Method for the manufacture of a cream cheese

1. A method for the manufacture of a cream cheese, the method comprising:

(i) providing a first dairy liquid, wherein the first dairy liquid comprises cream;

(ii) fermenting the first dairy liquid to form a first acidified dairy liquid by a lactic acid fermentation with lactic acid producing bacteria;

(iii) providing a second dairy liquid, wherein the second dairy liquid comprises microfiltered or ultrafiltered milk concentrate, and wherein the second dairy liquid comprises at least 6 wt % protein;

(iv) acidifying the second dairy liquid with citric acid to form a second acidified dairy liquid having a pH of less than 5.3; and

(v) combining the first acidified dairy liquid and the second acidified dairy liquid to form a cream cheese,

wherein a genus of the lactic-acid producing bacteria is Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Streptococcus , or Lactobacillus.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cream cheese has less than 50% soluble calcium as a percentage of a total calcium content.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first dairy liquid consists of cream.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first dairy liquid is pasteurized and/or homogenized prior to step (ii).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein in step (ii) the first dairy liquid is fermented with mesophilic lactic bacteria.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second dairy liquid comprises from 6 wt. % to 18 wt. % protein.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (iv) further comprises fermenting the second dairy liquid either before or after the acidification with citric acid.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of fermenting the second dairy liquid occurs after acidification with citric acid and comprises fermenting the second acidified dairy liquid with citrate negative bacteria.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein after step (ii) the first acidified dairy liquid has a pH of less than 5.5; and/or

wherein after step (iv) the second acidified dairy liquid has a pH of between 4.5 and 5.0.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second dairy liquid is produced by a method comprising:

(a) providing a third dairy liquid comprising milk;

(b) pasteurizing the third dairy liquid;

(c) ultrafiltrating or microfiltrating the pasteurized third dairy liquid; and, optionally,

(d) heat-treating the filtered pasteurized third dairy liquid.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second dairy liquids provide at least 90 wt % of the acidified mixture, and are present in a ratio by weight of from 1:4 to 4:1.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (iii) and/or step (v) further comprises adding one or more of whey protein concentrate and lactose concentrate, a further protein source, lactose, salt, locust bean gum, carrageenan, gelatin, citrate, stabilizers, colors and flavors.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (v) comprises heat treating and/or homogenizing and/or texturizing the combined first and second acidified dairy liquids.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of texturizing the combined first and second acidified dairy liquids is carried out for a period of 10-80 minutes, and/or wherein the step of texturizing the combined first and second acidified dairy liquids is carried out at a temperature of 70-90° C.

15. The method of claim 2 , wherein the total calcium content of the cream cheese is at least 1600 mg/kg.

16. The method of claim 2 , wherein the cream cheese has less than 40% soluble calcium as a percentage of a total calcium content.

17. The method of claim 5 , wherein in step (ii) the first dairy liquid is fermented with citrate positive mesophilic lactic bacteria.

18. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of fermenting the second dairy liquid comprises fermenting the second acidified dairy liquid with citrate negative thermophilic or mesophillic lactic bacteria.

19. The method of claim 9 , wherein after step (ii) the first acidified dairy liquid has a pH of between 3.75 and 5.3.