Top 25 Cheese Trends
Cheese Trends in 2016
- Australian cheddar brand Old Croc have launched an individually wrapped snacking cheese option, called Croc Bites – extending its imported offering in the US. The cheese is packed in 6oz bags of eight individually wrapped, nine month-aged cheese portions that are only 90 calories each. “A bold adventure in snacking, Croc Bites sharp cheddar cheese snacks… pack a rich, bold and irresistible taste, unlike any other snack cheese,” the Australian producer claims. They are available in eight- and 24-count retail packs, as well as an 18-count club store format.
Its introduction follows Dairy Crest’s expansion to its Cathedral City miniature snacking cheese portfolio, in new mild and mature lighter varieties.
- Brookfield Engineering has unveiled its TA-CEF cheese extensibility fixture to measure the stringiness of molten cheese.
- US-based Sargento Foods has introduced Balanced Breaks, a snack pack combination of natural cheese, roasted nuts and dried fruits in 1.5oz individual packs.
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Crisps with cheesy provenance – Premium snack maker Burts Chips has teamed up with Guinness on a new stout and toasted cheddar cheese-flavoured crisp.
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UK-based cheese supplier Dairygold Food Ingredients has invested £1.1 million in a new slicing line at its site in Cheshire, to slice and pack cheese in shingle stack format for sandwich making, as well as with a nitrogen/oxygen gas flush, which will deliver a longer shelf life.
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Dragon brand from South Caernarfon has recently invested £1 million in expanding its cheese production facilities in Pwllheli, North Wales
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Epoisses de Bourgogne is one of the smellier cheeses but is now being stocked by many of the larger supermarkets as well as specialist cheese shops.
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Fonterra Australia has invested NZD 141 million ($93.9 million) in the construction of a new cheese plant at its Stanhope factory, 145km north of Melbourne. The site will be capable of producing 45,000 metric tonnes of cheese each year including parmesan, gouda and mozzarella – an increase of 15,000 metric tonnes on the previous plant.
- Goat’s cheese is piquing interest: Emmi has bought a 60% stake in goat’s cheese maker Bettinehoever. Saputo acquired Woolwich Dairy last October, a manufacturer of branded and private label goat cheese in North America for $80million in cash. Saputo Specialty Cheese has introduced goat’s cheese medallions under its Joan of Arc brand of traditional and flavoured goat’s cheeses.
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Grated cheese growth: Netherlands based Grozette produces a wide range of cheese products for the food industry, food service and retail including fresh and long life cheese powders, cubes and grated cheese. Claire Phoenix spoke with Mark Eversteijn on growth in this sector and the company’s latest launches. (See Youtube/FoodBev for podcast). (PIC Grozette 7b and 7c)
While Lithuanian cheese brand Džiugas has launched a new range of four gourmet grated cheese mixes for a range of different dishes.
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Healthier crispy crumb finish: from Harley Food Systems this no fat crumb does not contain oil and can be used on cheddar and baked in a toaster for a hand held snack.
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Haloumi style: Greek food brand Odysea has launched its Saganaki Kefalotyri cheese in Waitrose to build upon the popularity of Cypriot halloumi. This authentic cheese, is traditionally dipped in flour and then fried. Made using sheep’s and goat’s milk, it has a much richer flavour than halloumi and, when cooked, becomes soft inside and crispy on the outside. It is often cooked in Greek homes with eggs, and eaten straight from the pan.
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Dairy Farmers of America’s Queso Fresco Mexicana and Queso Fresco Panela Fresca have introduced Hispanic flavours, which can be used in a variety of dishes as well as on their own in multiple serving options.
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Irish convenience food manufacturer Greencore has invested $40m in its first US-based sandwich-making facility. Apparently it will use around 900 tonnes of Irish Cheese.
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Just 5% fat: Independent cheese producer Wyke Farms has launched its new Fabulous 5 reduced-fat mature cheese, which contains just 5% fat.
- Arla Food Ingredients’ Nutrilac soft cheese solution and Fonterra’s reduced fat Noble Cheddar both provide low fat content for cheeses, without compromising the soft and sensory experience and creamy texture.
- No Sweat – Pack-Age from DSM helps cheese last longer and ripen naturally without mould and yeast growth. DSM has quantified the sustainable advantages of using its cheese ripening solution, Pack-Age, over naturally ripened and coated Gouda and Parmesan cheese. Using this solution across the cheese industry would prevent losing around 200,000 tons of Gouda and Parmesan cheeses per year. The main product waste normally occurs due to spoilage, slicing and grating because of the removal of dry rind and coating. Furthermore, a yield increase of 121,000 tons can be achieved with Pack-Age. Both factors contribute to the reduction of the amount of milk needed with 3.55 billion liters per year.
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Pizza Ropes made using restricted melt technology: Oruna Ingredients UK, formerly Meadow Cheese and The Cheese Warehouse, has extended its Palatina Taste Partners brand of cheese ingredients with the launch of chilled low melt Cheese Ropes for stuffed crust pizzas.
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Quescrem of Spain – this company has created a unique range of cream cheeses for use in foodservice. Well worth checking them out!
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Quesadilla Jalapeno is a smooth, soft cheese made with cow’s milk and real jalapeño peppers. It has an extra zesty pepper flavour and a creamy mouth feel and can be shredded, melted or pulled in strings for using in spicy pepper dishes
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Resealable steals the show: Flexible packaging manufacturer Bemis has released a new recloseable, resealable packaging solution using materials from chemical giant DuPont. Bemis developed the SmartTack EX Peel Reseal technology for Wisconsin-based cheese producer BelGioioso’s mild provolone cheese. It has two individually sealed compartments that can be continually peeled and resealed preserving freshness.
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Sartori’s Citrus citrus-ginger BellaVitano cheese (a winner in the World Dairy Innovation Awards) contains a blend of spices, including ginger, onion, garlic and red bell pepper.
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Squeezy cheese for charity: Primula cheese introduced a series of limited-edition tubes emblazoned with the phrase “just say cheese”, as part of a two-month fundraising campaign for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
The tubes of soft cheese were on shelf at all current stockists of Primula’s core chilled range, with 20% of profits from each sale going to the charity, which organises dream experiences for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Flavours include, with ham, original, with prawns, with chives and a light version.
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Truffle variants: Netherlands-based premium cheese producer Landana has announced the introduction of two “unique” varieties of cheese including unique black truffle and forest fruit variants.
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A Yogurt and feta cheese spread has been developed by Greek food brand Odysea. The new spread has been produced by Greek feta cheese maker Roussas Dairy, and uses only pasteurised sheep’s milk and real Greek yogurt for an authentic and great tasting product.
Suitable for vegetarians, the spread is available in 180g plastic tubs. It joins Odysea’s portfolio of feta products, which include organic feta cheese, barrel-aged feta cheese and 100% sheep’s milk feta cheese.
Source: Top 25 Cheese Trends
