How to reduce moisture and cutting loss sustainably during cheese maturation

At this year’s FachPack, MBM innovations and dsm-firmenich will present a sustainable comprehensive concept for optimizing the maturation process of naturally aged cheese.

The core of the solution is the VSM® vacuum packaging machines from MBM innovations and Pack-Age®, an innovative, high-performance maturation membrane from dsm-firmenich. A key advantage is that cheese can develop the flavor and texture characteristic of naturally aged cheese without the need for continuous treatment with traditional cheese coatings.

(photo: dsm-firmenich)

The Pack-Age® membrane contributes to the sustainable optimization of the cheese production process, specifically helping to prevent 5% to 10% of cheese loss during the maturation and processing stages, especially when removing the cheese coating before slicing the cheeses," says Sabrina Mayer-Mai, responsible for strategic marketing at MBM.

The packaging concept has been demonstrated to delay the growth of undesirable mold and yeast. Moreover, once the cheese has matured with Pack-Age®, the membrane can easily be removed and fed into established plastic recycling streams. It presents a more sustainable alternative to the commonly used polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) protective coating for cheese. This PVA coating is regularly renewed, and in a final step removed before the cheeses go to market. Besides this labour-intensive process, removing the coating often results in cheese lost as well.

"Thanks to our breathable Pack-Age® membrane, we can reduce food waste and save valuable resources such as milk, water and energy. At the same time, we are also enhancing product quality,” says Mark ten Cate, product application expert for cheese, coatings, and packaging at dsm-firmenich.

A tailored combination

Producers of naturally matured semi-hard and hard cheeses such as Gouda, Tilsiter, Havarti, or Manchego benefit from the unique combination of VSM® technology and innovative Pack-Age® membranes, which are tailored to the machines. This intelligent combination guarantees optimal packaging results and ensures ideal maturation conditions for premium products.

"Currently, cheese producers lose between 3% and 10% of their production due to spoilage, removal of coating, and moisture loss during natural maturation," says Mark ten Cate. However, cheese maturation membranes based on Pack-Age® deliver more: Compared to PVA-coated cheese, cutting losses are reduced by up to 7% post-maturation because the need to remove the protective layer, along with associated cheese losses, is eliminated. Enabling the most efficient natural cheese ripening process improves customers’ bottom line. In summary, Pack-Age® helps dairies getting up to ten percent more out of the milk.

The VSM® vacuum packaging solutions are ideal choice for various cheese formats  (source: MBM)

In the end, not only does yield improve, but the overall cheese quality increases: The unique membrane solution of Pack-Age® allows hard and semi-hard cheese to breathe during maturation, developing its characteristic, full-bodied flavour. The risk of contamination is also reduced, as human intervention in the production process is significantly minimized.

As to comparative tasting, the results showed that cheese matured with Pack-Age® delivers the same flavour and texture balance as naturally matured cheese – but in a much more sustainable way.

The fully and semi-automated VSM® packaging solutions are ideal choice for various cheese formats – whether round or square formats or sticks.

MBM's atmospheric vacuum system ensures gentle handling while maintaining the high quality of the vacuum. This offers significant advantages for delicate products like premium cheese, in terms of product quality, vacuum security, handling, and resource efficiency. Evacuation is carried out using special suction nozzles directly within the bag. The entire evacuation process occurs under normal atmospheric pressure, without a vacuum chamber. Even with large formats, wet bags, or thin, delicate films like Pack-Age®, the VSM® vacuum station ensures a reliable, crease-free seal: "Pack-Age® membrane contain no polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE), so they do not melt easily. However, thanks to the bi-active sealing process, we can still guarantee perfect sealing results, even with materials featuring demanding membrane structures," confirms MBM Product Engineer Julia Mayer.

Sustainability in materials, but also in machines

"The VSM® vacuum system alone saves between 36% and 50% of energy compared to other vacuum systems with the same performance," explains CEO Bernd Mayer. To put this into perspective: 36% corresponds to the equivalent of the average annual electricity consumption of a four-person household in Germany.

Key factors driving resource and energy efficiency include the impulse sealing system, the small vacuum pumps, and the absence of fresh water for cooling and air-blowing for bag opening. There are no preheating times, and no permanently heated plates, which has a positive impact not only on energy consumption but also on machine availability.

Additional benefits include the high vacuum quality and optimal sealing results. "Our goal is always to minimize product, material, and resource waste – and thereby reduce the CO2 footprint across the entire value chain, from manufacturing our machines to packaging our customers’ products," emphasizes Bernd Mayer. Contributing to this are the machines' durability, an efficient single-bag process to reduce film and cheese waste, and the use of the thinnest possible films, which still provide high stability and optimal product protection.

At FachPack 2024 in Nuremberg...

MBM innovations will provide comprehensive information on its machine concepts and Pack-Age® at hall 2, booth 432. Sabrina Mayer-Mai expects strong demand for this overall solution in the coming months: "Naturally ripened cheese remains popular. Besides the great taste experience, cheese lovers are increasingly seeking products that are natural, sustainably produced, and packaged.”

In addition, MBM presents itself as a powerful provider of automation technology. The product and service portfolio ranges from individual conveyor belts and vacuum testers to complete turnkey solutions "Made in Germany."

Once packaged with MBM machines, cheese can be placed directly into special ripening crates. The advantage: These crates require less space compared to traditional wooden racks and offer better ventilation. “Combining ripening crates with fully automated handling systems could be a key topic for visitors at our stand,” reveals Sabrina Mayer-Mai.