A method for applying a binding to round cheeses, as well as so obtained cheeses

The invention relates to a method for applying a binding to round cheeses, wherein the cheeses, immediately after the brine treatment are provided with a permanent supporting binding.

Due to the development of new kinds of cheeses and new types deri­ved from Gouda cheese, a number of problems has arisen which where not present in the classical cheese preparation process usual up to now.

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 the 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, immediately after leaving the brine bath.

This binding need not to be made from paper, but may be made of textile and shows resemblance to coarse aseptic gauze.

A drawback of the use of paper can be that this 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 causes pro­blems when cutting the cheese, if one wants to proceed to consumption or portioning.

From NL-B 180898 a process is known which is restricted to the binding of cheese of the Maasdammer type. As support material so-called teabag paper is used therein, in order to remove 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 gasses in all radial directions in quaranteed under all circumstances. The object of the invention is now to apply a binding which does not have the above-described disadvantages.

According to the non-prepublished Dutch patent application 8900668 the above disadvantages are obviated by using a binding from plastic material. As examples of such plastic materials are mentioned polypropy­lene, polyester and polyethylene. Such bindings have the advantage of a very homogeneous thickness and density, which in turn leads to a very uniform permeability for moisture and gasses. Furthermore, it is of im­portance that the binding material does not possess a too large percent elongation, preferably no more than 5%. In the materials specifically mentioned in patent application 8900668 this elongation percentage, if it is too high, can be corrected, if necessary, by a calendering treat­ment which preferably is carried out one-sidedly and wherein the binding is applied with the non-calendered side facing the crust of the cheese. Furthermore, the above-mentioned materials may also be provided with perforations, in order to prevent the occurence of creases or other spa­ces between the cheese crust and the binding, which moreover, with this materials has the advantage of a further control of the moisture and gass permeability.

A general problem with all the above discussed binding agents is the wettability. If during the application the water is not absorbed quickly enough by the material, airbubbles can be formed below or in the binding. In a later stage this may cause mould grows.

Furthermore, it is often diserable to use the binding also as a banderol, and accordingly to provided with a marking printing. Now this is not always possible without further problems with the plastics menti­oned in patent application 8900668, but this can be remedied by provi­ding the binding material on one side with a printable layer which of course than should form the side of the binding which is remote from the cheese. Such a printable layer can be formed for instance in the case of polyolifine with the add of a known heat treatment or treatment with corrona discharge, but one can also apply a mousseline layer to the ex­terior side of the binding.

Although accordingly the plastic materials mentioned specifically in patent application 8900668 satisfy well as a supporting binding, of­ten still some additional measures are necessary. Consequently, research was carried out for a film of plastic material, with which dementioned additional measures can be omitted entirely of partially.

Surprisingly, the solution for this problem was found in the use of a foil from regenerated cellulose, generally known as cellophane ("Cellophane" is a registered trademark).

Cellophane can be considered a semi-synthetic plastic material. It is obtained by extruding cellulose xanthate to a film, usually in an acid medium. Thereby the xanthate is decomposed and cellulose is regene­rated. However, this cellulose is not identical to the starting cellulo­se, from which the xanthate has been made, because, as is well-known, the alkaline conversion to xanthate has decreased the cellulose chains some-what.

The present finding therefor is so surprising, because the analo­gous fibres product, the viscose rayon, is known as weak and accordingly would be inferior for the present purpose. Moreover, cellophane is alre­ady known since 1911 and has be used a.o. as a sausage casing. However, up till now nobody understood that exactly this already so long known material would constitute the ideal solution for the present problem.

For applying a supporting binding normally an adhesive agent is used, e.g. an aqueous starch solution. This also is true for the present binding material so that the application of the cellophane binding can simply take place by moistening the cellophane with such a solution and laying it around the cheese in moist condition. The so moistened cello­phane quickly absorbs a part of the applied moisture, whereby it expands. On drying the regenerated cellulose shrinks so that the binding will made to lay closely against the cheese. The cellophane can be ap­plied very well to the cheese surface. No forming of airbubbles between cheese and binding occurs. As has appeared experimentally in the meanti­me, the material possesses an ideal permeability for the ripening of the cheese. Moreover, as is well-known cellophane can be printed without further measures sothat, if desired, the supporting binding can also be provided with a marking printing and in this way can serve at the same time as a banderole.

It is general practice to apply immediately a plastic emulsion to the supporting binding applied after the brine treatment. It has now appeared that the so applied plastic shows an excellent adhesion to the cellophane sothat in the ripened cheese no difference can be seen be­tween surfaces which have been and which have not been provided with cellophane.

On the other hand, the adhesion of the cellophane to the cheese crust is also excellent and it has appeared that when cutting the chee­se, the cellophane is also cut therewith without risk of drawing it apart from the cheese surface.

The width of the supporting binding is adapted to the height of the cilindrical part of the cheese to be treated, but generally is 4-8 cm.