Production of Swiss cheese and yogurt

Swiss Cheese is a common name used to refer to a variety of cheeses similar to Emmental cheese of Switzerland. The names Swiss cheese and Emmental may refer to cheeses that are not actually Swiss or Emmental in origin since these names are not copyright protected.

Emmentaler Switzerland is a protected name referring to cheese of Swiss origin.

This is a yellow, medium-hard cheese resembling cheese that originated in the Tal valley of the river Emme in the canton of Bern Switzerland. It is made from pasteurized milk and is a good source of Vitamin B12, Calcium and Phosphorous.

Some of the cheeses referred to as Swiss cheese possess characteristic holes known as eyes. The eyes are actually CO2 bubbles formed by the action of bacteria used in the cheese making process.

Swiss cheese has a savory, nutty flavour , but not a very sharp, taste. The larger the eyes of the cheese, the sharper the flavour. Swiss cheese lacking the characteristic holes eyes is known as blind cheese. Varieties of Swiss cheese include baby and lacy cheese.

BABY SWISS CHEESE

LACY SWISS CHEESE

Ripening and Curdling Milk is placed into a cheese vat and heated while being continuously stirred until a desired temperature is reached.(about 35 C) Lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus helveticus, Streptococcus salivarius subsp.thermophilus) and rennet( animal or vegetarian) are added to the milk. Propinobacterium frudenreichii is also added. The mixture is left to rest for 45- 60 minutes.

Cutting the Curd and Stirring The curdling process results in the milk separating into two parts solid curd and liquid whey. The curd is cut in desired sizes to encourage separation from the whey and to continue the process. After being cut the curd is further heated(57 C maximum) while being stirred to remove more whey from it

Forming Pressing and Salting The curds are separated from the whey using a cheese cloth like as a strainer. They are then placed into a forming pan and molded into shape, after which the shape is pressed to make it firm which also eliminates more whey. The curd is then salted by applying salt directly to the curd or floating it in a brine bath.

Aging( Fermentation) and Ripening After pressing and salting the cheese is placed in are area of specific temperature and humidity to age which is when the Propinobacterium frudenreichii to act on the lactic acid producing carbon dioxide which forms bubbles since it cannot escape giving the cheese eyes. The microbial processes also give the flavour and texture during the ripening phase.

The starting process of Swiss cheese is milk The microorganism that act on the milk are lactobacilis and strepcoccus . The fermentation end is lactic acid and the industrial used is Swiss cheese.

Yogurt is a dairy product, which is made by blending fermented milk with various ingredients that provide varying flavors and colours. Yogurt can also be of various types

Yogurt is made with a variety of ingredients including milk, sugars, stabilizers, fruits and flavors, and a bacterial culture.

Set yogurt Stirred yogurt Drinking yogurt Frozen yogurt Concentrated yogurt Flavoured yogurt

When the milk arrives at the plant, its composition is modified before it is used to make yogurt. This standardization process typically involves reducing the fat content and increasing the total solids.

The fat content is reduced by using centrifugation to separate fat from milk. From the separator, the milk is placed in a storage tank and tested for fat and solids content For yogurt manufacture, the solids content of the milk is increased to 16% with 1-5% being fat and 11-14% being solids-not-fat

After the solids composition is adjusted, stabilizers are added and the milk is pasteurized. This step has many benefits. Firstly, it destroys all the microorganisms in the milk that may interfere with the controlled fermentation process.

Thirdly, it does not greatly alter the flavor of the milk, and finally, it helps release the compounds in milk that will stimulate the growth of the starter culture. The milk is homogenized and the fat globules in the milk are broken up into smaller, more consistently dispersed particles. This produces a much smoother and creamier end product.

The milk is cooled to between 109.4-114.8 F (43-46 C) and the fermentation culture is added in a concentration of about 2%. It is held at this temperature for about three to four hours while the incubation process takes place.

The lactic acid level is used to determine when the yogurt is ready. The acid level is measured by taking a sample of the product and titrating it with sodium hydroxide. A pH of approximately 4.4 is recommended.

After this the yogurt is set and finished it can either be frozen, stirred or concentrated or flavors can be added based upon the manufactures. The starting product, microorganisms and fermented end are the same as in Swiss cheese making however the industrial use is yogurt.