Different milks and cheeses

The quality of milk depends on the livestock’s breed, feed and pasture as well as on the season. Milk gets most of its flavour from the food in the animal’s diet. The supply and quality of milk can be affected by two factors: efficiency of milk production and the purification technique.

Milking is executed mechanically in a sanitary environment and the milk is collected and transported in a thermally insulated tank-truck to the cheese factory for purification and transformation. Milk can be parteurized, thermized (heated at a very high temperature) or raw. The fat content of milk is standardized for cheese-making (skimmed, partly-skimmed, whole, or cream enriched) and depends on the type of cheese being produced.

Cow’s milk, sheep’s milk and goat’s milk don’t have the same ability to transform into cheese, primarily because of protein quality and provenance.

Milk contains a large amount of casein, a protein that curdles naturally in an acid environment. If left to stand in a container, milk will solidify due to the natural ferments called Bacillus that develop. Bacillus develop by feeding on lactose which is the sugar in milk. Rennet must be added to produce firm curds.

Pasteurized milk, bacterial cultures containing up to 5 billion live micro-organisms and rennet are the main ingredients used in making cheese.

• Time for Canadian cheese!