PROCESO Y DISPOSITIVO PARA RETIRAR EL RECUBRIMIENTO DE PLASTICO DEL QUESO

Proceso para eliminar el recubrimiento plástico del queso mediante pelado, donde el recubrimiento plástico se retira de la corteza del queso, comprendiendo el proceso las siguientes fases: a. se proporciona queso madurado con un recubrimiento plástico adecuado para su uso en la maduración, donde la "fuerza anterior a la rotura" (Frotura) del recubrimiento plástico es mayor que la fuerza de adhesión (Fadhesión) entre dicho recubrimiento plástico y el queso; y b. se pela el queso con una fuerza de pelado (Fpelado) mayor a Fadhesión pero inferior a Frotura, donde el recubrimiento plástico también tiene una "fuerza para conseguir un alargamiento al 10%" (F alargamiento) mayor a Fpelado, y donde el recubrimiento plástico tiene una temperatura durante la operación de pelado en la Fase b) mayor que su temperatura vítrea pero inferior a 30ºC y donde dicha temperatura se consigue mediante un tratamiento térmico por infrarrojos (IR). The invention relates to a process for removing the plastic coating from cheese by peeling, which process comprises the following steps: a) a ripened cheese with a plastic coating that is suitable for use in ripening is provided, where the force before rupture (F rupture ) of the plastic coating is greater than the force of adhesion (F adhesion ) between the said plastic coating and the cheese; and b) the cheese is peeled with a peeling force (F peeling ) that is greater than F adhesion but smaller than F rupture , where the plastic coating also displays a force for a 10% elongation (F elongation ) that is greater than the peeling force, and where the temperature of the plastic coating during peeling in Step b) is higher than its glass temperature but lower than 30°C. In the case of coated cheese that exhibits this balance of forces, the plastic coating can be peeled off a cheese without tearing, breaking and/or excessively stretching it. The advantages of peeling are that it is quick and simple, can be carried out automatically or semi-automatically, so it is less labour-intensive, and the rind losses are reduced without having to use an additional solvent, which is undesirable. The plastic coating is optionally reinforced with a top layer before the peeling operation, where the top layer may be e.g. a thicker PVA layer or a top layer formed by a hot-melt adhesive and a polyolefin film over it. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out this process, and to peeled slices of cheese with a drying edge.