USA – International Flavours and Fragrances, IFF, has announced the launch of its culture component intended to assist cheese manufacturers in achieving consistent flavour and texture during the ageing process of cheddar cheese.

The company realizes that the production of aged cheddar cheese can pose a number of challenges including gas, bitterness, crystal formation, and colour and textural defects.

“This makes it difficult to ensure high product standards that meet the expectations of increasingly discerning cheddar cheese consumers,” explains IFF.

It, therefore, provides a solution, ChoozIt Vintage, a starter culture that will help manufacturers overcome these obstacles and streamline their cheesemaking processes.

ChoozIt Vintage is part of a high-performing starter culture range, made with seven rotations of blended mesophilic and thermophilic direct-to-vat cultures.

This range is specifically designed to produce great-quality, American-style cheddar as well as resistance against phages ensuring optimal lactic acid bacteria action that will meet every cheesemaking need.

The use of starter culture is an essential determinant of the final texture and flavour of the cheese. It Is a mixture of lactic acid bacteria usually added to milk for the purposes of acidifying it to create the necessary conditions for the development of the desired characteristics.

Different types of starter cultures can produce different flavours and textures of cheese, subject to the bacteria strains and growing conditions.

According to Angie Mornet, the senior global product manager for cheese at IFF, ChoozIt Vintage is easy to use and will help manufacturers overcome undesirable flavours such as bitterness developing during ageing.

The product is meant to deliver highly reliable pH and texture results in cheese throughout the ripening process.

She assured that extensive trials by the company have demonstrated an increase in savory notes with ChoozIt Vintage.

“Cheddar cheese manufacturers can now be confident in achieving consistent, well-balanced flavours and a smooth, clean-cut texture in every batch,” she said.

The company also assured cheese formulators that using ChoozIt will help them achieve their sustainability targets by reduce energy use as it ensures a shorter ageing time of cheese with less storage at cool temperatures compared to other cultures.

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