Why does mass-produced cheddar cheese vary from package to package?
My question is about commercially mass-produced cheddar cheese sold in vacuum-sealed plastic packaging. The particular variety is a medium-age marble. I find that sometimes, when a package is freshly opened, the cheese has a firm almost crumbly consistency which cuts cleanly and easily with a dinner knife (which I prefer), and when I open a different package of the identically labeled product, it may be softer and somewhat gooey. The taste is also a bit different. I find that the cheese does not noticeably "age" after opening over a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, so it doesn't seem as though it is a "shelf life" issue with the sealed product. For a mass-produced product, I would have expected a consistent product in every package.
What would cause the variation? Would there be batch-to-batch variations before packaging due to manufacturing? Is it caused by differences in handling after packaging?
Best Answer
Depends on how large the production is. You would expect extremely large scale production to be tightly controlled, but something that is quite large might just be made from a series of large batches. Large batches, particularly in dairy production, can allow very high levels of variance between the beginning and end of a batch.
Your issue sounds like a quality control problem though. Contact the manufacturer.
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Quick Answer about "Why does mass-produced cheddar cheese vary from package to package?"
Many artisanal producers do not vacuum-package cheese, instead using permeable wrapping that admits oxygen and lets bacteria survive longer. Most artisanal cheese is aged on wooden boards, which impart additional flavors.How is cheese mass-produced?
Mass-produced cheeses are made in large processing plants, often employing very large teams of factory workers to create the cheese.What are the different types of Cheddar cheese?
What are the different types of cheddar cheese? Cheddar cheese comes in mild, sharp, and extra sharp varieties. Mild cheddars are aged from 3 to 6 months, while sharp cheddars are aged 9 to 12 months. Extra sharp cheddars are generally aged up to two years, though some cheddars are aged as long as 10 years or more.What makes a good Cheddar cheese?
Cheddar made in the classical way tends to have a sharp, pungent flavour, often slightly earthy. The "sharpness" of cheddar is associated with the levels of bitter peptides in the cheese. This bitterness has been found to be significant to the overall perception of the aged Cheddar flavour.Why is mature cheddar crumbly?
These slowly break down the casein as the cheddar matures. Mature cheddar is crumbly because it's drier, but also because it doesn't have as much casein reinforcement.Complete Cheddar Cheese Plant
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