Method of texturizing soft uncured cheese

Soft uncured cheese such as cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese, is texturised by uniformly dispersing in the cheese rendered flowable a concentration of inert gas for the cheese in excess of that required to saturate the cheese so as to open the texture of the cheese, and thereafter packaging the cheese. The inert gas is dispersed in the cheese under a gauge pressure of at least fifty pounds per square inch in sufficient concentration to provide a total volume of the cheese of between 1% and 5% greater than the total volume before the introduction of inert gas, the relative volumes being measured at atmospheric pressure, and the gas is maintained in dispersion under pressure during the subsequent packaging of the cheese which preferably takes place at elevated temperatures prior to cooling; if the dispersion is subjected to substantial working prior to packaging as by straining through a 30 mesh screen, pressures of 70 pounds per square inch (even up to 1000 pounds per square inch) may have to be imposed. The cheese may be rendered flowable either by heating, usually to a temperature within the range 135 DEG -180 DEG F., or by beating or whipping. Inert gases mentioned are nitrogen, helium, argon, krypton and zenon. It is stated that the texturised cheese has an extended shelf life (up to 4 weeks or more). Examples are given.