Miniature Pilot Plant for Process Cheese Manufacture

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Tue 17 Dec 2002

In a paper presented at Melbourne Cheese Science 2002, Prof Lloyd Metzger from the University of Minnesota Department of Food Science and Nutrition, demonstrated how the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) from Australian company Newport Scientific, could be used to manufacture a 30g batch of process cheese.

"Experimental variables, such as type and level of emulsifying salt, manufacturing parameters and natural cheese characteristics, influence the quality of process cheese. Using the RVA to produce a 30g batch allowed us to systematically investigate the experimental variables rapidly and inexpensively" said Metzger.

Metzger and his team made 30g batches of process cheese (30% fat, 40% moisture), process cheese food (25% fat, 44% moisture) and process cheese spread (20%, 48% moisture) in the RVA using a 10 minute manufacturing process.

Metzger believes the size of the RVA will allow dairy product manufacturers to assess experimental variables quickly and inexpensively in product development and full-scale manufacture.

For more information about this application, contact: L.E. Metzger, MN-SD Dairy Food Research Center, Department of Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA. Email: lmetzger@umn.edu.

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