Cheese Manufacturing: From Milk to Maturity – A Guide for the Food Industry

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Cheese Manufacturing: From Milk to Maturity – A Guide for the Food Industry

What is Cheese?

Cheese is a coagulated dairy product, produced by separating the solid curd from liquid whey in milk. This is typically achieved using rennet, an enzyme derived from the stomachs of young ruminants, or with acid. Cheese has a rich heritage across cultures, with thousands of variations depending on milk source, processing technique, aging duration, and regional preferences.

For food industry consultants, cheese represents a dynamic and innovative segment due to its biochemical complexity and diverse applications in modern cuisine.

Types of Cheese

With over 1800 cheese varieties worldwide, classification depends on various parameters:

Milk Type: Cow, buffalo, goat, or sheep
Origin: Parmesan (Italy), Gouda (Netherlands), Cheddar (UK), etc.
Texture: Soft, semi-soft, hard
Flavor: Mild to sharp
Age: Fresh vs. aged
Process: Mold-ripened, acid-set, rennet-coagulated

Food business consultancy teams can assist in selecting the right type of cheese for new product development based on target market and shelf-life needs.

Principles of Cheese Manufacture

Though techniques may vary, all cheeses follow a core sequence of steps:

Pretreatment of milk
Acidification or souring
Rennet coagulation
Cutting the curd
Draining whey
Matting and pressing
Maturing or curing

Cheese is a biochemically active product—its transformation continues well into storage, making quality control and maturation essential parts of production.

Cheddar Cheese Manufacturing Process

Let’s take a closer look at how Cheddar cheese is made—a favorite among cheese lovers globally and a staple in the food service industry.

1. Milk Reception & Standardization

Milk quality is paramount. It is:

Filtered at 35–40°C
Standardized for casein-to-fat ratio (0.68–0.70) for optimal yield and texture

2. Pasteurization (Optional but Recommended)

HTST or Holder method
Enhances safety and shelf life

3. Additives

Calcium chloride (CaCl₂): 0.01–0.03% to firm up curd
Starter culture: 0.5–1% at 30–31°C to develop acidity and flavor
Coloring agents: Used optionally for visual appeal (30–200 ml per 1000 kg milk)

4. Renneting

Rennet enzymes (rennin & pepsin) added (~15–20 ml/100 liters milk)
Coagulation time: 25–30 minutes at 30–31°C
Curds are cut and whey is removed via syneresis

Cooking & Che daring

5. Cooking

Gradual heating from 32°C up to 37–39°C
Encourages whey expulsion and curd firming

6. Whey Drainage

Liquid whey is removed from curd mass

7. Che daring

Blocks of curd are piled, turned, and re-piled for 2+ hours
Curd becomes more cohesive, silky, and ready for milling

Milling, Salting, and Pressing

8. Milling

Che dared curd is shredded for even salt distribution

9. Salting

1–2% salt added for flavor, shelf life, and texture

10. Hooping, Dressing, Pressing

Salted curd is filled into cheese molds (hoops)
Wrapped in muslin or cheese cloth
Pressed using pneumatic, hydraulic, or screw presses to shape and remove whey

Drying, Paraffining, and Curing

11. Drying

Surface drying to prepare for protective coatings

12. Paraffining

Coating with wax to reduce moisture loss, mold growth, and insect damage

13. Curing

Aged for 2–3 months at controlled temperatures
Allows development of final flavor, body, and texture

With growing interest in specialty cheeses, working with an experienced food processing consultant ensures your production line meets both artisanal and regulatory standards.

Conclusion

Cheese manufacturing combines art, science, and tradition. As demand surges in fast food, retail, and gourmet segments, investing in the right technology and expertise is essential. From equipment selection to optimizing milk standardization and microbial safety, a food consultant or food manufacturing consultant can help set your cheese business apart.

Whether you're building a cheese line from scratch, troubleshooting consistency issues, or developing a premium artisan cheese, expert food industry consultants bring clarity, strategy, and compliance to the table.

PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering Cheese Manufacturing Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 1 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering Agenda What is Cheese? Types of Cheese Principle of cheese manufacture Manufacture of Cheddar Cheese Conclusion 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 2 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering 1. What is Cheese? • Cheese has been made in most cultures since ancient times. • Cheese is a coagulated dairy product. • It is generally coagulated with rennet or acid or a combination of both. • There are a lot of cheese varieties in the world. • The first cheeses were "fresh," that is, not fermented. • This was achieved by adding rennet to the milk. • Rennet is obtained from the stomachs of young ruminants Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 3 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering 2. Types of Cheese There are more than 1800 varieties of cheeses around the world. And there are almost as many ways of classifying them. Some of the classification of cheeses are: • Milk: cow, goat, sheep, or buffalo, etc. • Country or region: Parmesan, Gouda. • Age: Fresh cheese, aged • Texture: soft to semi-soft, semi-firm to hard • Flavor: mild to extra sharp. • Preparation: unripen, mold-ripened cheese. General Composition Components Quantity Protein( Casein) 4-40% Carbohydrate ( Lactose) Trace/nil Lipids: 1. Saturated 2. Mono-unsaturated 3. Poly-unsaturated. 66% 30% 4% Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 4 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering 3. Principle of Cheese Manufacture • Cheeses are biologically and biochemically dynamic and consequently inherently unstable. • All cheese have some common characteristic steps 1. Pretreatment of milk 2. Souring 3. Clotting by Rennet/ similar enzymes 4. Cutting/ breaking up coagulum ( release of whey) 1. Matting of curd 2. Maturing Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 5 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering 4. Manufacture Of Cheddar Cheese Receiving Milk Cutting Cooking Curing Pre-heating Coagulation Drainage of whey Paraffining Filteration Renneting Cheddaring Pressing Standardization Coloring Milling Dressing Pasteurization Souring Salting Hooping Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 6 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering 4.1. Receiving • Cheese is no better than the milk from which it is made. • Quality checks should be done, clearly without any compromise 4.2. Filteration/Clarification • It removes visible dirt • Milk is preheated to 35-40oC for efficient Filteration. 4.3. Standardization • Casein/fat ratio : 0.68-0.70 • Done to regulate fat in the dry matter of cheese. • Produces maximum yield. Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 7 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering 4.4. Pasteurization • Pasteurization is not a mandatory step in cheese making • But it is generally recommended • HTST/ Holder pasteurization is used 4.5. Addition Of CaCl2 • Generally, 0.01-0.03% CaCl2 is used. • Addition of CaCl2 gives firmness to the curd. 4.6. Addition Of Starter • To develop acidity • Starter is the heart of cheese • A good starter may make up for other defects. • 0.5-1 % at 30-310C. Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 8 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering 4.7. Colouring • Done to enhance the appearance • 30-200 ml for 1000 kg milk • Diluted with approx. 20 times it’s volume of water. 4.8. Renneting • Rennet was and is still mainly obtained from the abomasum of younger calves. • Contains two enzymes: Rennin : Clotting enzymes. Pepsin : Proteolysis. • 1 part of liquid rennet is used for 5000 parts of milk. • 15-20 ml / 100 ltr of milk at 30-31oC for 25-30 minutes. • The firm coagulum is then cut and syneresis is carried out. Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 9 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering 4.9. Cooking • Heating of cut curd cubes. • Begins within 15 mins after cutting. • Regulation of heating : reaches 32oC in and maximum temperature should be 37-39oC at the rate of 1oC every 4 mins. 15 minutes 4.10. Drainage of Whey • Removal of whey from the curd 4.11. Cheddaring • Combined of turning, piling, and re-piling. operation packing, • Done for 2 hours or more. • After cheddaring curd becomes drier, more mellow and silky Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 10 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering 4.12. Milling • Cutting the blocks of cheddared curd into smaller pieces with the help of a cheese mill. • Enables quick distribution of Salt in the curd. 4.13. Salting It improves flavour, body and texture. • • Also improves keeping quality. • 1-2% Salt is added in general. 4.14. Hooping, Dressing, Pressing • The lumps of curd are initially placed inside cheese hoops or cheese molds. • They are dressed inside muslin cloth or cheese cloths for pressing. • The pressing is carried out using hydraulic screw, pneumatic, pressers etc. to make the curds in definite shape. 11 Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering 4.15. Drying • This is done for Rind formation in Cheese. 4.16. Parafinning • To reduce loss of moisture during curing • To reduce mold growth. • To avoid insect activity. 4.17. Curing • Storage of cheese for minimum 2-3 months at a given low temperature • Done to enhance the flavour, body, and texture of the cheese to desired level. Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 12 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering 5. Conclusion • There are thousands of varieties of cheese across the world. • It is nearly impossible to detail about each one of them. • The varieties of cheeses are still getting added up. • The market of cheese is really growing fast as it is an essential ingredient in the fast-food industry. Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 13 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering About PMG Engineering Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. Competent People. Smarter Work Systems. Exceptional Customer Interactions. 14 We deliver End-to-End Engineering Design and Construction Management Projects in Food and Beverage Industry. Meeting Global Benchmarks In ENGINEERING DESIGN and PROJECT MANAGEMENT for FOOD and BEVERAGE Industry with SINGLE POINT ACCOUNTABILITY Process Engineering | Project Management | Mechanical | Electrical | Automation | Food Safety Key Clients We deliver End-to-End Engineering Design and Construction Management Projects in Food and Beverage Industry. Meeting Global Benchmarks In ENGINEERING DESIGN and PROJECT MANAGEMENT for FOOD and BEVERAGE Industry with SINGLE POINT ACCOUNTABILITY Process Engineering | Project Management | Mechanical | Electrical | Automation | Food Safety Key Clients We deliver End-to-End Engineering Design and Construction Management Projects in Food and Beverage Industry. Meeting Global Benchmarks In ENGINEERING DESIGN and PROJECT MANAGEMENT for FOOD and BEVERAGE Industry with SINGLE POINT ACCOUNTABILITY Process Engineering | Project Management | Mechanical | Electrical | Automation | Food Safety Key Clients

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