Ripen faster to boost profit

Ripening typically takes from three weeks to more than a year, so it can often represent a significant overhead in terms of storage. Nutrilac FastRipe is designed to speed up the maturation process by anything from one to six weeks, depending on the cheese variety.

It is made with Arla Foods Ingredients’ CH-4560 natural whey protein, which is extracted from cows’ milk. It is supplied as a fully soluble powder that can be dispersed and blended quickly and easily in cheese-milk or water. This means there is no need to change the overall manufacturing process.

Once added, Nutrilac FastRipe accelerates the mechanism in cheese that causes it to ripen. It softens the protein matrix in the cheese at an earlier stage to help the cheese reach its ideal texture more quickly, and then breaks down casein molecules at a faster rate than usual to release the volatile compounds that are responsible for developing flavour.

Unlike other ripening agents – such as cultures and enzymes – it does not break down proteins excessively, which means shelf-life is not shortened and taste is not impaired. In most countries, the ingredient does not need to be declared on the label because it is derived purely from milk.