Cream cheese is traditionally made from pasteurised fresh milk or cream, which is thickened with lactic acid bacteria and rennet and then separated.
Climate resistant
Ensuring a reliable and economical supply of fresh milk can prove difficult, especially in hot countries. Germany-based supplier Hydrosol has therefore developed functional systems, which are combinations of ingredients, to enable manufacturers to make cream cheese without milk or with less milk.
In addition to offering an alternative for cream cheese makers in hot countries, Hydrosol said smaller manufacturers in Europe could also be interested. Compared to traditional methods, the company claimed that using the new Stabisol FET 2 and Stabiprot 80 G systems offers two advantages.
Firstly, it said the machinery needed is less complex – only a cooker and a homogeniser are required for the production process. Secondly, there are hardly any by-products such as whey.
Butter or vegetable fat
Hans-Ulrich Cordts, technical sales director for the dairy industry at Hydrosol, explained how the functional systems can be used.
“In the process cooker the manufacturer combines the premix consisting of water, fat, Stabisol FET 2 and Stabiprot 80 G according to the recipe.
“The fat component used can be either butter fat or palm kernel fat, depending on the desired end product.
“If vegetable fat is used, the product is slightly whiter and firmer than with butter fat, which gives the preparation a milky, slightly yellowish colour. The use of vegetable fat is especially economical and enables manufacturers to offer a comparatively inexpensive end product.”
This premix of water, fat, Stabisol FET 2 and Stabiprot 80 G is added to a mixture of bacterial cultures or GDL and rennet to create a firmer texture and a slight acid flavour. Hydrosol said the exact recipe can be adjusted according to the needs and preferences of manufacturers and their customers.
Hydrosol gave the following definitions to explain the difference between its two new functional systems:
- Stabisol FET 2 is a complex protein-emulsifior-system and indispensable for the production of reconstituted cream cheese. The system sustains the emulsion and keeps it constant.
- Stabiprot 80 G is a milk protein compound, which influences the texture of the final product. The ingredient helps to adjust the firmness of the cream cheese formulation.