Processed cheese is produced through the processing of cheese at different stages of maturity. The cheese used should be suitable for general consumption. It is acceptable to use cheese with defects on the surface or structural defects. Cheese with any developed and unwanted micro-flora can also be used as this will be destroyed during heat treatment which is usually 75 to 95°С. It is unacceptable to use any cheese with unpleasant smell or taste as this will influence the quality of the finished product. Processed cheese is classified into three groups:
-cheese with a high moisture content - with a spreadable structure;
-cheese with a low moisture content - with a harder structure and suitable for cutting into slices;
-smoked processed cheese.
Additional ingredients including water, curd, cream, salt, emulsifiers and stabilizers are added during production. Different fillings can also be added such as: mushrooms, ham, spices etc. The use of a vacuum system during production improves the texture of the product and partly eliminates any unwanted odour. The end product is usually packaged at melting point. Cheese with a high moisture content (with a spreadable structure) should be cooled quickly after packaging and cheese with a lower moisture content (for cutting into slices) should be cooled slowly at room temperature. There is a large variety of packaging available dependent on the texture of the product. On the following pages DONIDO® presents different types of factory equipment.