Snack-type dry cheese or dairy foodstuff and its process of manufacture

1. Process for the manufacture of a dry cheese or dairy foodstuff comprising the following stages:

a) Freezing a cheese or a dairy mixture down to a temperature of less than or equal to −20° C.; the said cheese or the said dairy mixture has a fat content of less than or equal to 40% by weight and is prepared beforehand in slices having a thickness of less than or equal to 4 mm;

b) Placing the said frozen cheese or the said frozen dairy mixture under vacuum at a pressure of between 0.1 and 100 mbar;

c) Heating the said frozen cheese or the said frozen dairy mixture using conventional heat transfer heating under vacuum as follows:

c1) Phase 1: rapid increase in the temperature of the said cheese or of the said dairy mixture up to a temperature within the range of 110-120° C., in 0.2 to 2 hours, at a pressure of between 0.1 and 100 mbar and a water vapour extraction stream of 0.4 to 10 kg of water per kg of product and per hour; and

c2) Optionally, phase 2: cooking at a temperature of between 60 and 160° C., at a pressure of between 0.1 and 100 mbar and from 5 to 60 minutes;

d) Cooling under vacuum, at a pressure of between 0.1 and 100 mbar, down to a temperature of between 15° C. and 80° C. at a rate of decrease of the temperature of between 50 and 70° C. per hour;

e) Pressurizing by compensation of the vacuum with a dry gas, that is to say a gas having a moisture content of less than 3 ppm to obtain a dry cheese or dairy foodstuff that is characterized by:

a water activity (a w ) of between 0.1 and 0.4;

a dimension such that its width is between 0.1 and 3 cm and its length is between 0.1 and 11 cm;

a porosity-free continuous external surface;

an expanded, hollow or partially hollow, three-dimensional shape with two convex faces and fused edges; and

a crunchy texture.

2. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the said cheese or the said dairy mixture has a minimum CO 2 content of 5 mmol/kg.

3. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the said cheese is a light cooked pressed cheese or a cheese spread.

4. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the said cheese is chosen from Fol Epi light, Leerdammer light, low-fat Emmental or low-fat Holland Cheese Master.

5. Process according to claim 3 , wherein the said cheese spread is obtained from a mixture of cooked pressed cheeses, uncooked pressed cheeses, milk powder, casein powder, dairy cream, optionally in the presence of less than 3% of melting salt or of another ingredient which facilitates the melting of the cheese.

6. Process according to claim 3 , wherein the said cheese spread comprises one or more flavourings, seasoning or inclusions at a level of 5% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the said cheese spread.

7. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the process is implemented with a dairy mixture obtained from a mixture of dairy products chosen from fresh curds, fresh cheese, soft cheese, milk powder, casein powder, dairy cream, butter, optionally in the presence of less than 3% of melting salt or of another ingredient which facilitates the melting of the cheese.

8. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the said dairy mixture comprises one or more flavourings, seasoning or inclusions at a level of 5% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the said dairy mixture.

9. Dry cheese foodstuff obtained by the process according to claim 1 .

10. Dry dairy foodstuff obtained by the process according to claim 1 .