New Starter Culture Secures Mild and Creamy Soft Cheeses
Chr. Hansen’s latest launch helps cheesemakers to produce soft cheese that maintains the desired taste and texture. The extension to the DVS® SSC series is the latest addition to Chr. Hansen’s soft cheese starter culture range. The product series now consists of four cultures and is designed to create soft cheese with a mild flavor and a creamy mouthfeel.
In traditional soft cheese markets, millennial consumers seek cheese with a milder taste1 and a more aesthetic look2. Opportunities for export to new markets are also growing, meaning that flavor and texture needs to stay constant throughout a longer shelf life.
Soft cheeses offer wide diversity in visual appearance and taste that can be achieved when starter cultures are combined with surface ripening cultures.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly driven by visually appealing products. With soft cheese, there is such potential to boost and vary the aesthetics,” says Jens Skytte Soerensen, Commercial Development Manager for soft cheese at Chr. Hansen. “With this increase in consumer interest, it’s the right time to launch a product like DVS® SSC that helps cheesemakers to create soft cheeses that truly meet consumer expectations.”
Consistent quality and performance
During the first stage in cheese making, milk sugar is fermented into lactic acid using a starter culture. This is where cheesemakers can use DVS® SSC to craft flavor profiles that stay delicious and mild throughout storage. This is made possible by the careful selection of streptococcus thermophilus strains that support the low degradation of milk proteins and milk fat.
The four robust cultures within the DVS® SSC series are carefully characterized and selected from 30,000 strains to ensure consistent performance. The system comprises of multiple strains in each culture and four cultures for rotation, which secures the right level of dry matter, stable end-pH and strong phage robustness.
The science behind the soft cheese
“The delicious creamy texture that consumers love is achieved by unique acidification properties and the slight formation of exopolysaccharides,” says Jens Skytte Soerensen. “So, it’s a science as well as true craftmanship that creates the perfect soft cheese.”
Chr. Hansen has helped cheesemakers to reach new levels of craftsmanship since 1874. Now soft cheese cheesemakers can benefit from the range of effective starter culture systems, each offering different and specific benefits.
1: Euromonitor (2018)
2: Mintel (2016)
