IFF has launched CHOOZIT VINTAGE in the US and Canadian markets.
CHOOZIT VINTAGE will help cheddar cheese manufacturers overcome undesirable flavour development during ageing to streamline cheesemaking processes and achieve the consistent flavours and textures that consumers love.
With growing economic uncertainty, consumers are now opting for products that are affordable, convenient and versatile. Cheese brands have ample room to leverage this, positioning cheese as adaptable to a variety of consumer needs, with a wide range of applications from table cheddar and snack packs to culinary haute cuisine and gourmet burger slices.
Around 3.93 billion pounds of cheddar cheese were produced in the United States in 20211. The burgeoning US cheese market is projected to grow from $40.73 billion in 2022 to $55.95 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 4.64 percent. The demand for cheddar with unique qualities is increasing, and flavorful, natural, affordable and snackable dairy-based natural cheeses—especially cheddar—ranks highest among consumer purchasing choices.
Cheddar cheese manufacturers can now be confident in achieving consistent, well-balanced flavours and a smooth, clean-cut texture in every batch
“CHOOZIT VINTAGE is an easy-to-use culture that helps manufacturers overcome undesirable flavour development such as bitterness during ageing, delivering highly reliable pH and texture results throughout the ripening process,” said Annie Mornet, Senior Global Product Manager for cheese, IFF. “Our extensive trials have demonstrated an increase in savoury 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.”
Aged cheddar cheese production can prove challenging with common issues such as bitterness, gas and crystal formation, colour and textural defects can prevent manufacturers from maximising process efficiency and improvement, cheese yield and whey quality.
This makes it difficult to ensure high product standards that meet the expectations of increasingly discerning cheddar cheese consumers. In addition, when manufacturers try to differentiate their products with added functionalities, they face issues with savoury flavour profiles and shelf-keeping qualities.
Leveraging its biotechnology know-how and extensive research, IFF brings its technical expertise and innovative capabilities together, providing a solution to improve cheddar cheese production processes. CHOOZIT VINTAGE is part of a high-performing starter culture range featuring seven rotations of blended mesophilic and thermophilic direct-to-vat cultures for producing great-quality, American-style cheddar. It provides unparalleled robustness against phages for optimal lactic acid bacteria action to meet every cheesemaking need.
