Abstract: The appliance comprises a housing seat for a milk container removable from said seat, a system of electrical heating resistances associated with said seat near the container, an agitator inserted in a removable manner from the container and an electric motor for driving the agitator. Thermostat means with two temperatures associated with an electrical control circuit act on the system of resistances and on the electric motor to consent automatic performance of an appropriate operation sequence for production of cheese and by-products thereof.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing slices of processed cheese in which a hot cooked mass of the cheese is extruded onto a moving endless belt formed of plastics material provided with a release coating which does not adhere to the cheese, the mass of cheese is spread by a roller into a thin layer, the layer of cheese is carried by the belt through a cooling chamber where the cheese solidifies, and the solidified layer of cheese is peeled from the belt and divided to form individual slices. In a modification, the hot mass of cheese is extruded onto a moving web of film plastics material supported on an endless belt conveyor, the web being fed from a roll of the material at the upstream end of the conveyor and the solidified layer of cheese being peeled from the web before the web is rewound on a reel at the downstream end of the conveyor.

Abstract: A portable apparatus for handling cheese, including a base and a turntable mounted on the base. The turntable has cutout recesses in the periphery thereof for moving molds in a circular locus. A platform is provided on the base for supporting the molds as they are being moved in a circular locus. The base includes stations. A filling and weighing station is provided on the base whereby curd is filled into the molds and weighed to a predetermined level. A compacting station is also provided on the base whereby the curd in the molds will be pressed to remove the air therefrom and packs the cheese within the molds. The recesses and the turntable are in registry with the stations on the base.

Abstract: A technique for producing sliced, shredded and/or diced cheese of the pasta filata type. The technique utilizes a plurality of rollers which reduce an extruded strand of cheese to a ribbon of the desired thickness. The rollers are heated and a spray of warm water is applied to the cheese to keep the ribbon plastic and pliable. The edges of the sheet are trimmed, and then the sheet is run through a brine tank or sprayed with a brine mixture to salt the sheet for the desired amount of time. Thereafter, the sheet is cooled and cut into any desired shaped to create an end product of controlled size and weight. The trimmings are returned to the extruder, reheated, and reused.

Abstract: A continuous churn for making sweet-cream or sour-cream butter consists of an initial churning cylinder that contains a beater and creates butter grain and buttermilk, of a rotating second churning cylinder that is downstream of the initial cylinder and incorporates an afterchurning section, of a strainer-like section for separating the butter grain from the buttermilk, and of a washing section. To increase the yield of butterfat in the afterchurning section and decrease fluctuations in the butter's water content, a back-up disk is positioned between the afterchurning section and the separation section of the second churning cylinder.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a homogeneous flexible layer of material such as butter or margarine, comprising an input portion for guiding blocks of said material into a central portion, in which two rotors 11, 12 are arranged in a horizontal plane, a central region 33 between said rotors 11, 12 lying beneath said input portion and are driven in opposite directions, each rotor being provided with a number of axial blades 22, 23 radially displaceable in slots and guided by guiding means at the ends thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously manufacturing fibrous high protein foods comprises an apparatus for supplying a fixed quantity of fibrous structure formable food raw material from a nozzle, said food material being obtained through the steps of curdling cow's milk such as whole milk or skim milk by the addition of a coagulating agent and removing whey from the resulting curds, an apparatus for extending the raw material supplied from the supplying apparatus by applying a fixed tension thereto while delivering the raw material by the aid of free rollers and drive rollers, an apparatus for cooling the extended raw material supplied from the extension apparatus; and an apparatus for cutting the raw material supplied from the cooling apparatus in fixed lengths.

Abstract: A whey filter for removing fine curd particles from a stream of cheese whey includes a mesh screen (30) suspended in a cylindrical portion (17) of a tank (18) with cheese whey being introduced above the screen (30) through inlet ports (36) arranged to direct the cheese whey in a path tangential to the periphery of the circle of the screen (30). A plurality of scraper blades (38) rest on the screen (30) and are rotated by the flow of the cheese whey so as to urge the curd particles resting on top of the screen (30) toward a hole (44) in the center of the screen (30) so that the curd falls into an outlet chute (46) while the whey is removed from the bottom of the tank (18).

Abstract: Food products such as produce, fish, meat, and poultry are rapidly cooked and chilled in separate units through which a continuously running conveyor belt passes in a spiral pathway to converse cabinet space and produce energy efficient operation. Water is used as the heating and chilling medium in 100% humidity steam and cold humid air atmospheres respectively preferably at a pressure above atmospheric. This keeps all equipment surfaces moist and not readily contaminated by dried, accumulated, burnt on drippings, fat, proteins or other food residues. Thus, the sanitization process is simplified.The system operates with the conveyor belt continuously running in both food processing and mechanical sanitizing modes. The latter mode includes continuous cleaning of the belt and a periodic sanitation cycle with the food processing system shut down. The sanitization is achieved by jet spray scrubbing with warm water and detergent solution and circulation through the system.

Abstract: A cheesemaking installation comprising means for forming a mat of curd from a slurry of curd and whey, a plurality of endless conveyors for continuously moving the mat of curd in succession through a drying and de-wheying section, a fusing section, a stretching and cheddaring section, a milling section having means for cutting the curd into separate particles or pieces, a salting section having means for applying salt to the curd, and a mellowing section permitting absorption of the salt into the curd, and means for agitating the curd in the de-wheying and salting sections. Additional agitators are selectively operable when the installation is used for production of granular curd, and water sprays are provided for use when producing washed granular curd. The installation is completely enclosed to enable the temperature to be controlled and prevent air-borne contamination.

Abstract: A curd-cutting tool is rotatable about an axis within an immobile curdling container, driving means being provided for rotating this tool in one direction around said axis to cut the cheese curd; and means are operatively connected to the driving means for causing interruptions in the rotation of the tool in said one direction during the cutting operation.

Abstract: The present invention discloses and provides a fully automatic continuous processing system and apparatus for producing fibrous cheeses of the pizza or mozzarella type, either for immediate consumption or for use in preparing other products. The system has been designed in a modular form such that benefits associated with each component part of the system may be selectively acquired, without the need to acquire the entire system itself at one time. Means are provided for milling curd, accumulating the curd and then cooking it, conveying the cooked product to molding means, automatically molding and form cooling the product in apparatus that positively ejects same to a cooling and/or brining bath, salting the cheese product, and automatically vacuum packaging same in known commercial vacuum packing machines for delivery.

Abstract: Imitation cheese is manufactured by a flow process from a plurality of edible ingredients comprising fat, protein, water, and flavor wherein the cheese product is set by the addition of an acidulant, in lieu of fermentation. The edible ingredients are introduced into an elongated, confined mixing zone in such a way that the acidulant and protein are in distinct and separate flow streams until in said zone, and in the zone are subjected, at a temperature of at least about 100.degree. F, to medium-to-high intensity axial and radial flow mixing. The mixing is continued until a substantially homogeneous mixture is obtained.

Abstract: An immobile container for the cheese curd is in the form of a body of revolution having a substantially horizontal axis; and a tool which is rotated by a drive shaft about the container axis is arranged to cut and stir curd situated above as well as below the container axis. The tool preferably has several side-by-side sections extending from the drive shaft to the surrounding wall of the container and forming an angle with each other, each section having spaced cutting members and also having swingable flaps movable to and from positions in which they cover at least parts of the interspaces between the spaced cutting members.

Abstract: An apparatus for sterilization of thermolabile materials, particularly lacteal, comprising simultaneously subjecting the material to induced internal heating effects and centrifugal force. The internal heating of the product is accomplished by friction arising between the product and a moving surface. The internal heating and centrifugal apparatus of the invention accomplishes sterilization of the product within a fraction of a tenth of a second. The temperature and the centrifugal force to which the product is subjected cooperate to destory microorganisms that may be present, for example, by coagulating the protoplasm of these microorganisms, and by destroying, or at least degrading, the cell walls of the microorganisms.

Abstract: Yogurt and other fermented milk products are prepared in a continuous process in which a continuous stream of milk is added to a fermenting mixture of milk and a starter in a prefermenting tank. The pH of the mixture in the prefermenting tank is maintained above the value at which stirring of the mixture will cause syneresis to occur in the final product. A portion of the prefermented mixture is passed into a coagulating tank in which further fermentation and coagulation can take place. In the coagulating tank, the mixture, when its pH surpasses the acidity at which stirring will no longer cause syneresis, is subjected to shearing forces and thereafter filled into containers to produce the final product.