Chr. Hansen introduces cheese cultures for white brined cheese

Danish food ingredients company Chr. Hansen has developed a new range of cheese cultures that extend shelf life and improve taste profiles of white brined cheese.

The new range, known as SafeIT, has been developed to suit to the taste profiles of Middle Eastern and South-East European customers, and is an addition to the company’s Direct Vat Set (DVS) culture range.

Chr Hansen’s cheese cultures marketing manager Jamila Bouanda said the new cultures ensure fresh and smooth flavour in the cheese as well as a firm, sliceable texture.

"Using DVS cultures, the unwanted characteristics of conventional ultrafiltrated white brined cheese – acid taste, gluey appearance and bitter taste – are avoided," Bouanda said.

The cultures also have the ability to ferment faster, thus lowering the process time and allowing the manufacturers to increase cheese production.

The cultures are said to extend shelf life for the cheese for four to six months, compared to current the shelf life, which ranges from 45 days to three months.

Chr. Hansen is set to launch the SafeIT range at Food Ingredients Europe (FIE) in Paris in November 2011.