Process for making yogurt cream cheese, and the resulting products

1. A process for making a yogurt cream cheese product comprising steps of:

providing a milkfat fluid including butterfat;

pasteurizing said milkfat fluid to produce a pasteurized milkfat fluid;

providing a yogurt, and combining said yogurt with said pasteurized milkfat fluid to produce a combined precursor; and

homogenizing and acidifying said combined precursor;

wherein said acidification is completed within about three hours following production of said combined precursor;

producing a yogurt cream cheese product.

2. The process of claim 1 , in which said acidification is completed within about 2 hours following production of said combined precursor.

3. The process of claim 1 , in which said acidification is completed within about one half hour following production of said combined precursor.

4. The process of claim 1 , in which said yogurt and said pasteurized milkfat fluid are combined together at a time T 1 to produce said combined precursor, and in which acidification of said combined precursor is completed at a time T 2 ; wherein T 2 is within about three hours or less following T 1 .

5. The process of claim 4 , in which said yogurt and said pasteurized milkfat fluid are combined together at time T 1 to produce a batch of said combined precursor, and in which acidification of said batch is completed at time T 2 ; wherein T 2 is within about three hours or less following T 1 .

6. The process of claim 1 , in which said pasteurized milkfat fluid is at a temperature within a range of between about 110° F. and about 128° F. prior to said combining with said yogurt; and in which said yogurt is at a temperature within a range of between about 95° F. and about 112° F. prior to said combining with said pasteurized milkfat fluid.

7. The process of claim 1 , in which said pasteurized milkfat fluid is at a temperature within a range of between about 115° F. and about 128° F. prior to said combining with said yogurt; and in which said yogurt is at a temperature within a range of between about 100° F. and about 110° F. prior to said combining with said pasteurized milkfat fluid.

8. The process of claim 1 , in which said pasteurized milkfat fluid is at a temperature within a range of between about 120° F. and about 125° F. prior to said combining with said yogurt; and in which said yogurt is at a temperature within a range of between about 100° F. and about 108° F. prior to said combining with said pasteurized milkfat fluid.

9. The process of claim 1 , in which said combined precursor is cooled to a temperature within a range of between about 112° F. and about 114° F. or less prior to said acidifying.

10. The process of claim 1 , in which said combined precursor is cooled to a temperature of less than about 75° F. prior to said acidifying.

11. The process of claim 1 , in which said pasteurized milkfat fluid and said yogurt are not reheated prior to production of said yogurt cream cheese product.

12. The process of claim 1 in which said milkfat fluid includes cream.

13. The process of claim 1 including the steps of providing culture bacteria, and culturing said milkfat fluid with said culture bacteria.

14. The process of claim 13 including the step of pasteurizing said milkfat fluid before said culture bacteria substantially digest said milkfat fluid.

15. The process of claim 13 including the step of pasteurizing said milkfat fluid within about 60 minutes to about 90 minutes after adding said culture bacteria to said milkfat fluid.

16. The process of claim 1 including the step of adding a stabilizer to said milkfat fluid.

17. The process of claim 1 in which said yogurt includes live culture bacteria.

18. The process of claim 1 , in which the step of homogenizing said combined precursor is carried out at an elevated pressure.

19. The process of claim 18 in which said pressure is within a range of between about 2,000 pounds per square inch and about 4,000 pounds per square inch.

20. The process of claim 1 , in which said step of acidifying said combined precursor results in a pH within a range of between about 4.1 and about 5.0.

21. The process of claim 1 , in which said step of acidifying said combined precursor results in a pH within a range of between about 4.40 and about 4.50.

22. The process of claim 1 , in which said yogurt cream cheese product includes a food additive, and said step of acidifying said combined precursor results in a pH within a range of between about 4.38 and about 4.48.

23. The process of claim 1 , including the step of agitating said yogurt cream cheese product in the presence of an inert gas at an elevated pressure.

24. The process of claim 23 , including the steps of: injecting an inert gas into said yogurt cream cheese product; and cooling said yogurt cream cheese product to an inert gas injection temperature prior to said injecting.

25. The process of claim 24 , in which said inert gas injection temperature is within a range of between about 65° F. and about 68° F.

26. The process of claim 24 , in which said yogurt cream cheese product is cooled to a temperature within a range of between about 58° F. and about 62° F. following said injecting.

27. The process of claim 1 in which said pasteurized milkfat fluid includes retained whey from said milkfat fluid.

28. The process of claim 1 in which said pasteurized milkfat fluid is not homogenized.

29. The process of claim 1 , in which said yogurt is made by steps including:

providing milk;

pasteurizing said milk to yield pasteurized milk;

cooling said pasteurized milk to a bacteria culture temperature; and

adding live culture bacteria to said pasteurized milk; yielding yogurt.

30. The process of claim 29 , in which said live culture bacteria include Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium , and L. casei.

31. The process of claim 1 , in which said yogurt constitutes between about 10% by weight and about 40% by weight of said yogurt cream cheese product.

32. The process of claim 1 , in which said milkfat fluid includes by weight about 34.5% to about 50% butterfat, about 3% to about 7% protein, and about 59% to about 42% water, with the balance constituted by other milk solids.

33. The process of claim 1 , including the step of incorporating a non-digestible polysaccharide in said yogurt cream cheese product.

34. A yogurt cream cheese product made according to the process of claim 1 .

35. The yogurt cream cheese product of claim 34 , having less than about 1% syneresis by weight after 15 hours at a temperature within a range of between about 74° F. and about 75° F.

36. The yogurt cream cheese product of claim 34 , having a viscosity within a range of between about 700,000 centipoises and about 3,000,000 centipoises at about 74° F.

37. The yogurt cream cheese product of claim 34 , in which at least about 40% of the milk protein is derived from said milkfat fluid and said yogurt.

38. The yogurt cream cheese product of claim 34 , in which at least about 50% of the milk protein is derived from said milkfat fluid and said yogurt.

39. A process for making a yogurt cream cheese product comprising steps of:

providing a milkfat fluid including butterfat;

pasteurizing said milkfat fluid to produce a pasteurized milkfat fluid;

providing a yogurt, and combining said yogurt with said pasteurized milkfat fluid to produce a combined precursor; and

homogenizing and acidifying said combined precursor;

wherein said combined precursor is cooled to retard bacteria activity prior to said acidifying;

producing a yogurt cream cheese product.

40. The process of claim 39 , in which said combined precursor is cooled to a temperature within a range of between about 112° F. and about 114° F. or less prior to said acidifying.

41. The process of claim 39 , in which said combined precursor is cooled to a temperature of less than about 75° F. prior to said acidifying.

42. The process of claim 39 , in which said combined precursor is reheated to a temperature within a range of between about 118° F. and about 125° F.

43. The process of claim 39 , in which said combined precursor is reheated to a temperature within a range of between about 118° F. and about 120° F.

44. A process for making a whipped yogurt cream cheese product comprising steps of:

providing a milkfat fluid including butterfat;

pasteurizing said milkfat fluid to produce a pasteurized milkfat fluid;

providing a yogurt, and combining said yogurt with said pasteurized milkfat fluid to produce a combined precursor;

homogenizing and acidifying said combined precursor to produce a yogurt cream cheese product;

injecting an inert gas into said yogurt cream cheese product, and cooling said yogurt cream cheese product to an inert gas injection temperature prior to said injecting; and

agitating said yogurt cream cheese product in the presence of said inert gas at an elevated pressure;

producing a whipped yogurt cream cheese product.

45. The process of claim 44 , in which said inert gas injection temperature is within a range of between about 65° F. and about 68° F.

46. The process of claim 44 , in which said yogurt cream cheese product is cooled to a temperature within a range of between about 58° F. and about 62° F. following said injecting.

47. The process of claim 39 , including the step of incorporating a non-digestible polysaccharide in said yogurt cream cheese product.

48. The process of claim 44 , including the step of incorporating a non-digestible polysaccharide in said yogurt cream cheese product.

49. The process of claim 33 , wherein the non-digestible polysaccharide includes inulin.