About Processed Cheeses

Approximately one-third of the cheese produced in the United States is used for pasteurized processed cheeses. These are called processed cheese, cold-pack cheese, process-cheese food, process-cheese spread, and imitation cheese. Processed cheese was patented in 1916 by James L. Kraft, who founded Kraft Foods. Read more »

Whey and Whey Products

Whey separated from its water content is rich in nutrients and low in fat. It contains the water-soluble whey proteins, with most of the lactose, water-soluble vitamins, and minerals of the milk. It is highly perishable when fresh, so it is most often processed quickly into whey cheeses, dry whey, and modified whey products. Read more »

Curing and Ripening Cheese

Many Cheeses are like wine, in that their finished character is determined not only by the original ingredients, but by the maturation process. The aging process whereby cheese is converted from a bland, tough, rubbery, fresh curd into a unique cheese with its own mature flavor, aroma, and texture is called, often interchangeably, curing or ripening. Read more »

Curd Treatment in Cheese Production

The curd may be treated to remove more whey by cutting, heating, and salting. Optional further treatment includes knitting and/or pressing. Although a few chemical tests can be made to assess the progress of the curd through each of these treatments, it is often the experienced judgment of a cheese maker that determines when it is time for the next step. Read more »

Coagulation Process in Cheese Making

Cheese-making starts with the coagulation of the casein protein in milk. The two main methods by which coagulation can occur are by the action of enzymes or acid. The type of method used determines many of the characteristics of the resulting cheese. Read more »

Cheese Production

No two cheese varieties are produced by exactly the same method, but the basic steps are common to them all. They include milk selection, coagulation, curd treatment (cutting, heating, salting, knitting, and pressing), curing, and ripening. The yield from 10 pounds of milk is approximately 1 pound of cheese and 9 pounds of whey. Read more »

Nutrient Content in Cheese

Cheese is one of the most nutrient-dense foods. The primary ingredients by weight are water, protein, and fat, and these nutrients vary in concentration according to the cheese. A pound of cheese is equivalent in protein and fat to approximately 1 gallon of milk. Cheeses with higher moisture levels are less concentrated in their nutrients than those containing less moisture. On average, 1 ounce of cheese (a 1.25 inch cube or a packaged slice of pasteurized process cheese) provides about 100 calories (kcal), most of which are derived from fat. Read more »

Classification of Cheeses

There are many ways to classify cheeses. They can be defined by their microbial characteristics, appearance, mode of packaging, even their place of origin. The most common ways of classifying cheeses, however, are by the processing method, the milk source (cow, sheep, goat, etc), or the moisture content. Read more »

About Cheese

No one really knows when humans first started to consume cheese, but legend links its discovery to an anonymous shepherd who decided to carry milk in a bag made from a sheep’s stomach. The bag was warmed by the sun, and the natural rennin enzyme in the stomach lining acted on the milk, turning it from a liquid to a semi-solid. Read more »

Storage of Milk Products

Refrigerated

All fluid milk except unopened, aseptic packs of ultrahigh-temperature pasteurized milk and certain canned milk products should be stored in the refrigerator. They need to removed only long enough to take what is to be used and then quickly returned to the refrigerator. Read more »