Cream cheese - benefits and harms to the body

Many good products came about by accident. Cream cheese also appeared due to an incident. Not having calculated, they prepared so much cheese in the Swiss city of Thun that it was impossible to sell it all in a short time. And then the decision came to melt the part. This happened at the beginning of the 20th century, but by the age of 30 this type of cheese had won many admirers, as a result of which it owns a third of the total production of cheese products.

How to make processed cheese

The raw materials of processed cheeses are hard and soft rennet cheeses, as well as quickly ripening, which are specially made. Ordinary cheese is also used - sour milk, sour cream, butter, cream or milk. Spices are also added: cumin, dill, pepper and others, and in some varieties you can also find, for example, sugar and cocoa.

Processed cheeses are distinguished by the fact that their production requires salts that, in the process of heating the mass, must transform the protein in the composition into a molten state, only then the product will have a salable appearance, become uniform and stable. Salts are most often used sodium - with citric or phosphoric acid.

It is wrong to assume that processed cheeses are obtained from those hard cheeses that are of poor quality, and therefore did not manage to be sold on time. Using poor raw materials for the production of processed, he will give out his low quality, first of all, an unpleasant aftertaste, which even refined aromatic spice will not help to hide. Only cheese that has no taste flaws, with a pleasant smell, is taken as a basis.

Before being melted, the cheese is washed, cleaned of paraffin, and cut off all damaged areas. Then it is crushed and melting salts are added. Prepared by special technology, selecting the necessary ingredients. When the cheese is heated to 85 degrees, the mass becomes rare and fluid, the number of microorganisms in it sharply decreases.

Classification

The assortment of processed cheese is very diverse. They are divided into several groups, each of which has characteristic chemical, technological and commodity differences:

1. Squamous. They are named so because the consistency is even, so that they can be easily cut and spread on bread. Prepared from rennet cheeses with high fat content, adding dairy products.
2. Sausage. They are obtained thanks to a special processing - smoking, because its aroma is smoked, its taste is spicy. The basis is taken non-fat varieties of cheese and milk components.
3. Pasty. Especially tender due to high fat content and moisture percentage, they are prepared only from high-quality products, observing special technology.
4. Sweet In sweets, sugar and various additives are present in the form of nuts, honey, cocoa, syrups and other flavored fillers.

Cream cheese is not only tasty, but also healthy!

Nutritionists claim that the body assimilates this type of cheese by almost 100 percent. For a person, this is a very positive fact, since processed cheese contains many useful elements:

1. First of all, there is a lot of protein, which, once in the body, performs many functions. Decaying into simpler substances, it begins to release energy, and the body distributes it. Protein is necessary as a building material, which will be needed for the synthesis of cells, tissues and organs. All reactions in the body are regulated by enzymes, which are biological catalysts; for their synthesis, protein is also necessary.All hormones, antibodies are fully or partially composed of protein. It also protects the skin, hair, nails from negative influences. Proteins in processed cheese have a feature: they contain all the essential amino acids.
2. There is a lot of casein in cream cheese. This is a very unusual complex protein, since it is thermostable, which means it does not change its useful structure during the preparation of cheese. Scientists have found: in its amino acid structure, it is very similar to the tissues of the human body, because its amino acids are actively used to build body cells. In casein, as well as in albumin, which is also found in processed cheese, there is a large amount of lysine, tryptophan, because the product has high rates for human health.
3. Fats are also necessarily present in cream cheese. They emit a large amount of energy, which is necessary for a person to breathe, walk, make various movements. These substances are needed for the normal functioning of the main systems - cardiovascular, nervous. As a protective component, fat, due to its elasticity, does not allow all organs to shift, protecting them from mechanical influences. Due to the fact that fat has low thermal conductivity, it does not allow the body to lose heat. It is this component of processed cheese that harmoniously combines saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Milk fat has a solid consistency and a relatively low melting point, which is why it is absorbed well by the body. Under the influence of body heat, he quickly passes into a rare state, easily succumbing to the processing of gastric juice. Only milk fat contains such fatty acids as butyric, caproic, caprylic.

Cream cheese contains arachidonic acid, which is able to combat atherosclerosis. There are also phosphatides, primarily lecithin, which quickly removes excess cholesterol from the body.

Who needs to limit cream cheese

Contraindications are due to the composition of the product. Cream cheese contains:

1. Sodium, therefore, people with high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases need to limit the intake of the product.
2. Sterols that are not recommended for the elderly.
3. An increased amount of salt, phosphate supplements can affect an allergic reaction or a negative reaction of the kidneys.
4. Citric acid - because if the acidity is increased, stomach discomfort may occur.
5. There are a lot of calories, therefore it is undesirable for overweight people to often include cheese in their diet.

Culinary traditions of cream cheese

Using cream cheese, you can cook snacks, first and second courses, savory desserts.

1. To make a tasty mass for sandwiches, cream cheese is rubbed, and then mustard, mayonnaise, horseradish are added to it, or you can all together, as well as salt. It remains only at the end to grind the composition to a homogeneous consistency. Proportions: 300 gr. cheese, 150 gr. mayonnaise, 25 gr. horseradish, 10 gr. mustard.
2. Parisian dessert is prepared like this. grate cream cheese - 150 g., then - finely chop two sweet apples, add some almonds, 50 g. mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt. Served on toasted slices of white bread.

Video: cream cheese versus regular