| 摘要 |
A method and system are provided for forming shredded cheese directly from a quantity of cheese, which is particularly applicable to a chilled high-moisture quantity of cheese, without the need to thermally process the cheese. In general, cheese shreds are formed from a quantity of cheese in which at least one discrete cheese piece is introduced into an elongated chamber having a longitudinal interior surface and housing a conveyor. Resulting cheese mass is transported forwardly and longitudinally of the chamber via the conveyor to a discharge outlet of the chamber. The cheese mass is extruded at a temperature of less than about 50° F. as a plurality of cheese extrudate strands through a plurality of elongated orifices of a die plate which receive cheese mass exiting the discharge outlet of the chamber. The cheese extrudate strands are cut along their lengths to provide discrete cheese shreds. The cheese shreds may be directly deposited onto a food product or a food tray, or collected for packaging as a shredded cheese product per se.
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