A METHOD FOR APPLYING A BINDING AROUND CHEESES, AS WELL AS SO OBTAINED CHEESES

Abstract: The invention provides a method for wrapping a binding around cheeses, wherein the cheeses directly after the brine treatment are provided with a permanently supporting binding, which binding is made of a plastic ma­ terial, particularly polypropylene, polyester or polyethylene. The bin­ ding material may be calendered and/or provided with perforations or may be provided with a printable layer.

Description: This invention relates to a method for applying a gas and water vapour permeable, permanent cheese binding made of synthetic material around cheeses directly after the brine treatment. Due to the development of new kinds of cheeses and new types derived from Gouda cheese, a number of problems has arisen which did not exist in the classical cheese preparation process. One of these problems relates to the deformation of the vertical wall during ripening and storing of cilindrical cheeses, which is also defined as sagging. This sagging caused by insufficient structural stability of the young cheese may have various backgrounds. During the preparation of cheese of the Maasdammer kind this phenomenon occurs after the cheese, which after the brine treatment is ripened for 14 days at the ripening temperature of 13-14°C which is usual for e.g. Gouda cheese, is then ripened for 3 weeks at temperatures of 19-21°C, which treatment is usually called the "baking" of the cheese. This "baking" is primarily intended to initiate the development of the culture of propionic acid bacteriae added to the cheese milk, in order to form the characteristic "eyes" and taste, which are typical for the Maasdammer cheese, but it also has as a consequence that the cheese, especially in summer, in view of the specific composition of the milk fat, is inclined to deforming and sagging. Also in the preparation of cheese types, wherein, contrary to the composition of Gouda cheese, there is a considerably lowered fat or salt content, the necessity exists to support the cheese permanently during and after ripening. It is known from EP-A-63845, page 2, lines 7 a.f. that with certain types of cheese the necessity exists to wrap the cheeses with a binding, inmediately after leaving the brine bath. The binding may be made from paper or textile showing a resemblance to coarse aseptic gauze while also synthetic materials are suggested; these synthetic materials are not further specified and are only generally mentioned as a possibility. A drawback of the use of paper is that it has to be moistened, because it should be applied tightly and without free spaces around the cheese crust; this leads to damage or tearing of the paper. The use of textile does not show this drawback, but shows problems when cutting the cheese. NL-B-180898 teaches a process for applying a binding to cheese, which process is restricted to cheese of the Maasdammer type. The binding or support material is teabag paper which removes the above-mentioned drawbacks. A disadvantage of the use of this teabag paper is that it is a relatively expensive material. Moreover, this material is not so homogeneous in composition that a uniform permeability for water vapour and gases in all radial directions is guaranteed under all circumstances. According to this invention the above synthetic material is polyethylene, polypropylene or polyester which has been calendered to an elongation percentage of 2.5-5. It has been found that the present binding does not show the above disadvantages; this also relates to the drawbacks of teabag paper, i.e. the present binding is inexpensive and very homogeneous with regard to thickness and density, which leads to a very uniform permeability for water vapour and gases. The calendering treatment is a heat treatment under pressure which causes the plastic fibres to stick together to a more or less strong degree. According to a preferred embodiment the plastic material is subjected to calendering on one side. The advantage thereof is twofold. On the one hand due to the heat/pressure treatment a material is obtained having an acceptable elongation percentage, and on the other hand the side facing the crust of the cheese stays rough sothat a good adhesion to the crust of the cheese is guaranteed. In order to prevent mould development between binding and crust of the cheese the material should lay smoothly against the crust of the cheese without forming creases or other spaces. It has been found that this can be promoted by providing the plastic material with perforations. Thereby also the additional advantage is obtained that the moisture and gas permeability of the binding can be adjusted to an optimum value, dependent on the ripening conditions. Preferably, the number of perforations is 4-50 per cm². If both sides of the plastic material are calendered, perforations will ensure water vapour and gas permeability of the binding. As is well known, cheese to be delivered is often provided with a marking banderole consisting of a strip of tissue-paper or teabag paper printed on one side. In a number of cases the supporting binding is used also as a banderole in the production of the cheese and is provided with a marking printing. In order to optimalise the printability of the plastic material, the material can be provided on one side with a printable layer, such as a mousseline, the untreated side staying sufficiently rough to adhere to the crust of the cheese. The average band width of the plastic binding is 6-8 cm. The application of the binding is carried out in the way which is known per se and usual.

Claims: A method for applying a gas and water vapour permeable, permanent cheese binding made of a synthetic material around cheese directly after the brine treatment, characterized in that the synthetic material is polyethylene, polypropylene or polyester which has been calendered to an elongation percentage of 2.5-5. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that one side has been calendered. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that two sides have been calendered and the binding is provided with perforations. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the number of perforations is 4-50 per cm². A method according to one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the binding is provided with a printable layer on one side, in particular on the side faced away from the cheese. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the layer consists of a mousseline. Cheese produced according to the method of one or more of the foregoing claims.

Inventors: BOERSMA, HIERONYMUS YPE, IJKEMA, SIETZE, KIMENAI, MARTINUS PETRUS, KOELLMANN, CLEMENS JOHANNES WILLEBRORDUS, SPOELSTRA, TAMME, Köllmann, Clemens Johannes Willebrordus
Applicants: KONINKLIJKE NEDERLANDSE ZUIVELBOND FNZ
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A01J25
IPC codes: A01J27, A01J25, A23C19