Liquid filling is the method used for producing fresh white and Mediterranean cheese varieties like feta and queso fresco. The cheese is packed as a liquid and coagulates inside the final package.
When making liquid filled cheeses, all the ingredients are mixed in a homogenous way and the product can be sold straight after it has cooled. There is no need for ripening on the shelf, which means producers get a quick return on their investment.
When using Tetra Pak’s ultra filtration technology to make liquid filled cheese, manufacturers enjoy a higher product yield than is possible using traditional methods.
That’s because all the whey proteins are incorporated in the cheese, so you get the same amount of solids but with a higher proportion of whey protein to caseins. In other words, more cheese can be made using the exact same amount of milk.
How does it work? The permeate is forced out of the cheese while the retentate remains (ratio 5:1). Being a closed process, this is also a very hygienic production method, ending up with the product in a hermetically sealed package with a shelf life of 6 to 12 months.
Feta and similar cheese types can be manufactured by full сoncentration of the milk using ultrafiltration. Culture or acid, rennet, salt, and other additives are added to the retentate, and it can then be cast straight into the appropriate packaging.
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About Tetra Pak
Together with our customers we make food safe and available, everywhere. Since the start in 1951 we have taken pride in providing the best possible processing and packaging solutions for food.
Tetra Pak is one of three companies in the Tetra Laval Group – a private group that started in Sweden. The other two companies are DeLaval and Sidel. Tetra Laval is headquartered in Switzerland.