Principles of Cheese Technology 229
may react by modifying the processing
parameters to achieve desirable quality and
yield. Mastitis milk contains low casein, fat,
and calcium, and must be avoided for cheese
making. It also may contain antibiotics to
treat mastitis, which in turn inhibit the growth
Many factors affect concentration of the
components of milk, which in turn infl uences
cheese yield. Recognition of such factors
should help cheese plant operator to select
incoming milk with quality factors to maxi-
mize cheese yield. In addition, the operator
Figure 10.2. A classifi cation of cheese based on moisture content, fi rmness, and ripening microorganisms.
Adapted from Olson ( 1995 and 2003 ).
Cheeses
Soft cheese,
Moisture
50-80%
Semi-soft cheese
Moisture
39-50%
Hard cheese
Moisture
39-40%
Very hard
cheese
Moisture max.
34%
Unripened
High fat Low fat
Cream,
Neufchatel
Bakers,
Cottage,
Quark
Ripened
Surface
mold-
Brie,
Camembert
Stretched
curd-
Mozzarella,
Scamorze
Bacterial-
Kochkse,
Handkse’
Caciotta
Surface
ripened-
Liederkranz
Salt-
pickeled-
Feta,
Domiati
Ripened by
internal
mold-
Blue,
Gorgonzola,
Roquefort
Surface-
ripened by
bacteria and
yeast-
Limburger,
Brick,
Trappist,
Port du
Salut,
St. Paulin,
Oka
Ripened by
internal
bacteria and
some
surface
bacteria-
Muenster,
Bel Paese,
Tilsiter
Ripened by
internal
bacteria-
Pasta filata,
Provolone,
Low-
moisture
Mozzarella
Ripened by
internal
bacteria,
cheese with
small eye
formation-
Edam,
Gouda,
Samsoe
Ripened by
internal
bacteria-
Cheddar,
Colby,
Caciocavallo
Ripened
internally by
bacteria and
large eye
formation-
Emmental,
Gruyere
Ripened
internally by
mold-
Stilton
Asiago old,
Parmesan,
Parmigiano,
Grana,
Romano