The ancient practice of cheesemaking just got an upgrade, thanks to research funded by America's dairy farmers. A new “vatless” system facilitates the production of Mozzarella-type cheese on a continuous basis, enabling cheesemakers to meet growing product demand while capturing whey proteins that are becoming increasingly valuable in nutraceutical applications.

Syed Rizvi of Cornell University led the research project that was conducted in conjunction with the Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center (NDFRC), with funding from Dairy Management Inc.

Traditionally, 9lbs. of whey and 1lb. of cheese are produced from 10lbs. of milk. Cheesemakers then process the whey into whey protein concentrate, isolates and other valuable ingredients.

Using microfiltration and a coagulator, Rizvi was able to efficiently produce a “zero” whey Mozzarella-type cheese from a smaller quantity of microfiltered and concentrated skim milk. “With the microfiltration process, dairy processors can filter liquid milk to remove serum proteins prior to using the milk in cheesemaking,” says Rizvi. “Depending on whether the goal of the process is to make a concentrated milk-derived food ingredient rich in protein, or to separate individual components from the milk, the filters can be adjusted accordingly, yielding a customized fluid permeate and a customized retentate.” For more information, contact DMI's Technical Support Hotline at 1-800-248-8829 or visit www.extraordinarydairy.com