Cream substitute

1. A cream substitute comprising:

about 25 to about 55% by weight cheese curd,

a water source in an amount effective to provide a total moisture content of about 60 to 78%,

about 0.2% to about 1.5% starch by weight of the cream substitute; and

about 0.055% to about 0.28% of a combination of hydrated gums, the cheese curd, water source, starch, and hydrated gums included in amounts effective to provide the cream substitute the texture of a thick cream having a firmness value between about 60 g and about 200 g, measured at 5° C. on a Stevens texture analyzer using a cylindrical spindle TA11 at a spindle speed of 1 mm/s and a spindle travel distance of 10 mm.

2. The cream substitute of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of a 600 gram hot sample of the product at 70° C. is between about 300 to about 1800 cps, when measured prior to homogenization during manufacture, based on settings of a 20 rpm speed and spindle 6.

3. The cream substitute of claim 1 , wherein the combination of gums comprises locust bean gum and xanthan gum.

4. The cream substitute of claim 1 , wherein the cheese curd is selected from one or more of cream cheese, cottage cheese, quarg and soft white cheese.

5. The cream substitute of claim 1 , wherein the cream substitute comprises between about 5% and about 50% cream cheese, and between about 5% and about 25% quarg.

6. The cream substitute of claim 1 , wherein the cream substitute has a fat content between about 18% to about 28%.

7. The cream substitute of claim 1 , wherein the cream substitute has a protein content of about 2.0 to about 6%.

8. The cream substitute of claim 1 , wherein the combination of hydrated gums comprises about 0.05% to about 0.2% locust bean gum.

9. The cream substitute of claim 1 , wherein the combination of hydrated gums comprises about 0.005% to about 0.08% xanthan gum.

10. The cream substitute of claim 1 , wherein the combination of hydrated gums comprises locust bean gum and xanthan gum at a ratio of about 75:25 to about 85:15.

11. A cream substitute comprising:

a cheese curd in an amount of about 25 to about 55% by weight,

a water source in an amount effective to provide a total moisture content of about 60 to 78%,

about 0.05% to about 0.2% hydrated locust bean gum,

about 0.005 to about 0.08% hydrated xanthan gum, and

about 0.2 to about 1.5 percent starch by weight of the cream substitute, the cream substitute having a firmness value between about 60 g and about 200 g, measured at 5° C. on a Stevens texture analyzer using a cylindrical spindle TA11 at a spindle speed of 1 mm/s and a spindle travel distance of 10 mm.

12. A process for the manufacture of a cream substitute, comprising:

combining about 25 to about 55% cheese curd, a water source in an amount effective to provide a total moisture content of about 60 to 78%, about 0.2% to about 1.5% starch, and about 0. 055% to about 0.28% hydrated gums to form a mixture,

homogenizing the mixture, and

heating the homogenized mixture at a temperature and for a time sufficient to pasteurize the mixture to form a cream substitute having a firmness value between about 60 g and about 200 g, measured at 5° C. on a Stevens texture analyzer using a cylindrical spindle TA11 at a spindle speed of 1 mm/s and a spindle travel distance of 10 mm.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the combining step comprises heating at an elevated temperature of between about 40° C. and about 80° C., for a time period of between about 2 and about 40 minutes, and mixing.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the hydrated gums comprise hydrated locust bean gum and hydrated xanthan gum, and wherein the combining step comprises:

hydrating the locust bean gum with water or the water source,

hydrating and combining the xanthan gum with the hydrated locust bean gum to form a first combination,

combining the first combination with at least one powdered cream substitute ingredient selected from the group consisting of gum, texturizing agent, bulking agent, salt, and preservative to form a second combination,

mixing the second combination with cheese curd at the elevated temperature to form the mixture, and

optionally adding an acidity regulator to the mixture.

15. The process of claim 12 , wherein the hydrated gums comprise hydrated locust bean gum and hydrated xanthan gum.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the combining step comprises:

hydrating the locust bean gum with water or the water source,

hydrating the xanthan gum with water or the water source,

mixing the hydrated locust bean gum and hydrated xanthan gum with the cheese curd at an elevated temperature to form the mixture, and

optionally adding an emulsifier to the mixture at an elevated temperature.

17. The process of claim 12 , wherein the cheese curd comprises a first cheese curd component and a second cheese curd component, and wherein the combining step comprises:

hydrating a first gum selected from locust bean gum and xanthan gum with water or the water source,

combining the hydrated first gum with a first cheese curd component,

combining the hydrated first gum and first cheese curd combination with a second gum which is the other of the locust bean gum and the xanthan gum, wherein the second gum is pre-hydrated or is hydrated in situ with the optional addition of water, and

mixing the combination of hydrated gums and cheese curd with (i) a second cheese curd component and (ii) powdered ingredients other than emulsifier and acidity regulator, at an elevated temperature, to form the mixture.

18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises adding a dairy fat to the mixture.

19. The process of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises adding an acidity regulator to the mixture.

20. The process of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises adding an emulsifier to the mixture.