Nabisco, Inc.

G Curtis Busk, Jr

Edward L Wheeler

Tim Michael Adrianson

Karen D Huether

Stephen A Gunther

Alpheus I Brown, Jr

James K Yoss

Joseph W Mann

High-moisture, high-pH, shelf-stable cheese spreads containing cheese, preferably a cheese having a pH of 5.4 or lower such as Swiss, Cheddar, American, mozarella, skim milk cheese, or cheese mixtures, water sufficient to provide a total moisture of from 51 to 58% and a pH of from 5.3 to 6.0 are preserved by adding sodium chloride, a phosphate salt, sodium citrate, and sodium lactate in sufficient amounts to maintain the composition free from the growth of Clostridium botulinum and the production of toxin by those organisms during room temperature storage for a period of at least 180 days, preferably 300 days. Some embodiments contain about 1 to 2% sodium citrate, about 1 to 2% sodium lactate, and a combined level of dibasic sodium phosphate and sodium chloride ranging between about 1.3 and 2.2%, and have a moisture content of 52 to 55%, and an overall pH of about 5.3 to 5.6.

Low-acid, high-moisture processed cheese spread and method of making

Food products having soft or liquid centers, layers or other areas are formulated by arranging two fat-containing components contiguous with one another. A fat in the first component migrates into the second, forming a mixture having a lower solids content than the second fat, while the structural integrity of the first component is maintained. The process is especially adapted to the formation of soft- and liquid-centered confections. One preferred embodiment employs fats bearing long, saturated C.sub.16 to C.sub.22 fatty acid residues and a mixture of short C.sub.2 to C.sub.4 acid residues, preferably containing acetic acid residues, as the migrating fat in a confectionery coating, and hydrogenated coconut or palm kernel oil as the fat in the confectionery center. An especially preferred embodiment employs, as the migrating fat, triglycerides bearing long, saturated substitutents containing at least about 75% stearic acid residues and short residues derived from acetic acid, a mixture of acetic and propionic acid, or a mixture of acetic and butyric acid. Since sucrose and invertase are not essential elements of the center, artificial sweeteners can be used to replace all or part of the sucrose, resulting in reduced calorie confections. Caloric reduction is further enhanced because preferred migrating fats are low in calories.

Process for preparing soft centers in food products

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Chester, NJ, United States of America

G Curtis Busk, Jr