Manufacture and Use of Cheese Products

Cheese is the most complex of the dairy products, involving chemical, biochemical and microbiological processes. The steps in all cheesemaking include milk acidification, milk coagulation, whey removal, packaging and storage. Most cheesemaking also includes heating the cheese curd and salting the curd. Even slight changes in these processes can lead to significant differences in the final cheese. Control of these has been crucial in the transformation of cheesemaking from an art or craft to a skilled large scale technological operation that is constantly undergoing minor shifts to accommodate the changing raw material (milk) and the increasing range of custom-made cheese types and styles. Cheddar, Mozzarella, Gouda and Egmont are the cheese varieties made in greatest quantities and make up the bulk of our export cheese.