When making cheddar or pasta filata, the whey is removed from the curd using a whey screen and a draining belt. This is called draining. The curd bed is then moved along in a solid mass allowing for acidification i.e. cheddaring and mellowing.
Tetra Pak offers a completely unique processing system for cheddar and pasta filata cheeses - the world’s only continuous production system for such products. This allows producers to achieve very precise salt and moisture content, and a high pH accuracy. A two-belt version is available for pasta filata and a four-belt version with salt dosing for cheddar varieties.
Our draining and cheddaring machines are fully integrated with the up and downstream equipment, ensuring optimum transfer with, for example, overlapping pump-outs.
The alternative, and more common way of draining and cheddaring cheeses is batch production. Tetra Pak also offers processing equipment for this method – which is more suitable for the production of artisanal, low capacity cheese making. In this case, the mellowing and salting are done manually in open finishing vats.
Tetra Pak® Draining Matting machine 2 is the industry's most versatile curd conveyor offering the flexibility to vary your make from matted to granular curd.
The Tetra Pak® Salting Mellowing Conveyor 2 provides the most effective method for achieving and retaining the required amount of salt in the curd.
The Tetra Pak® Cheddaring 5 machine is designed for continuous production of fused and stirred Cheddar and pasta filata cheese types.
Contact us about draining, cheddaring and moulding
About Tetra Pak
Together with our customers we make food safe and available, everywhere. Since the start in 1951 we have taken pride in providing the best possible processing and packaging solutions for food.
Tetra Pak is one of three companies in the Tetra Laval Group – a private group that started in Sweden. The other two companies are DeLaval and Sidel. Tetra Laval is headquartered in Switzerland.