| abstract |
An inventive solution directed to the production of pasta filata type cheese, such as mozzarella, provolone and blends thereof by concurrently and continuously pulling, stretching, cooling and molding cheese through a series of channels, preferably elongated in nature, having enclosed cavities of particular negative dimension for molding purposes. The cheese is cooled by indirect heat transfer through thermal conductive walls of the elongated channels. The cheese is allowed to set as it is formed within the cooling and molding channels. As the cheese is pulled through and out of the distal end of the elongated channels, the series of released cheese ribbons are combined and pulled through a second series of compression channels by which multiple ribbons are compressed together to form larger laminated strips ready for immediate packaging, storage or further processing. |