Processing applications for pasta filata cheese
Originally from southern Italy, traditional pasta filata cheeses are Provolone, Mozzarella and Caciocavallo. Today, this type of cheese is produced in several other countries, as are its close relatives from the Eastern European cheese family, Kashkaval.
Thanks to two concurrent trends - increasing demand for consumer convenience, and the Westernisation of South East Asian dietary habits - the pasta filata segment is growing rapidly around the world. Pizza has become a global favourite!
Pasta filata cheese becomes elastic when heated and forms long strings when pulled – the key characteristics that consumers associate with authentic pizza cheese, and which make it such a superb topping on all kinds of hot dishes.
Getting the functionality right with regard to stretchiness, meltability, blistering and oiling off (fat extraction) of pasta filata requires that the curd mass has the correct pH value, immediately prior to the cooking and stretching. This is where we offer a distinct advantage. Our equipment is designed to limit the influences of variables and thereby achieve the necessary narrow pH band. Our fully automated system also helps determine the functional properties of the cheese, and ensures accurate moisture levels.
Moreover, when you choose a Tetra Pak production line, you can be sure of getting an optimum product shape stability, and that gives it the best start for downstream-processing.
