Perfectly Packaged Cheese - For Lasting Freshness and Premium Quality

Using vacuum or a protective gas during the packaging process is one of today's most common methods for hygienically packaging foodstuffs in portioned packaging that is attractive to consumers. Vacuum and protective gas both reduce the activity of oxygen-dependent microorganisms inside the packaging

This way, vacuum-packaged foodstuffs have a longer shelf life, even without preservatives. There are different types of vacuum packaging. When it comes to cheese, the type of vacuum packaging depends heavily on the specific type of cheese.

Microorganisms generally play a key role during cheese production. But with packaged cheese, the aim is to avoid these microbes altogether, as they can spoil the cheese. Hard cheeses with low water (below 56 percent) tend to experience mold, while soft cheeses are more likely to be affected by bacteria. Some cheese varieties turn rancid from oxidation when the fats in the cheese come into contact with oxygen. So, there is good evidence that using packaging to protect cheese from microorganisms is beneficial to achieve the longest possible shelf life without forfeiting taste, appearance or quality. This means that it is important to ensure that cheese is not exposed to normal ambient air in the packaging.

EXTENDING SHELF LIFE WITH VACUUM PACKAGING

The ambient air and thus most of the oxygen is evacuated from the packaging itself in all types of vacuum packaging. This minimises the activity of aerobic microbes in cheese and significantly extends the shelf life of packaged cheese. But there are other factors that also play a key role in how long the shelf life will be. In particular, the ingredients in the cheese and the storage temperature influence the shelf life. For a hard cheese that contains little moisture, the shelf life can be extended from two to as much as ten weeks using vacuum packaging. A soft cheese has a normal shelf life of eight days in ambient air. Packaging under vacuum or with a protective gas can extend this period up to three weeks without impacting the quality.