We make our cheese spread from real cheese, which mainly requires milk. The milk is concentrated and pasteurised, after which rennet and a starter culture are added. The proteins, fats and minerals curdle and thicken the milk. The starter culture gives cheese a delicious flavour and ensures the cheese keeps for longer. When the milk is thick enough, it is cut into small white grains. This is called the curd, and from this moment it is cheese.
The cheese is then pressed into a cheese vat, where it hardens. When the cheese has been pressed for long enough, it goes into a brine bath. This adds a salty flavour to the cheese and helps preserve it. By ripening for at least 4 weeks, the cheese gets its cheese flavour. After the ripening process, the cheese is given a plastic protective layer, to prevent bacterial growth and drying out. The cheese is now ready.
But how does it become cheese spread?
We finely blend the finished cheese in our factory. We add water and emulsifying salts and perhaps extra ingredients like sambal. This is all put in an emulsifying mixer where we heat the mixture with steam until it is almost boiling. The cheese is then filled in a kilo packaging, portion pack or tub. Once the cheese has cooled, the cheese spread is ready!