IDM ¦ Ingredients
Ripening technology
Driving sustainable growth in the cheese industry
Author: Danielle Van Zuilen, Global Business Manager Cheese & Bioprotection, DSM Food Specialties,
Danielle.Zuilen-van@dsm.com, www.dsm.com
Rising consumer demand for cheese is driving
growth in the industry, with the market expanding
at a rapid pace. A recent survey, for example, found
that 85% of consumers globally questioned eat
the same amount or more cheese than 12 months
ago.1 Global cheese production is, as a result, expected
to reach 25 million tons annually in 2020, a 23% increase
from 2012.2 While this creates an opportunity for cheese
manufacturers to increase turnover, inefficient and wasteful
production processes raise sustainability concerns on an international
scale. Consumers are also increasingly unwilling
to compromise on indulgence, with cheese taste and texture
remaining top priorities for people worldwide. The trend for
products with ‘clean label’ or ‘free-from’ credentials continues
to grow, too. Solutions that allow cheesemakers to overcome
complex sustainability challenges and enable them to
produce profitable goods in line with consumer preferences
are therefore becoming highly sought after.
The challenges ahead
The requirements cheesemakers must meet to not only cater
to consumers’ needs, but also work sustainably and economically
efficient, evolve constantly. Monitoring the market landscape
closely is therefore essential to stay competitive. The top
priorities for industry players in the cheese industry include:
1. Food waste
According to the European Commission for food, farming
and fisheries, food waste is not only an ethical and economic
issue, but it also depletes the environment’s limited natural
resources. Across the cheese industry, food waste is an
increasingly prominent issue as sustainability concerns continue
to rise. It is, for instance, estimated that Gouda and
Parmesan manufacturers lose 3 to 10% of cheese produced
annually – approximately 220,000 tons – due to wasteful
slicing and cutting, grating and shredding procedures.3
There are a number of factors that can contribute to
cheese waste; cutting loss, however, is the main consideration
for naturally ripened cheeses like Parmesan and Gouda.
Cutting loss is predominantly caused by spoilage through
mold and the removal of the cheese rind. Typically, there are
two reasons for removing the cheese rind. During the ripening
process, cheese is often treated with Polyvinyl alcohol
(PVA) coatings to avoid mold growth, which are non-edible
and must be removed to uphold food safety standards. In addition,
moisture evaporation can cause the development of a
thick, dry rind during ripening that cannot be consumed. In
both cases, the rind must be removed before further processing
to guarantee consumer acceptance, creating additional
cheese waste. Cutting loss therefore puts ever-increasing
pressure on cheesemakers to find solutions that allow them
to ripen cheese effectively and sustainably, and thereby reduce
their contribution to the food waste burden.
(photo: DSM)
14 · June/July 2020 ¦ international-dairy.com
/www.dsm.com
/international-dairy.com
link
