Milk and cheese with a taste of summer?

The protein and fat content of milk varies throughout the year, which can affect cheese-making. Scientists will now investigate how the fat and protein compositions vary.

Milk is not just milk. The composition of it varies throughout the year. This can affect taste and the way the milk is treated at the dairy – especially when making cheese. Knowledge about milk’s seasonal variation can be used by the dairy to finely tune cheese production.

That is the reason why scientists are now going to investigate exactly what constitutes the difference. The studies will take place right down on the molecular level.

"During the summer milk is, so to speak, more ”diluted” because it contains less fat and protein. Water is an important parameter for development of the cheese with regard to how quickly the cheese ages and its consistency", explains Head of Research Unit and leader of the project John Sørensen from the Department of Food Science at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aarhus.

The dairies already know this and adjust their cheese-making accordingly. The news is that the milk will now be studied more closely to see which individual compounds it contains. Among other things, the fat and protein compositions will be scrutinized – because it is known that they also vary seasonally.

Milk that tastes like summer

"We know that grass feeding during the summer results in more unsaturated fatty acids, which is a nutritional bonus. We know less about milk’s protein composition. Milk protein consists of casein and whey and it looks like there might be less casein in the summer. This could be one explanation for the otherwise inexplicable changes that the dairies experience when they make yellow cheese and cream cheese in the summer".

Milk fat composition in the summer can affect the consistency of the cheese unless changes are made in the cheese-making process. In general, the dairies can make seasonal adjustments by varying process parameters such as temperatures or time periods. These are conditions that have a particular effect on the water content of cheese and thereby its ageing. With more detailed knowledge the dairies will be able to control cheese-making even better.

Another possibility is to offer specialty products. Perhaps in the future consumers will be able to sink their teeth into a yummy summer cheese with a dash of birdsong, humming bees and lush, verdant pastures.

The project, which is being carried out in collaboration with Arla Foods Amba, Thise, KU-Life and Foss A/S, is financed by the Danish Dairy Research Foundation and the Innovation Law and will start in August 2008.