Tetra Pak announced the development of 14 new Best Practice Lines (BPLs) for cheese manufacturers, the latest of which is specifically customized for cottage cheese.
The other cheeses that will benefit from these BPLs include mozzarella, semi-hard cheese, cheddar, and fresh cheese production. Together, these cheese types makeup 79% of all cheese volumes and have a CAGR forecast of 3% (2021-2025). Two of the new lines (Mozzarella and Cheddar) were recently previewed at the Global CheeseExpo.
According to Tetra Pak, the new BPL concepts provide a complete production solution for customers, optimized to fit their needs. The processing lines utilize proven equipment combined with industry-leading expertise to create a safe and easy route to profitable cheese production with a higher yield while incorporating the traditional cheesemaking techniques. The hygienic production process enables a longer product shelf life, as well as consistent and replicable quality. Sustainability is also a factor, with solutions focusing on reducing water, steam, and power consumption.
Tetra Pak investing in innovation
Tetra Pak said its draining and forming systems set the benchmark in the industry. The Tetra Pak Blockformer system – where the curd is compacted in a series of vacuum and pressure relief cycles – employs an advanced design enabling it to run Parmesan cheese and Cheddar cheese. Meanwhile, Tetra Pak Casomatic systems efficiently drain and form semi-hard cheese and promote high-quality whey production. These reliable systems maximize yield with a highly controlled process that eliminates weight and moisture variations in the final cheese product. The hygienic design enables long production runs and short cleaning cycles to optimize uptime.
Growing Consumer Appetite
COVID-19 has shifted consumer behaviors in many ways, and cheese is no exception, with a third (36%) of consumers saying they have significantly increased their intake of cheese throughout the global pandemic. It is due, in part, to the fact that we are spending more time at home, providing us with increased opportunities to eat cheese, such as when watching TV (36%), with a drink (35%) or as a quick lunch (35%).
People are very attuned to the well-being benefits of cheese, acknowledging that it is healthy (56%), nutritious (51%), and high in protein (42%) and calcium (41%).
It is apparent that there is real demand from consumers to know the origins of their food, with an overwhelming majority (77%) expressing an interest in the process of cheese production, specifically the ingredients and where they are from (72%), where the product is made (52%), the heat treatments used (41%) and the sterile production (37%). Over a third (36%) also place particular value on environmentally friendly packaging.
