This year, IFF’s Pride Campaign focused on the theme #UnconverPride. Throughout Pride Month we have been amplifying the voices and lived experiences of our LGBTQ+ community by featuring their stories.  Stories shared through their own voices or the voices of allies. Stories of joy, celebration, struggle, and discovery. Human stories. 

Through these voices, our goal was to promote a more profound understanding and appreciation of the richness within the community. To promote connection. To inspire others to find their voice, whether to share their story or to act as an ally to make the workplace and the world a more inclusive one for our LGBTQ+ colleagues.  Have you been listening? Have you found a connection with one of the stories? Have you learned something new? Gained appreciation for a different life experience? 

At IFF, we know that the uniqueness of all our employees inspires potential and possibilities.  It is our commitment to make IFF a place where our employees’ uniqueness is not just welcomed, but everyone can thrive as who they are. Where we learn, we grow, we find community as we work together to achieve IFF’s mission. 

While Pride month may be ending, the echo of these stories remains.  It’s up to each and every one of us to take these lessons in courage, resilience and living true to who we are in our heads and hearts and let them inspire action and an inclusive mindset in all we do. We invite you to join our quest to create a world where no one feels they must remain hidden. 

If you are inspired by our employees’ stories and want to add your unique voice to ours, we encourage you to explore our opportunities at www.iff.com/careers  

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Proteins are the workhorses of our cells, performing a vast array of functions that keep us alive and healthy. But what if we could design proteins to do even more? That’s where protein engineering comes in. It’s a bit like being a molecular architect, tweaking the structure of proteins to enhance their natural abilities or give them entirely new functions.

• What Are Proteins? Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids, which fold into complex shapes that determine their function. Think of them as tiny machines inside your body.
• The Art of Protein Engineering By changing the sequence of amino acids, scientists can alter the protein’s shape and function. This can lead to breakthroughs in industrial products, medicine, and agriculture. 
• Real-World Applications  At IFF, enzyme solutions aim to reinvent industrial processes through biobased and sustainable enzymatic remediation. Enzymes enable safer, faster, and more sustainable processes, replacing harsh chemicals. These enzymes are engineered for optimal performance.  Examples of enzymes in application include home care like cold  water laundry, dish detergent performance enhancers and food and beverage ingredients.
• The Future of Protein Engineering As we continue to understand more about how proteins work, we’ll be able to create even more amazing and useful proteins. It’s a field that’s just starting to bloom, and it holds the promise of a healthier, more sustainable future.

Stay tuned to see what incredible innovations come next!

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Why is the Microbiome Important?

The microbiome is essential for human health. It helps digest food, synthesize vitamins, and protect against pathogens. The balance of these microorganisms is critical; disruptions can lead to a range of health issues, including autoimmune diseases, allergies, and metabolic disorders. Research has shown that a healthy microbiome is linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Microbiome Science

At IFF, we recognize the profound impact the microbiome has on health and well-being. Our commitment to advancing microbiome science is reflected in our innovative research and product development. We’re exploring how diet influences the microbiome and how we can harness this knowledge to create solutions that improve human health.

Our scientists are at the cutting edge of microbiome research. We’re developing next-generation probiotics that go beyond general health claims, targeting specific health outcomes. We’re also investigating the complex relationship between the microbiome and the immune system, aiming to create products that can enhance immune responses.

See our recent publication: https://www.oaepublish.com/articles/mrr.2024.28”

The Future of Microbiome Research at IFF

The future is bright for microbiome research at IFF. We’re not just looking at what the microbiome is now, but what it could be. We envision a world where personalized nutrition and health solutions are based on an individual’s unique microbiome profile. Our ongoing research into the gut-brain axis opens up possibilities for addressing neurological conditions through microbiome interventions.

On World Microbiome Day, we are excited about the potential of the microbiome to revolutionize health and nutrition. By understanding and nurturing our microbiome, we’re not just improving individual health—we’re paving the way for a better world.

Join us in this journey as we continue to explore the incredible world of the microbiome and its vast potential to shape the future of human health.

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How We Can Do More Good?
Protein scarcity will require multiple approaches. At IFF, we believe one of them is to help people move to a more balanced diet by incorporating more plant protein in their food and beverages. It could reduce CO2 emissions significantly, decrease land use and limit potential denutrition. For example, by replacing just one kilo of animal protein, like beef, with our soy protein, we can reduce the GHG emissions by up to 73 times.

We continue to expand our knowledge on how to incorporate plant proteins into daily diets, how to process these proteins with our flavor portfolio and add in taste technologies, transforming these foods into irresistible cravings for the consumer – this incredible knowhow creates unstoppable innovation and potential for the future.

Meeting Consumers Wants and Needs to Increase Plant-Based Adoption:
Research notes that most consumers worldwide want to rebalance their diets with plant-based food and beverages. At the same time, we see that the plant-based industry is not what it was projected to be a few years ago.

So, we ask ourselves, what’s the reason for this? Why is the plant-based market not booming in the way the industry predicted?

There are clear challenges with taste & texture, price, health and nutrition of plant-based foods and beverages, causing roadblocks for consumers’ adoption. Our consumer intelligence team dove in and discovered a few additional significant barriers for plant-based diet adoption – a lack of variety in the products offered to consumers and the lack of products targeted to different consumer groups.

The need today is to expand plant-based diets to the mass market, representing a heterogeneous group of people. And at the same time, the plant-based options on the market currently are not fit for all eating occasions of the day, and the varied consumer’s needs. These challenges must be addressed now, for consumers to adopt plant-based products every day, for every meal.

By putting targeted consumer liking and preferences at the center of our designs of new dishes, desserts and drinks, we are addressing their most important priorities: taste, nutrition, affordability, variety and convenience.

Let’s explore each of these plant-based market drivers to see what we must address to gain daily adoption of plant-based diets.

Key Consumer Drivers in the Plant-Based Market:
1. TASTE & TEXTURE: As many consumers incorporate plant-based foods for health benefits, taste and texture override all other motivators. If the food does not taste good, consumers will not repurchase.
2. AFFORDABILITY: Affordability is a key market driver currently. With economic pressures prompting people to reevaluate what they value; consumers are becoming more mindful of their priorities. People are more than ever considering the impact of their choices on their wallets, health and planet.
3. HEALTH & NUTRITION: Consumers admit to eating more plant-proteins and less meat for health motivation. Health is very important for consumers looking to incorporate plant-based foods into their diet.
4. VARIETY: In a recent study, two thirds of global consumers surveyed have a willingness to explore different food and beverages. People want options for every eating occasion. This means, new, diverse formats not – the same plant-based burgers and nuggets over and over.
5. CONVENIENCE: Studies show that 50% of consumers value convenient formats when choosing plant-based products, and brands are addressing these preferences with easy-to-prepare and on-the-go versions of plant-based dishes.

Plant-Based Innovation in Action:

Explore our Cuisine Redefined by Greenfield Design virtual festival, where we’ve transformed these areas of opportunity into an interactive menu of innovative plant-based cuisine, with recipes that speak to consumers’ desire for global flavors, elevated nutrition, and new creative formats for meal, beverage, dessert and snack opportunities throughout the day. Dive into consumer preferences with our metahumans that take real-life challenges of what consumers face, and watch as their wants and needs are met and exceeded with our innovative, unique foods and beverages.

Our concepts developed by IFF Chefs and Food Designers are packed with limitless flavors, taste technologies and functional ingredients and they play a vital role in bringing their cuisine expertise and technical application knowledge. The future of plant-based food and beverage is limitless, with new, exciting and innovative dishes waiting to be created.

Let’s pioneer a new era of plant-based innovation, together for the health of people and our planet.

Explore our plant-based technologies, offerings and innovations here.

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Consider this: In carrot production, only 10% of carrot seeds are used to grow into carrots. 90% of these carrot seeds are too low in germination level, so they are thrown out into landfills, creating greenhouse gas emissions. Combine that with 2/3 of people globally considering climate change an emergency¹, plus the general scarcity of resources, there must be a more responsible way to use resources. So, what can we do to help?

What if we could create something from this byproduct to not only help the planet by reducing waste, but also to help manufacturers differentiate with great tasting products? We can, with upcycling.

“Upcycling” means “transforming a byproduct into something of even higher value or of different usage”, differing from “recycling” which means “transforming a byproduct into something of lower or similar value”. In the carrot seed example above, our team can turn these, otherwise considered useless carrot seeds, into carrot seed oil that can add flavor, complexity, and depth to foods to make something truly delicious.

According to FMCG Gurus², 80% of consumers believe that upcycling can help address the issue of food waste, and 71% find upcycled ingredients appealing. However, there are still some barriers for consumers to buy into upcycling. Upcycling is a relatively new concept for consumers. So, it can leave them asking questions like: Is upcycled food safe to eat? How will this affect the taste of my food? Will I have to pay more for upcycled food? As we know from numerous consumer trend reports, taste, nutrition and price come first for consumers. Environmental benefits are a welcome addition to these criteria.

Upcycling side streams from production is of interest to many manufacturers, and these consumer concerns make it crucial that the final product meets the highest standards of taste, quality and value for money.

Our job is to ensure the taste profile, cost, quality, and safety of these upcycled products are competitive with similar non-upcycled products.

The challenge for food and beverage producers is that upcycled raw material may vary in quality and composition depending on the source of the side stream. To meet the desired quality and functionality of a final food product made with upcycled raw material, taste design and formulation expertise is essential. For instance, certain upcycled raw materials, such as cascara (a tea-like drink brewed from discarded coffee cherry), can taste a bit dull but with the help of IFF’s Product Design™ expertise, our modulating flavor tools, and a range of innovative upcycled flavoring extracts, we can help transform upcycled raw material into a differentiating, great tasting end-product with high consumer appeal.

As Signe Causse, IFF’s Innovation Marketing Lead for our RE-IMAGINE WASTE™ Innovation Program notes, “A sustainable product is only as good as it tastes. We help our customers win with taste, nutrition and with the added benefit of the final product being upcycled and sustainable”.

LMR Naturals by IFF, an integrated part of IFF since 2000, delivering high quality natural ingredients with sustainability at heart, has applied the circular design principles of “upcycling”, striving to prevent waste and/or find a purpose for the by-product, with a positive upcycle process, producing high quality extracts.

This circular design principle resulted in the LMR Upcycling Collection, including products made from various leftover materials, such as used water and plant waste from our own production as well as from other companies. For example, we use leftover rosewater, spent hops, old beehives, turmeric roots, surplus bran, and carrot seeds that don’t sprout well.

Our rose flavoring extract is for instance derived from discarded distillation water from rose fragrance production in Turkey. Our team discovered that the rose petals from distillation still contained fragrant molecules. These molecules have been recovered to create ROSE ESSENTIAL™, a unique product, with fresh, floral, and citrus notes, with a potential to give a novel touch to food and beverage products. ROSE ESSENTIAL™ is a “FOR LIFE”-certified ingredient by Ecocert, recognizing that the company and its’ partners have worked in compliance with environmental criteria, good working conditions, and transparency.

Another innovative example from the LMR Upcycling Collection is HOP ULTIMATE™. The exhausted hop CO₂ extract from dried hop pellets, which is traditionally discarded when producing a bittering, flavoring, and stability agent in beer, are recovered and extracted, resulting in a fresh, green, citrus note with tropical fruit profile – a great fit with NOLO beverages or even in savory products.

Bringing upcycling from niche to norm is a journey – let’s take that journey together by creating great tasting upcycled food and beverage products that consumers love! For more information on how IFF can help you bring upcycled products to life, take a look at more Upcycling examples here or reach out to your account manager for more information.

Sources:

1: https://www.weforum.org/videos/2-in-3-people-think-climate-change-is-a-global-emergency/

2: FMCG Gurus: Top Ten Trends for 2024.

The post Giving Food Waste A New Life appeared first on IFF.

When biting into a succulent piece of barbequed meat or the extra hint of flavor you get when crunching into a trendy snack, that smoky taste is crucial. So, when rules and regulations are put into place banning smoke flavorings from your favorite products, it will cause a bit of a stir in the industry. The European commission will not renew the authorizations of smoke primary condensates which are currently used in foods in the EU to introduce a smoky taste. This means that smoke flavorings will no longer be allowed to be used in foods for the EU market. Transition periods of 2 or 5 years (depending on the application) from the 1^st of July, 2024 will be installed allowing food producers to remove these smoke flavorings from their product recipes. So, it is important to know what options are available to bring smoke taste profiles to your products and how we at IFF, can help.

Solutions to Replace Smoke Flavoring:

Smoke condensates have been used in the food industry for decades. Smoke condensates add impact and complexity to the taste of the food composition they are used in. It’s not an easy job to deliver a similar smokey taste profile without these ingredients and still deliver on the expectations of consumers. To restore the familiar complexity and depth in a smoke flavor we can pull from our extensive taste ingredient portfolio consisting of extracts, natural reaction flavors and natural preparations and combine these with single taste molecules. Our experienced Culinary Creation and Technology teams can utilize our smoke taste ingredient portfolio to customize a smokey flavor concept to the specific end-product, whether it’s for a tangy BBQ sauce, a succulent Frankfurter or a delicious snack seasoning. This results in a product that mimics the balance and harmony of the original smoke profile, without the use of smoke condensates. We utilized this expertise and our portfolio when customers asked us to assist in removing smoke flavorings from their products. We have helped in the replacement and the restoration of the original taste and are now assisting customers with their formulations to prepare for the expected legislative change.

Smoke-Free Flavor Collection:

Our smoke-free flavor collection provides you with a broad-spectrum of smokey taste profiles available for you to finetune and make taste improvements to your current product formulations. This collection consists of 6 of the most familiar smokey taste profiles, which are available in powder and liquid formats and meet “flavoring” or “natural flavoring” declarations in compliance with the European Flavoring legislation.

Discover our Smoke-Free Flavor Collection below: 

Ashy smoke – Smokey taste with a lingering astringency

Phenolic smoke – Medicinal smokey taste with a touch of warm spice

Wood smoke – Complex and traditional taste of burnt wood

Brown smoke – Burnt, caramelized with less extreme blackened character

BBQ smoke- Blackened with a grilled charcoal element

Black smoke – Extremely blackened character through charring

Need help replacing smoke condensates? Connect with Us:

This is a challenge our industry is facing, and we are here for you, as your partner, every step of the way. We are confident that our Smoke-Free Flavor Collection offers you flexibility and convenience in achieving your preferred Smokey taste profile. We are here to help you in this process and make reformulation as simple and efficient as possible. Connect with us to learn more about our new collection of smoke taste profiles and together we can develop consumer’s preferred products, click here.

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We believe we can all do more good for people and planet. We can all wield the power within ourselves to create change and to transform ideas into impact.

IFF invites all of you our colleagues our customers partners and community to join us in taking a pledge to do more good in honor of Earth Month and to celebrate our upcoming ESG+ Report by:

• Rallying around our purpose of applying science and creativity for a better world
• Sharing your commitment to do more good for people and planet
• Voicing your commitment to embed ESG+ in all that you do empowering others to do the same

Take action and pledge to make a difference in the world!

How to Get Involved:

1. Grab and use our Do More Good Pledge graphic.
2. Help spread the word! Use the hashtag to follow online: #DoMoreGoodPledge.
3. Share your stories commitments ideas or passion to Do More Good.
4. Follow and tag our social media accounts for reposts.

We’re looking forward to the release of our 14th annual sustainability report – the Do More Good Report: IFF’s 2023 ESG+ Progress – which will be available in May in our Report Library

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Our team ties together a multi-faceted understanding of long, medium, and short-term shifts including societal drivers of change, people-centric lifestyle trends and consumer insight, and local market analysis into a single tool. This synergy of data, insight and inspiration fuels our proprietary Panoptic trend intelligence approach. Panoptic detects early signals and fosters a shared understanding of influential people-centric trends shaping our world. Through our Panoptic view, we empower ourselves to innovate boldly and make strategic decisions with confidence and creativity. 

Guided by shifting drivers of change and accelerating lifestyle trends, we’ve identified five pivotal Panoptic Lifestyle Movements that significantly impact how people live and consume as we look ahead over the next 12 to 18 months: Simple Frugality, Neo-Hedonism, Better-Being, Responsible Living and AI/Human.  

Looking at Lifestyle Trends: Attitudes and Behaviors in Food and Beverage 

These movements serve as our compass, providing insights into short-term shifts. But how do they manifest within the realm of food and beverage? Let’s explore the impact of some of these movements and understand how they are likely to play out across key Food and Beverage categories. As we navigate this dynamic landscape, our commitment remains unwavering: to help our customers create essential solutions that enhance lives and contribute to a better world through the best ingredients. 

Movement 1 – Simple Frugality: Economic pressures and environmental challenges are prompting people to reevaluate what they value. As they become more mindful of their priorities, they seek to use fewer resources and spend less money. This shift toward “value with values” encompasses affordability, safety, quality, ethics, sustainability, and durability. People consider the impact of their choices on their wallets, homes, and the planet. This conscious convenience trend arises from the need for flexibility, simplicity, and sustainability, leading individuals to focus on essentials and practicality in their choices. 

Simple Frugality in Food and Beverages: 

Beverages: Some consumers prioritize price, seeking ways to stretch their budget. These “save by any means” individuals increasingly turn to brands and retailers for discounts, specials and membership perks. Private label products are particularly popular in this market. However, for many beverage consumers, value extends beyond the lowest price. They consider health, ethics and sustainability benefits when making choices. 

Culinary: Similar trends apply to culinary products. Private label options thrive as consumers seek value. Retailers are also innovating by offering additional benefits.  

Remember, frugality doesn’t mean sacrificing quality or enjoyment—it’s about making thoughtful choices that align with personal values and priorities. And ultimately for both food (In this case culinary) and beverages, consumers want “value with values”. 

Movement 2 – Neo-Hedonism: People are expanding their definition of hedonism, seeking new and innovative ways to experience pleasure in their lives, infusing the everyday with joy and sensorial delights. They want surprise, mystery, awe, and wonder, making new experiences that engage a wide spectrum of feelings and emotions. Amid financial constraints, they self-indulge with affordable treats, prioritizing meaningful, healthy moments over excess. They cherish new, simple, daily practices and pampering rituals that help them rejoice and counteract their lingering sentiments of anxiety and unhappiness. 

Neo-Hedonism in Food and Beverages: 

In general terms sensorial experiences play a pivotal role. Let’s break it down in category terms: 

Ice Cream & Dairy Desserts: These treats engage all our senses – layers, textures, and inclusions create indulgence. Think of that creamy scoop melting on your tongue. 

Beverages: Flavor and texture innovation drive excitement. Whether it’s a refreshing soda or a complex cocktail, the sensory experience matters. Even in the No and Low Alcohol (NOLO) space, where alcohol content is reduced, sensorial engagement remains crucial. In alcoholic drinks limited editions and seasonal offerings stretch boundaries. Premium and sophisticated (reasonably priced!) products aim to delight. As more people stay in, they want to recreate celebratory drinking experiences…think holidays, special occasions, and cozy rituals. 

Salty Snacks: Sensorial experience, particularly flavor is a key factor here too. Consumers have their favorites but still want to be surprised and delighted by surprises, mash ups, exotic and unusual flavors. 

Bakery: Innovation in new formats to engage in different occasions, needs and moments are important.  Evolving the sensorial experience with both flavor & texture is crucial. Innovating with nostalgic classic flavors brings comfort; tapping into “local” can inspire. 

Movement 3 – Better-Being: People are adopting a pragmatic approach to health, focusing on smarter ways to optimize health and enhance how they look and feel. They are seeking more practical, natural options that deliver quick, proven results. Time-consuming, complex, expensive, or exclusionary solutions are of less interest.  Scientific and technical advances are becoming more important in achieving the desired outcomes. Health is integrated with every aspect of consumers’ lives and interconnected with the world around them. Living longer isn’t enough; people also want to live better, with a focus on being healthy as we age. There is increased demand for offerings tailored to an older population, that is more tech-savvy and affluent that want to enjoy a more active and independent life. 

Better-Being in Food and Beverages: 

Dairy: Has strong associations with health, which is being driven further either at a basic level around things like sugar reduction or with more complex, functional claims. Focus is also shifting to a clear communication around the benefit not the ingredient. As concern grows about ultra-processed foods, along with the use of Ozempic® for weight loss where people are consuming fewer calories, there’s a need for nutrient-dense options. Dairy is an appealing choice due to its nutrient richness. 

Snacks: Healthy snacking that fits lifestyle and delivers nutrition is crucial. Consumers want guidance on healthy options; guidance labels are being adopted by brands with government initiatives further driving interest. Consumers are scrutinizing ingredient lists and want products that are less processed and free from additives, with brands feeling the pressure to minimize their lists and use more natural ingredients. Healthy snacking interest is pushing the growth of nutrient dense snacks, with nuts, which are generally recognized as healthy & nutritionally rich, gaining interest. Nuts are also celebrating their plant-based origins as plant-based, and it’s associated health benefits, gains traction.   

Culinary: Consumers here also want shorter ingredient lists, easily understood and natural ingredients, and simplified processing – brands are trying as much as they can to deliver on this. 

Movement 4 – Responsible Living: Alarmed by the disastrous consequences of climate crisis, overconsumption and ecocide acts, people are increasingly committing more to the planet and investing more time and money to find new ways to live sustainably and create a regenerative future. Eco-ethical values are more important now than ever. Responsible living is about becoming responsible citizens of the world, for the planet and the people living on it. While information is increasingly questioned, people are seeking out greater transparency, trusted sources for products, solutions, and responses to political, moral, social, environmental, health and safety issues.  

Responsible Living in Food and Beverages: 

Beverages: consumers want brands to address their planetary and ethical concerns with approaches that provide clear communication and that have minimal impact on product costs.  Currently interest in aspects such as upcycling and regenerative farming is very high.  

Bakery: the category is hyper-focused on Carbon footprint reduction, investing in renewable energy and using local or upcycled ingredients. 

Movement 5 – AI / Human: In our algorithm-driven world, AI-powered technologies are rapidly advancing, enabling personalization, convenience and speed. These technologies have become thinking partners, influencing decisions, and reshaping expectations. However, as we navigate this new world, there is a need to also preserve human skills and connections —emotions, empathy, creativity, and relationships—to fully harness this revolution. People seek thoughtful, ethical tech that enhances our lives and fosters unity without unnecessary complexity.  

AI / Human in Food and Beverages: 

AI and technology are enablers across many food and beverage categories, allowing the core product aspects that consumers so often desire. As a countertrend, there are brands that are emphasizing the human touch through a narrative of personal stories, even for brands whose existence is heavily reliant on AI or technology. 

Interested in our Panoptic capabilities? Check out our full Panoptic Framework or reach out to us for more information and to partner on your next project to meet consumer needs – now and in the future. 

Ozempic® is a registered trademark of Novo Nordisk A/S 

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James, is getting profitability in cheese a new challenge?  

James Musetti: 

Even before inflation profitability was a hot topic in the cheese industry and that’s only gotten more pressure as ingredient costs have gone up. Raw material costs have gone up, labor has gone up, energy has gone up, etc. Pretty much everything has gotten more expensive. But the price of cheese is not necessarily getting more expensive in proportion to cost. And just to provide a little more context: for a lot of our customers, their projects are driven right now by reduction of cost-in-use in their process, the cost of the ingredient to produce a unit of product or by improving their profitability, through improving yield and quality consistently. But right now, I see more of a focus on cost-in-use than improving yield. So, it’s more about cost-in-use and efficiency in the plant.  

Can you give some tips on how cheese manufacturers can improve their profitability in their cheesemaking operations? 

James Musetti: 

Of course. I think there’s multiple ways that cheese makers can improve their profitability and I’d like to go through each one of them. And first, I’d start off by saying one of the largest risks to manufacturing cheese is product loss. And among that, one of the main ways that can happen is through a phage attack where the starter culture is killed by a virus, and the culture fails to ferment to product on time or at all. Meaning the entire vat or most likely multiple vats can be lost or off specification. This would result in a catastrophic loss of product. So, one way is eliminating this product loss through different training programs on bacteriophage management, performing a bacteriophage risk assessment, sanitation and then your selection and maintenance of cultures in your process. 

But product loss can also occur in many other ways during the manufacturing process. It can occur through fines loss or fat loss into the whey and it can occur through different mechanical processes. So that leads me to my next way in which we can improve the profitability of a cheesemaking operation, and that’s through the continuous improvement of yield through reducing whey fats and minimizing curd fines and loss of product. 

Our expertise in the cheese plant and process in partnership with other technical experts throughout the cheese industry and the dairy industry can help with this challenge. And then of course the optimization of the use of the ingredients and the different cheesemaking steps, especially coagulation, the setting of the milk and the cutting step. The next part of this is also optimization of the texture for conversion to reduce losses. The cheese producer makes a block of cheese, whether in a 40 LB block or a 640 LB block, and that cheese must be converted into that small slice that goes on to your hamburger, and during this step a lot of product loss can occur. 

Either through poor texture or rejection of the quality of the cheese, crumbling or breaking of the cheese as it’s being mechanically sliced or shredded, so optimization of texture here can be in the process, recipe, and the ingredients. Cheesemakers can optimize that texture for better conversion and better yield and achieve higher grades on your cheese. 

The next step I would take is reducing the cost-in-use of ingredients and this really comes down to ingredient selection. Choosing the ingredient that will give you the most benefit for the most value in your operation at the lowest cost. And then of course the optimization of that ingredient, working with your suppliers and other technical experts to use the minimum amount required of any of your ingredients to achieve a consistent result, again maximizing your value.  

And then lastly, I would say improving consistency and this really starts with the standardization of the process and the ingredient performance. For example, standardizing the milk that goes into the vat: you put the same composition of milk in the vat at the same pH, and you follow the same process consistently. 

With the same process inputs, timing, and the same ingredients with consistent performance, you will have the same cheese at the end of the day. Of course, the ingredients supplier then also needs to ensure that the production and performance of their ingredients are also consistent from one day to the next. One batch to the next, helping cheese makers to improve their product losses and profitability. 

Do you have an example or case study of how cheese manufacturers can improve their profitability and cheese quality?  

James Musetti: 

Absolutely yes. I have a recent case study here where we had a customer who we approached about one of our ingredients, a coagulant (enzyme). We sat down with that customer and did a paper exercise to see how we could optimize their cost and use of coagulant and found we could save them money by switching to our coagulant.  

And we were able to achieve this because our coagulant has a higher concentration, meaning that a lower amount goes in at a competitive price. So, we were able to save this customer some money on the use of the ingredients. But not only that, we were able to optimize the use of this ingredient, so we use the minimal amount. We were also able to optimize the coagulation and cutting steps so that there was an increase in their moisture and reducing their whey fat and fines losses as well. So not only saving them money, but also increasing their profitability through increasing yield and eliminating product loss into the whey. I went to their manufacturing facilities to run the product and ensure they were happy with the results, in real-time, not just on paper. I do this weekly.  

Even when customers’ problems don’t include, or have nothing to do with our product, we will go and assist them. Just last week for instance, I was in a cheddar plant that put in a new piece of equipment. They’re struggling with this new piece of equipment and weren’t getting the needed support from the manufacturer. I went in and looked at their process and started making some process changes that were going to be required. We helped them make better-quality cheese with this new piece of equipment that had nothing to do with our ingredients. That is what makes a good partner. We are here to assist and support in any way our expertise allows us to. 

Having challenges like these in your cheese operation? Get in contact with one of our cheese experts and solve your production hurdles today. 

The post Ask The Experts: How Can I Increase Profitability in Cheesemaking?  appeared first on IFF.