Dairy Technology

Cheese production
The simplified cheese production
process depicted here is used as an
example of all common cheese varieties (whether hard cheese, cheese
slices, soft cheese, cream cheese or
quark). Of course, the production processes do vary. With quark and cream
cheese, for example, there is no ripening.
Once the milk is delivered, if it cannot be
processed immediately, it is first thermized. Thermization slows down bacterial
growth, thus allowing for a longer processing time.
Depending on which cheese is being
made, before curdling, the milk is standardized, pasteurized and even sometimes, for special semi-soft cheese
slice varieties, partly homogenized.
In the cheese making machine curdling
is achieved by relevant bacterial cultures
or rennet. The cheese curd is then cut up
with a so-called cheese harp to make it
easier for the whey to escape. After the
whey has escaped the cheese curd is
shaped, pressed, salted and stored for
ripening.