produce a final starter medium.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method of making a dried, reconstitutable, bacteriophage-resistant starter medium for cheese-making microorganisms, said method comprising the step of:
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providing a quantity of liquid nutrient for said microorganisms including a major proportion of whey; preparing, separately from said quantity of nutrient, a liquid preblend having a phosphate anti-bacteriophage agent dispersed therein; adding said liquid preblend to said nutrient to form a liquid mixture, and allowing said agent to react with available calcium ion in said mixture, said reaction step comprising the step of agitating the liquid mixture for a period of from about 1 to 12 hours; and drying the reacted mixture to form a substantially uniform and homogeneous, flowable, dried starter medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification