Technical Articles
Sustainable Innovations in cheese packaging
By John Lucey
Dairy Foods | April 2023
Packaging is essential to maintaining and protecting the quality of the cheese product as well as attracting the eye of consumers. There are some interesting innovations in the food packaging industry. We are also facing challenges and questions like how can we produce packaging that is recyclable and/or biodegradable?
ViewMoving towards carbon neutral cheesemaking
By John Lucey
Dairy Foods | January 2023
Cheesemaking is a traditional process that has been around for thousands of years. Originally, cheesemaking was done at a small farmstead scale with low inputs like energy or water. But cheese factories have grown, and these modern plants require significant mechanization, and process steps like pasteurization, clean in place (CIP), and refrigeration.
ViewHow can U.S. dairy participate in the new circular bioeconomy?
By John Lucey
Cheese Market News | October 2022
Major industries in the U.S. are looking at how they can operate more efficiently, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately move toward net zero (where greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by their removal by forest, oceans, soil, etc.). This will require a major transformation of our economy.
ViewCan the dairy industry extend the squeakiness of fresh cheese curds?
By John Lucey
Dairy Foods | October 2022
Fresh, squeaky cheese curds are a popular and delicious snack here in my home state of Wisconsin. National sales numbers for natural cheese curds have steadily increased to around $52 million in 2021. However, fresh cheese curds are still predominantly purchased in the Midwest. We are fortunate in Wisconsin that we have many local cheese plants and therefore access to fresh cheese curds. This isn’t the case in most parts of the U.S. Here at the Center for Dairy Research (CDR), we are beginning research to hopefully increase the accessibility of squeaky cheese curds to consumers across the U.S.
ViewA closer look at Whey Protein Phospholipid Concentrate
By John Lucey
Dairy Foods | August 2022
Whey Protein Phospholipid Concentrate (WPPC), a low-value coproduct, is currently being examined as a source of nutritional and functional ingredients. WPPC contains high-value components, such as various types of proteins and phospholipids. Currently, WPPC is low-value product mostly used in animal feed. However, there is interest in finding value-added uses for WPPC.
ViewExpanding infrastructure for innovation at the CDR
By John Lucey
Cheese Market News | June 2022
In recent years, groups within the dairy industry have raised concerns that plant-based drinks are using the term “milk” on their labels instead of “beverage.” These are valid concerns, since the federal definition of milk is the lacteal secretion from mammals, which cannot apply to oats, almonds or any other plant-based source. These beverages do state on the label they are made from plants, so it’s unlikely consumers think they are drinking cow’s milk.
View