Fresh Cheese Products: Principals of Manufacture and Overview of Different Varieties

Fresh cheese represents a diverse group of varieties produced by the coagulation of milk, cream or whey via acidification, acidification with a small quantity of rennet, or a combination of acid and heat and which are ready for consumption once manufacturing is complete. The essential steps in the manufacture of acid-coagulated (or acid-curd) and acid/rennet coagulated verities involves slow quiescent acidification of the standardized, pasteurized cheese milk to pH values (4.6–4.8) close to the isoelectric point of casein, cutting or gently braking the gel, and concentration of the gel to a curd using various means including pouring the broken gel onto cheese cloth or perforated moulds, mechanical separation or membrane filtration. The resultant cheese is then packaged cold (