Hydrosol Launches New Functional Systems for Cream Cheese Preparations

The use of Stabisol FET 2 and Stabiprot 80 G makes it possible to adjust the recipe individually in respect of consistency, texture, flavour and price to meet the demands of the market and the tastes of the target group.

27 May 2010 --- There is a lively demand for cream cheese in many countries. This type of cheese is traditionally made from pasteurized fresh milk or cream, which is thickened with the aid of lactic acid bacteria and a small amount of rennet and subsequently separated. But in hot countries, especially, a reliable supply of fresh milk presents problems. With its new functional systems Stabisol FET 2 and Stabiprot 80 G, Hydrosol offers manufacturers an economical alternative to fresh milk. That may be of interest to smaller manufacturers in Europe, too, as the combinations of active ingredients offer two important advantages over the traditional method of cream cheese production: the machinery needed is much less complex, and there are hardly any by-products such as whey.

“We have developed a recipe with which a manufacturer can make up either a reconstituted product without milk or a cream cheese preparation containing a percentage of milk. For the production process itself, only a cooker and a homogenizer are needed”, says Hans-Ulrich Cordts, technical sales manager for the dairy industry at Hydrosol. “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 recipe is so flexible that 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,” Cords explains.

The use of Stabisol FET 2 and Stabiprot 80 G makes it possible to adjust the recipe individually in respect of consistency, texture, flavour and price to meet the demands of the market and the tastes of the target group. The slightly acid flavour is created by bacterial cultures or GDL; together with a small amount of rennet, these help to achieve a firmer consistency. Of course the basic recipe can be varied as wished with herbs and spices.

To ensure the optimum mouth feel the stirred mixture is first heated and then pressed through narrow nozzles in the homogenizer. This ensures a smooth, creamy and spreadable paste without lumps. After cooling, the bacterial culture and the rennet are added to the cheese mass. The finished mixture is then stored over night at room temperature to activate the rennet and bacteria. The product can be packaged the next day. If refrigerated, the cream cheese will keep for about four weeks.