New cheese starter culture system cuts production time
The dairy ingredients company said that with DELVO-STAR, starter production can be doubled and manufacturers can produce more than one type of cheese each day.
The starter culture is a combination of Lactococcus lactis and cremoris strains and due to the patented formulae and process, starter preparation time is six hours compared to the standard starter time of 12 to 18 hours.
Increasing speed can also help minimize the chance of infection or outgrowth of non-starter bacteria as well as minimize the risk of phage, which can kill bacteria quickly and potentially slow down the production process - a constant challenge for companies using cultures.
DELVO-STAR is added directly to pasteurized milk in the starter tank so it requires no media, eliminating a labor intensive part of the culture preparation process.
Peter Kempe, President of DSM Food Specialties, USA Inc, told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “DSM Food Specialties has been developing this culture system for several years and has recently implemented trials in mass production cheese plants.
“Cheese makers at these plants reported that they were very impressed by the flavor, speed, reduced risk of cross-contamination and sustainability benefits offered by DELVO-STAR.”
He added that DELVO-STAR is a new system that utilizes the current equipment in place, therefore removing the need for traditional media.
And by removing the need to prepare media, the starter preparation process is simplified in comparison to traditional bulk starter manufacture.
Cheese trend
DELVO-STAR’s highly active semi-liquid formulation is suitable for a large number of cheese types, in particular American-style cheddar and cottage cheese.
Kempe added: “We are certainly seeing increased demand for both cheeses. This is driven by the use of cottage cheese as a spread or dip and the fact that it is low in fat therefore appeals to health conscious consumers.
“Hard cheese on the other hand is now becoming more artisan as consumers look for a variety of flavors to consume both direct and as a topping on pasta, for example.”
The company says its product is more environmentally sustainable as, for example, it removes the need to use powdered media, by utilizing pasteurized milk instead. This means there is less energy use in the make-up of the media.
Also, because of the treatment temperatures required with DELVO-STAR, equipment will not corrode as quickly.
Similarly, DSM said that by using milk, higher cheese volumes can be processed through the plant therefore increasing plant efficiency and lowering production costs.
