Patent ID: 6905720

Claim:
A savory, smooth-textured, bakeable and shelf-stable, low moisture and low water activity cheese product, which is bake stable at temperatures of up to 125° C.±5° C., comprising: a) a dispersed fat phase comprised of triglyceride fat in an amount at least 5% by weight of the total weight of the cheese product; b) an aqueous liquid phase comprising water in an amount of at less than 6% by weight based on the total weight of the cheese product and a plasticizing polyhydric alcohol in an amount of at least 50% by weight of the aqueous phase and dissolved soluble solids, the combined amount of the plasticizing polyhydric alcohol and the dissolved soluble solids being sufficient to provide the total cheese product with an A w of less than 0.5, and c) a solids phase, containing cheese flavor in an amount sufficient to comprise at least 3% by weight of the total weight of the cheese product; d) not more than 5% by weight lactose based on the total weight of the cheese product.