Cream cheese: Historical, manufacturing, and physico-chemical aspects

Abstract:

Cream cheese is an acid coagulated particle microgel with a structure consisting of protein-covered milk fat globules, forming aggregated clusters at different scales, with pores filled with whey and characterised by its creamy taste and spread-ability. This review focuses on the technology for the production of high fat cream cheese, its historical background and evolution from 1870 until today, covering the different processing developments and breakthroughs. In addition, fundamental physico-chemical aspects arising from technological and processing steps, that influence cream cheese properties, are discussed.

Conclusion:

Several processes are used today to manufacture cream cheese. Early “cheeseologists” recognised the importance of the milk standardisation, adequate heat treatment and homogenisation conditions for milk and curd. Today, choice of the right parameters for milk fat/protein standardisation, heat treatment, homogenisation and acidification processes gained increased attention. More focus is given to the interactions of fat and protein (types) with the processing steps, whereby the interest in cream cheese microstructure, and hence texture and sensory properties, will likely continue. Cream cheese making has improved over the last century due to the advances in processing, microbiology and physical and analytical chemistry and this is expected to continue in the years to come. In the future, many areas for further research and production of new cream cheese variants, quality improvement and cost efficiency are likely to be seen in the following topics: a) membrane technology; b) enzymatic protein modification; c) addition of microgel aggregates, whey proteins and fractal aggregates to tailor the microgel particle size; d) multimodal, playing with the casein volume fraction and packing; e) the interface fat-proteins-serum phase; f) high hydrostatic pressure and thermo-sonication (ultrasound) treatments; g) syneresis, interactions of bacteria and hydrocolloids (the quest for less or no stabilisers will continue); h) minerals and bitterness, elimination of acid whey generation; i) health-promoting products; j) sustainability of production; and k) combinations of all the above.

Rheology, NMR, spectroscopy and microscopy methods will continue to provide insights into the internal structure, rearrangements of bonds and heterogeneity of the gel (curd, cheese). In addition, some changes in cream cheese individual country standards might arise to allow adoption of new technologies. Thus, based on experience, the knowledge being generated today in acidcurd cheese research will have commercial significance in 5 e 10 years.

Finally, yet importantly, we can anticipate a continued healthy single digits cream cheese growth in the years to come. The uninterrupted demand for high protein, low fat, or indulgent dairy products, and their utilisation as ingredients in many food applications, will continue. In addition, further market development and expansion in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Latin America markets will support the demand.

There are no references cited in the copied part.

]136] Wolfschoon-Pombo, A. F. Cream cheese: Historical, manufacturing, and physico-chemical aspects. International Dairy Journal, International Dairy Journal, 117 (2021).