The fermented milk product, known in Russia as cottage cheese, and in European countries as “young cheese,” is popular in our country. Tasty, satisfying and healthy, it has been instilled in Russians since childhood. Now there are many manufacturers of this food product on the market, but despite this, the business of its production has great prospects. Consumption of dairy products per person in the Russian Federation is 252 kg/g. For comparison, in the USSR in 1990 the norm was 386 kg/g. In the countries of the USA and Western Europe it is now 390 kg/g.

The data shows that the domestic market has room to grow. New manufacturers are needed - a good product will always find a buyer. In the article we will present a business plan for opening a line that produces cottage cheese, study the features of the business, and carry out economic calculations of the return on investment of the business.

Demand for cottage cheese products in Russia

Cottage cheese is a fermented milk protein product made from fresh milk. It is bought by all categories of the population - it is suitable for both children's and diet food.

The market for curd products in Russia is studied annually. Lately, production and consumption volumes have been unstable (there have been ups and downs), but in general the indicators have been growing. In 2015, 1 average Russian bought and ate 9 kg of this product (compared to 2011 - an increase of 0.7 kg).

Experts predict that by 2020-2022. sales will grow by 10-13% every year (average forecast).

Long-term prospects are bright: the physiological norm of consumption is 18 kg per year (versus 9 kg in 2015). The need will continue to grow - this is an opportunity for new manufacturers.

Market assessment

In 2017, 493.1 thousand tons of cottage cheese were produced (21% more than in 2016). Most of the goods were created in the European part of Russia (CFD). The Central Federal District accounted for more than 41% of the total production volume.

The average price increase for this product in the period from 2015 to 2018. amounted to 16.4% (up to 193.9 thousand rubles per 1 ton). The average price of 1 kg of fatty product in 2018 is 290.4 kg (retail).

The largest companies:

• Danone Industry LLC;
• OJSC Wimm-Bill-Dann;
• LLC "Dairy Business";
• Molvest LLC;
• CJSC "Yantar"

Several well-known regional manufacturers:

• "Ostankino Dairy Plant"
• "RostAgroComplex"
• "Dmitrov Dairy Plant"

Competition is high, consumers are more often looking for a high quality product.

Initial investment in the production of branded cottage cheese

Items that will require the most expenses: equipment for cottage cheese and raw materials. The salary is set high enough (the exact amount depends on the position) to motivate employees to work responsibly and hold on to their jobs.

Table 1. The amount of initial costs for a cottage cheese production business.

We will open a business in a city with a population of up to 1 million people. Additional expenses include costs for utilities, advertising, and cosmetic repairs.

Technological scheme of own production

The factory production scheme is as follows:

1. Dairy raw materials are being prepared. After quality assessment, the milk is pasteurized (processed at high temperature for 30 minutes).
2. Separation is carried out (separation of cream from the milk mass).
3. Ferment is added to the milk. Within a few hours, fermentation occurs, that is, the process of product formation itself. There are several ways (more on that below).
4. After coagulating the protein, the whey is squeezed out of the resulting clots. They are left for a certain time to completely remove any remaining liquid from them.
5. The clots are left in a special tub or trolley for pressing. Using a wire knife, the curd mass is cut into small cubes (0.2 m each).

After cooling, the product is packed into containers (briquettes, flasks, boxes) and stored in the refrigerator.

How high-quality cottage cheese is made in production

Making cottage cheese at home is easy. You will need milk, sour cream and a container for fermentation. You need to boil the milk, then cool it to 30°C and put sour cream in it (calculated at 100 grams per 2 liters of milk). The mixture is left in a warm place for 9 hours to ferment. Afterwards, the resulting mass is transferred to gauze, squeezed out and hung for self-pressing and final removal of the whey.

Several methods are used in industry:

• Traditional. Similar to the technology for producing cottage cheese at home.
• Acid rennet. Lactic acid and rennet are used for fermentation.
• Separated. The most common in the industry for the production of cottage cheese with full automation.

Traditional cottage cheese technology

Using this method, an almost fat-free product is made.

First, the raw milk is prepared: separated to normalize the fat composition and pasteurized. Milk is heated to 78°C for half an hour - this removes pathogenic microorganisms while maintaining beneficial properties.

Afterwards the mass is cooled to 28-32°C. Rennet and calcium chloride are added to it for subsequent ripening.

After the protein has coagulated, the resulting clots are separated, pressed and cooled (to stop the fermentation process). The protein product is packaged and stored in refrigeration chambers.

The technology for producing cottage cheese has several disadvantages, the main ones being the length of the process and the need for manual labor. There is a risk of intestinal infections getting into the cottage cheese. The best option for producing cottage cheese at home.

Acid rennet

Medium/high fat cottage cheese is prepared using this method. The main ingredients are rennet and lactic acid. In a certain proportion (from 1 to 5% of the total mass), a starter culture - lactic acid streptococcus - is mixed with milk. If you don’t have your own laboratory in production, you can buy leaven in special laboratories; if available, you can make it yourself using a certified method.

Then rennet is added to the mixture - a catalyst for the protein coagulation process. The enzyme is prepared in advance - 6 hours in water heated to a temperature of 35°C.

After the curds are formed, they are also pressed and the remaining whey is removed from them. The product is packaged and sent to the refrigerator for cooling and storage.

Separated

This method of making cottage cheese in production was developed in the Soviet Union and has been used since the 1960s. Its essence is the production of a low-fat product with further combination with cream to achieve the desired fat content.

The separate method is used in large industries: it optimizes costs, minimizes fat loss and fully automates the process. Special tables have been developed that calculate the exact consumption of cream. This method helps speed up the whey separation process.

Milk pasteurization is carried out in special production lines, and fermentation is carried out in containers with automatic mixers. The resulting curds are subjected to heat treatment to destroy harmful microorganisms, and then enter separators to separate the whey. At the end, the cottage cheese is mixed with cream in the required proportions.

Equipment for the production of cottage cheese

The business plan considers an automated line for the production of cottage cheese A-TL-3 worth about 1.5 million rubles. Produced using traditional or acid-rennet methods. Equipment for the production of cottage cheese meets the requirements of GOST.

Cottage cheese production in factories is carried out in the presence of:

• cottage cheese makers RT, 2 pcs.;
• curd curd pressing units UTS-500;
• semi-automatic loading ATL;
• filling machine (12-25 packs/min);
• rotary pump.

Maintenance will require 2-3 people. It can produce up to 1.8 tons (75 kg/hour) per day.

The filling machine can pack the product into briquettes, plastic bags or plastic containers.

Also, to produce cottage cheese you will need a pasteurization bath. It is needed for the preparation of milk and refrigeration units for storing the finished product.

Raw materials

The production of cottage cheese requires milk and starter culture.

Even at the preparatory stage, you need to thoroughly study the market for suppliers of dairy raw materials and find suitable milk producers/sellers.

It will be needed in large quantities and constantly, so look for a supplier near your workshop. This, firstly, will reduce logistics costs, and secondly, will ensure regular supply of milk (lower risk of supply interruptions).

It is better to cooperate only with trusted suppliers who have quality certificates and permission from the Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision Authority.

Before starting work, the entrepreneur must already have contracts for the supply of milk.

There are now many sourdough starter manufacturers - it’s easy to find a product at the right price and in the required quantity.

Room

All requirements for the production premises are specified in SanPiN 2.3.4.551-96 “Production of milk and dairy products”.

The space of a mini-factory should be divided into several rooms - a work shop with equipment (at least 30 sq. m), administrative rooms, an area for workers, a bathroom.

It is necessary to have all communication systems - electricity, water (according to GOST 2874-82), ventilation, heating.

The walls in the production workshop are tiled, the floors are waterproof, non-slippery, and inert to acids.

It is recommended to order the development of an architectural project with a master plan and justification for decisions on the arrangement of the workshop.

Staff

Modern machines are automated and do all the work themselves. This allows you to reduce the workforce and labor costs. But the staff needs to be trained and taught how to operate the equipment. When purchasing a production line, you can agree on employee training from the selling company. A minimum of 2 people will be required to operate.

We also need experienced specialists who know how to process milk and make high-quality cottage cheese (2 people).

A minimum of 1 driver is required (you can hire your own car). It is important to find a sales manager who will create a product distribution network. An accountant at the initial stage of development can be hired through outsourcing. A handyman will be required for loading and unloading work.

A workforce of 8 people is enough to launch and develop a small production of high-quality cottage cheese.

Business documentation

First, select the form of business activity to conduct business - an individual or legal entity, individual entrepreneur or LLC.

Businessmen planning to open a large plant need to work in the form of an LLC - then they can enter into profitable contracts for raw materials and sales (with wholesalers). An individual entrepreneur can sell goods to his friends or supply them to small stores.

When registering, indicate OKVED code 15.51.14 “Production of cottage cheese and curd products.”

First, get permits from the Fire Inspectorate and the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station. Based on the results of all checks, a license will be issued (valid for 5 years).

The first batch of goods is sent for certification. If the requirements of GOST 31534-2012 are met, the entrepreneur will receive a quality certificate, which he can present to contractors when organizing sales.

Sales channels for finished products

Cottage cheese is a perishable product. You need to start producing it when sales channels have been established.

If the business operates in the form of an LLC, potential buyers will be:

• Retail Stores;
• trade and retail food chains;
• wholesale centers engaged in resale;
• manufacturing companies that manufacture products based on / with the addition of our product;
• catering establishments (canteens, cafes/restaurants).

An individual entrepreneur will be able to sell goods to friends and acquaintances through word of mouth and organize sales “from a car” - that is, purchase special vehicles and sell in residential areas. Loyal customers will soon appear who are determined to buy his specific product.

Promotion

The level of competition in the segment is high, and to succeed, a businessman needs to make sure that consumers recognize and want to buy his product. Firstly, you need to produce a high-quality product, and secondly, think through your marketing activities in advance. There are several low-cost promotion methods:

• advertising in the media (in particular, in newspapers);
• promotion on social networks, order advertising in VKontakte groups;
• leaflets and other POS materials for distribution and posting in high-traffic areas.

Selling in areas using your car is useful not only for sales, but also for promotion. This way you can train customers to look for your specific product in grocery stores. This method requires additional costs, but it is effective.

Profitability and payback: financial plan

The initial investment will be 3.88 million rubles.

The equipment productivity per hour is 75 kg; in an 8-hour day, 600 kg of product can be produced. In a month (22 days) it is realistic to produce 13.2 tons.

To prepare 1 kg of fermented milk product you need 6.67 kg of milk. This means that 88 tons of raw milk will be required per month (1 kg costs 15 rubles). Accordingly, the amount of monthly expenses is approximately 1.8 million rubles. (including other articles).

The average cost of 1 kg is 150-200 kg (wholesale). In a month you can sell products worth 2.24-2.64 million rubles.

Net monthly profit will be 440-840 thousand rubles. The difference between these values ​​is large, since the range of wholesale and retail prices on the market is large (the price depends on the fat content and quality of the product).

Payback period is from 5 to 9 months.

Table 2. Economic justification for the business idea.

When concluding long-term supply contracts, a business is attractive for investment. However, there are many manufacturers and intermediaries on the market. To attract customers, you may have to offer goods at lower prices - because of this, the payback period will increase.

With the development and improvement of positions, you can expand. Start producing curd products, open your own farm - this will allow you to increase the range and reduce costs.

Opening a mini-factory for the production of cottage cheese with proper development will allow the entrepreneur to receive a source of large income with the prospects of further transformation into a large enterprise. And besides, there will always be dairy products at home, the freshness and usefulness of which you will not have to doubt.

Current page: 5 (book has 19 pages total) [available reading passage: 13 pages]

2.4. Defects of liquid fermented milk products

The defects of fermented milk drinks and measures to prevent them are presented in table. 2.8.

Table 2.8

Vices and measures to prevent them

2.5. Cottage cheese and products made from it

Cottage cheese is a fermented milk product produced using starter microorganisms - lactococci or a mixture of lactococci and thermophilic lactic acid streptococci and the method of acid or acid-rennet coagulation of proteins with subsequent removal of whey by self-pressing, pressing, centrifugation and(or) ultrafiltration.

The high nutritional and biological value of cottage cheese is determined by its significant content not only of fat, but also of proteins that are especially complete in amino acid composition, which makes it possible to use cottage cheese for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases of the liver, kidneys, and atherosclerosis. Cottage cheese contains a significant amount of Ca, P, Fe, Mg and other minerals necessary for the normal functioning of the heart, central nervous system, brain, bone formation and metabolism in the body. Particularly important are the salts Ca and P, which are in the cottage cheese in the most convenient state for absorption.

In addition to direct consumption, cottage cheese is used to prepare various dishes, culinary products and a wide range of cottage cheese products. A list of the main types of cottage cheese indicating the mass fraction of dry substances is presented in table. 2.9.

Table 2.9

Cottage cheese product range

In terms of organoleptic, physicochemical and microbiological indicators, cottage cheese and curd products must meet certain requirements (Table 2.10–2.12).

Table 2.10

Physico-chemical indicators of cottage cheese

Table 2.11

Organoleptic characteristics of cottage cheese

Table 2.12

Microbiological indicators of cottage cheese

Depending on the mass fraction of fat, cottage cheese is divided into:

– low-fat (no more than 1.8% F);

– low-fat (not less than 2.0; 3.0; 3.8% F);

– classic (not less than 4.0; 5.0; 7.0; 9.0; 12.0; 15.0; 18.0% F);

– fatty (not less than 19.0; 20.0; 23.0% F).

Based on the method of clot formation, there are two methods for producing cottage cheese: acid rennet And acid.

Acid method. It is based only on the acid coagulation of proteins by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria and then heating the curd to remove excess whey. In this way, low-fat and low-fat cottage cheese is produced, since when the curd is heated, significant loss of fat occurs into the whey. In addition, this method ensures the production of low-fat cottage cheese with a more delicate consistency. The spatial structure of clots of acid coagulation of proteins is less strong, formed by weak bonds between small casein particles and releases whey worse. Therefore, to intensify the separation of whey, heating of the curd is required.

At rennet-acid method In milk coagulation, the curd is formed by the combined action of rennet and lactic acid. When casein transforms into paracasein, it shifts its isoelectric point from pH 4.6 to 5.2. Therefore, the formation of a clot under the action of rennet occurs faster at a lower acidity than when proteins are precipitated with lactic acid; the resulting clot has less acidity, and the technological process is accelerated by 2–4 hours. During rennet-acid coagulation, calcium bridges formed between large particles provide high strength to the clot. Such clots separate whey better than acidic ones, since the spatial structure of the protein is compacted faster in them. Therefore, heating the curd to intensify the separation of whey is not required at all or the heating temperature is reduced.

Full-fat and semi-fat cottage cheese is produced using the rennet-acid method, which reduces the loss of fat into whey. During acid coagulation, calcium salts are released into the whey, and during rennet-acid coagulation, they are retained in the curd. This must be taken into account when producing cottage cheese for children who need Ca for bone formation.

In the production of cottage cheese, the raw materials used are milk prepared at least 2nd grade, premium spray-dried milk, skim milk with an acidity of no more than 21 °T, cream with a fat content of 50–55% and an acidity of no more than 12 °T, cream plastic, meeting the requirements of regulatory documentation.

There are two methods for producing cottage cheese (Fig. 2.3):

– traditional– from normalized milk;

– separated– from skim milk with subsequent enrichment of skim cottage cheese with cream.

Rice. 2.3. Methods for producing cottage cheese

2.5.1. Cottage cheese production using the traditional method

Depending on the equipment used, there are several options for producing cottage cheese using the traditional method (from normalized milk).

Normal way(V bags) (Fig. 2.4)

Rice. 2.4. Technological scheme for producing cottage cheese in the usual way (in bags)

When producing cottage cheese in the usual way, milk is fermented in special baths VK-1 or VK-2.5.

The prepared milk is normalized in order to establish the correct ratio between the mass fractions of fat and protein in the normalized mixture, ensuring the production of a product with a standard mass fraction of fat and moisture. Normalization is carried out taking into account the actual mass fraction of protein in the processed raw materials and the normalization coefficient, which is established in relation to the type of cottage cheese, specific production conditions, and methods of cottage cheese production. In order to correctly establish the normalization coefficient, control production of cottage cheese is carried out quarterly. Normalized milk is sent for pasteurization at 78–80 °C with a holding time of 10–20 s. Milk pasteurized and cooled to a temperature of 4 ± 2 °C before processing into cottage cheese can be stored for no more than 6 hours. For optimal conditions for the development of lactic acid microflora, milk is fermented with pure cultures of mesophilic lactic acid streptococci at a milk temperature of 30 ± 2 °C in cold times year and 28±2 °C – in warm weather. In the accelerated ripening method, a symbiotic starter is used, prepared from pure cultures of mesophilic and thermophilic streptococci at a milk ripening temperature of 32 ± 2 °C.

With the rennet-acid method of producing cottage cheese, in addition to the starter culture, calcium chloride and milk-clotting enzymes are added to the milk. CaCl is added at the rate of 400 g of anhydrous CaCl per 1000 kg of milk in the form of a solution with a mass fraction of CaCl of 30–40%. After this, rennet powder or pepsin or the enzyme preparation VNIIMS is introduced into the milk in the form of a solution with a mass fraction of the enzyme of no more than 1%. The dose of an enzyme with activity of 100,000 IU per 1000 kg of fermented milk is equal to 1 g. Rennet powder or enzyme preparation VNIIMS is dissolved in drinking water preheated to 36 ± 3 °C, and pepsin is dissolved in fresh filtered whey at 36 ± 3 °C. After fermentation, the milk is stirred for 10–15 minutes and left alone until a curd forms. With the acid-curd method, milk is fermented until a curd with an acidity of 60–65 (±5) °T is obtained, depending on the type of cottage cheese. The higher the fat content of the cottage cheese, the lower the acidity of the curd. The duration of milk fermentation is 6–10 hours. With the acid method, milk is fermented until a curd with an acidity of 75–80 (±5) °T is obtained. The duration of milk fermentation is 8–12 hours. It is important to correctly determine the end of fermentation, since an under-fermented curd results in sour curd with a spreadable consistency. The curd is cut with wire knives into cubes measuring 2 x 2 x 2 cm. First, the curd is cut along the length of the bath into horizontal layers, then along the width into vertical layers. The clot is left alone for 30–60 minutes to release the serum. To intensify the release of whey, the curd is heated using the acid method to a whey temperature of 40–44 (± 2) °C, depending on the type of curd. The higher the fat content of the cottage cheese, the higher the heating temperature. With the rennet-acid method, the curd heating temperatures are reduced and amount to 36–40 (± 2) °C. The curd is kept at these temperatures for 15–40 minutes.

The released whey is released from the bath through a fitting and collected in a separate container. The curd is poured into calico or lavsan bags measuring 40 x 80 cm, 7–9 kg each, the bags are filled to three-quarters of the volume. They are tied and placed in several rows on a press cart. Under the influence of its own mass, whey is released from the clot. Self-pressing occurs in the workshop at a temperature of no more than 16 °C and lasts for at least 1 hour. The end of self-pressing is determined visually, by the surface of the curd, which loses its shine and becomes dull. Then the cottage cheese is pressed under pressure until ready. During the pressing process, the bags of cottage cheese are shaken and rearranged several times. To avoid an increase in acidity, pressing must be carried out in rooms with an air temperature of 3–6 °C, and upon completion, the curd must be immediately cooled to 12 ± 3 °C using coolers of various designs or in bags or trolleys in the refrigerator compartment. The finished product is packaged in small (consumer) and large (transport) containers. Cottage cheese is stored until sale for no more than 36 hours at a temperature of no more than 4 °C and humidity 80–85%, including at the manufacturing plant for no more than 18 hours.

At cottage cheese makers with a pressing bath

Curd makers with a pressing bath (TI-4000) are used to produce all types of cottage cheese, while the labor-intensive process of pressing cottage cheese in bags is eliminated.

The curd maker consists of two double-walled baths with a capacity of 2000 liters with a tap for draining the whey and a hatch for unloading the curd. Pressing baths with perforated walls are fixed above the baths, onto which filter fabric is pulled. Using a hydraulic drive, the pressing bath can be raised up or lowered almost to the bottom of the ripening bath.

Accordingly prepared milk enters the baths. Here leaven, solutions of calcium chloride and rennet are added to it and, just as with the usual method of producing cottage cheese, it is left for ripening. The finished curd is cut with the knives included in the curd maker’s kit and kept for 30–40 minutes. During this time, a significant amount of whey is released, which is removed from the bath with a separator (a perforated cylinder covered with filter fabric). In its lower part there is a pipe that slides into the bathtub pipe. The separated whey enters the sampler through a filter fabric and a perforated surface and exits the bath through a pipe. This preliminary removal of whey increases the efficiency of pressing the curd.

For pressing, the perforated bath is quickly lowered down until it comes into contact with the surface of the curd. The speed of immersion of the pressing bath into the curd is set depending on its quality and the type of curd being produced. The separated whey passes through the filter fabric into the perforated surface and is collected inside the pressing bath, from where it is pumped out every 15–20 minutes.

The downward movement of the pressing bath is stopped by the lower limit switch when a space filled with pressed curd remains between the surfaces of the baths. This distance is established during experimental production of cottage cheese. Depending on the type of cottage cheese produced, the pressing time is 3–4 hours for full-fat cottage cheese, 2–3 hours for low-fat cottage cheese, 1–1.5 hours for low-fat cottage cheese. With the accelerated ripening method, the duration of pressing full-fat and semi-fat cottage cheese is reduced by 1–1.5 hours.

At the end of pressing, the perforated bath is raised, and the curd is unloaded through the hatch into the carts. The cart with cottage cheese is lifted upward and tipped over the cooler hopper, from where the cooled cottage cheese is supplied for packaging.

On mechanized lines using mesh baths (Fig. 2.5)

Rice. 2.5. Cottage cheese production on mechanized lines using mesh baths

In this technology there is no such operation as pressing cottage cheese. Therefore, to create conditions for more efficient whey separation, temperature and other parameters in this case differ from traditional ones. Prepared milk is fermented with starter at a temperature of 28–32 °C in the cold season and 26–30 °C in the warm season; with the accelerated ripening method, a symbiotic starter of mesophilic and thermophilic streptococci is used and fermented at 30–34 °C. The amount of starter is 3–5% of the amount of fermented milk.

The end of milk fermentation is considered to be the formation of a moderately dense clot with an acidity of 70–95 °T, depending on the type of cottage cheese. The fattier the cottage cheese, the less acidic the curd. The duration of fermentation is 5–12 hours. To speed up the separation of whey, the finished curd is slowly heated by introducing steam or hot water into the interwall space of the bath. The optimal temperature for heating the curd (based on whey) is 45–50 (±10) °C. The heated curd is kept for 20–30 minutes and stirred 3–5 times during the holding period. The total heating time, including holding time, should not exceed 2 hours. The heated curd is cooled by at least 10 °C by supplying cold or ice water.

The separation of whey from the curd on lines with mesh baths complete with VK-2.5 baths is carried out by removing the whey (no more than two-thirds of the total mass) through the drain valve of the bath. To separate the remaining whey, the mesh bath is raised above the bath using a telepher device. In this case, the whey flows into the bath, and the curd undergoes self-pressing. The duration of separation of whey from the clot is 10–40 minutes. The separation of whey from the curd on lines with a set of Ya2-OVV equipment is carried out as follows: part of the released whey (no more than 2/3 of the total mass) is removed through the whey drain valve. The remaining whey, together with the curd, is carefully poured down the tray into a mesh bath located in a self-propelled cart. To separate the whey from the curd, the mesh bath is lifted above the trolley using a traverse. In this case, the whey flows into the bath, and the curd undergoes self-pressing (10–40 minutes). Subsequent cooling of the curd is carried out by immersing a mesh bath with curd in the cooled whey and keeping it in it for 20–30 minutes. The cottage cheese is cooled to 13 ± 5 °C. Fresh, pasteurized curd whey, cooled to a temperature of no more than 5 °C, is used as a cooling medium. The duration of serum storage at a temperature of no more than 8 °C is 1 day. After cooling 2 grid baths with cottage cheese, the cooling medium is replaced with fresh one. To separate the whey, the mesh bath is raised above the bath using a telepher device. In this case, the whey flows into the bath, and the curd undergoes self-pressing. The duration of separation of the cooling medium from the curd is 20–30 minutes. Using a tipping device, the curd is unloaded into a storage bath and fed by a screw for packaging.

On mechanized lines Ya9-OPT-2.5 and Ya9-OPT-5

The mechanized line YA9-OPT-5 with a milk production capacity of 5000 l/h is the most advanced and is used for the production of classic cottage cheese. The finished curd is mixed for 2–5 minutes and fed into a direct-flow jacketed heater using a screw pump. Here the curd is quickly (2–5 minutes) heated to a temperature of 42–5 4 °C (depending on the type of cottage cheese) by supplying hot water (70–90 °C) into the jacket. The heated curd is cooled in a cooler with water to 25–40 °C and sent to a two-cylinder dehydrator covered with filter fabric. The moisture content in the finished curd is regulated by changing the angle of inclination of the dehydrator drum or by changing the temperature of heating and cooling of the curd.

The finished cottage cheese is sent for packaging and then into the refrigeration chamber for further cooling.

2.5.2. Separate method of cottage cheese production

The separate method has a number of advantages. Fat loss in production is significantly reduced; fat savings per 1 ton of full-fat cottage cheese is 13.2, half-fat – 14.2 kg. The separation of whey from the curd is facilitated, a greater possibility of mechanization of technological operations is created, as a result of which labor productivity increases. The quality of cottage cheese increases as a result of a decrease in acidity. This is facilitated by the addition of fresh pasteurized cream to the low-fat cottage cheese, the acidity of which is almost 20 times less than the acidity of the cottage cheese, and at the same time, the cooled cream reduces the temperature of the cottage cheese, which prevents a further increase in the acidity of the finished product.

The production of cottage cheese from skim milk can be carried out using any available equipment, including separator-curd maker, with further mixing it with cream (Fig. 2.6).

With this production method, milk intended for the production of cottage cheese, after heating to a temperature of 40–45 °C, is sent for separation to obtain cream with a fat content of at least 50–55%, which is then pasteurized at a temperature of at least 90 °C, cooled to 2 –4 °C and sent for temporary storage.

Rice. 2.6. Technological scheme for producing cottage cheese using a separate method

The resulting skim milk undergoes the usual preparation for coagulation, as mentioned above, namely: pasteurization at 78–80 °C for up to 20 s, cooling to a ripening temperature of 30–34 °C, and sent to a ripening tank with a special mixer. Sourdough, calcium chloride, and milk-clotting enzyme are also served here. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and left to ferment until the acidity of the curd is 90–100 °C, since during the subsequent separation of the curd into curd and whey in a special separator-curd separator, the nozzles of this separator may become clogged if the curd has less acidity.

In order for the curd curd to be better separated into the protein part and whey, after thorough mixing it is fed with a special pump into a plate heat exchanger, where it is first heated to 60–62 °C, and then cooled to 28–32 °C and sent under pressure to separator-curd maker, where it is separated into whey and curd.

When producing full-fat cottage cheese by dehydration, separation is carried out until the mass fraction of moisture in the curd is 75–76%, and when producing semi-fat cottage cheese – up to 78–79%. The resulting curd mass is cooled on a plate cooler for cottage cheese to 8 °C and sent to a mixer, where pasteurized chilled cream (50–55% fat content) is supplied by a dosing pump, and everything is thoroughly mixed.

The finished cottage cheese is packaged on automatic machines and sent to a storage chamber.

Cottage cheese with cream

Curd cottage cheese is a crumbly dairy product made from curd raw materials with the addition of cream and table salt. Heat treatment of the finished product and the addition of consistency stabilizers are not allowed.

In appearance, grained cottage cheese is a cheese mass; the curd grains in the mass are clearly visible and covered with cream. In terms of chemical composition and taste properties it is close to cottage cheese. For the production of grain cottage cheese, the content of dry substances in skim milk is very important, which affects not only the structure of the grain and its yield, but also the rate of ripening of milk (Fig. 2.7).

The prepared milk is separated at 34–40 °C to obtain cream with a fat mass fraction of 13–20%, skim milk with a fat mass fraction of 0.05% and non-fat solids< 8,5 %. Сливки пастеризуют при температуре 92±2 °C с выдержкой 15–20 с, гомогенизируют при температуре 26–30 °C и давлении 10–15 МПа, охлаждают до температуры 5–8 °C и выдерживают 10–12 ч. Обезжиренное молоко пастеризуют при температуре 72 ± 2 °C с выдержкой 15–20 с. Заквашивают молоко при температуре 30 ± 2 °C при быстром способе сквашивания и 21 ± 2 °C при длительном. Применяется закваска, приготовленная на культурах мезофильных молочно-кислых стрептококков. Закваска добавляется в молоко в количестве 50–80 кг на 1000 кг молока при быстром способе сквашивания и 10–30 кг при длительном способе. После внесения закваски в молоко добавляется 30–40 % раствор хлористого кальция из расчета 400 г безводной соли на 1000 кг молока и раствор сычужного порошка или пепсина или ферментного препарата ВНИИМС из расчета 0,5–1 г на 1000 кг молока (активность 100 000 единиц). Затем осуществляют перемешивание молока в течение 30–40 мин с интервалом 10–15 мин. Сквашивание молока заканчивается через 5–7 ч при быстром способе сквашивания и через 10–12 ч при длительном с момента внесения закваски. Кислотность сыворотки в конце сквашивания должна быть в пределах 46–48 °Т при условии содержания массовой доли сухих веществ в молоке 8,5–9,5 % и 49–55 °Т при массовой доле сухих веществ более 9,5 %. Показатель pH сгустка в конце сквашивания 4,6–4,9.

Rice. 2.7. Technological scheme for the production of grain cottage cheese

Both ripening modes have advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of the long-term method of milk fermentation are the following: the process is usually carried out at night, which allows the main work to be organized only during the day shift; less starter required; the taste and aroma of the product improves, since the biochemical process of aroma formation is slower than the process of acid formation. The disadvantages of the long-term method of fermenting milk are that the duration of the product preparation cycle increases; low turnover of baths; Due to the fact that there is no monitoring of the ripening process at night, fluctuations in the ripening temperature are possible, which can lead to deterioration in the quality of the curd.

The advantages of the short-term ripening method are as follows: the technological cycle ends quickly; the ripening process is under control at all times; less possibility of contamination of the product with foreign microflora; baths are better used. Disadvantages of this fermentation method: a larger amount of starter is required; the finished product is obtained with a less pronounced aroma.

Regardless of the chosen method, the temperature of milk fermentation must be maintained within the established limits throughout the entire fermentation time. Lowering the fermentation temperature can cause a significant delay in the process and contribute to a flabby curd.

At the end of ripening, the curd is processed. This is one of the main technological operations in the production of grain cottage cheese, since it affects the transition of milk solids into grain, its uniformity, composition and quality of the finished product. If the acidity of the curd when cut is too low, the grain will be rough and rubbery. If on the contrary, the curd particles will be brittle, the grain will be heterogeneous with a high content of protein dust in the whey, and the finished product will have a mealy consistency. When boiled, such grain easily falls apart, and when mixed with cream, it loses its shape and turns into a curd mass. The finished curd is cut with wire knives into cubes measuring 8, 10 or 12, 14 cm along the edge. The cut curd is left alone for 20–30 minutes to release the whey. Then water is added to the bath, the temperature of which is 45 ± 2 °C, to reduce the acidity of the whey to 36–40 °T. The mass of water should be 10–15% of the mass of the contents in the bath. After adding water to the bath, the grain is carefully mixed and gradually begins to be heated by introducing hot water into the space between the walls. It is necessary to heat the grain, especially in the first stage to a temperature of 38 ± 2 °C, very carefully and evenly so that it does not brew and the temperature of the contents in the bath increases by 1 ° every 10 minutes. In this case, you need to mix the grain only to keep it in suspension. Subsequent heating of the bath contents to 48–55 °C must be done faster so that the temperature increases by 1 ° every 2 minutes. After the temperature in the bath has risen to the required level, the grain is kneaded for 30–60 minutes to compact it. The suitability of the grain is periodically checked. The finished grain, pre-cooled in tap water, should retain its shape when lightly squeezed in the hand. At the end of boiling, the whey is removed from the bath and the grain is washed and cooled at the same time. The grain is washed with water in two stages: I – water with a temperature of 16 ± 2 °C is added in an amount of 40–50% of the initial mass of the fermented milk, stirred for 15–20 minutes and the water is removed; II – water with a temperature of no more than 8 °C is added in an amount of 30–40%, stirred for 15–20 minutes and removed. Then the grain is dried. To do this, it is moved to the walls of the bath so that a groove is formed in the middle for the free flow of whey, and left for 1–2 hours. During drying, the bath must be closed. The moisture content in the finished grain should be no more than 80%. The duration of drying depends on the consistency and size of the grain and the thickness of the layer. Grain that is soft and contains a lot of dust dries more slowly than grain that is coarser and more uniform in structure. Salt is added to the cooled cream and then added to the skim grain. Mix the grain with cream and salt in a mixer. When manually packing into large containers, cream of 20% fat content is used, when packing into small containers using automatic machines - 13–15% fat content. In a well-mixed product, the grains should be evenly coated with a layer of viscous cream. Store homemade cheese at a temperature of 0–6 °C for no more than 36 hours, including at the manufacturer’s factory for no more than 24 hours.

METHODS OF PRODUCING COOK

In the production of cottage cheese, one of the main operations is the fermentation of milk, which causes coagulation of proteins and the formation of a curd. Based on this, there are two main methods of coagulation: acid and acid-rennet. With the acid method, casein coagulation occurs as a result of lactic acid fermentation. The resulting curd has a good consistency, but when producing fatty cottage cheese, it is more difficult to free it from whey. In this regard, previously, as a rule, only low-fat cottage cheese was produced using the acid method. Currently, using new methods of curd processing, this method, as the most economically advantageous, is also used in the production of full-fat and semi-fat cottage cheese.

With the acid-rennet method, casein coagulation and clot formation occur under the influence of lactic acid and rennet or pepsin. Rennet enhances the syneresis process in the curd, resulting in improved whey separation.

The production of full-fat and semi-fat cottage cheese, regardless of the method of protein coagulation at enterprises, is carried out using the traditional or separate production method.

Cottage cheese production in the traditional way. The technological process for producing full-fat and semi-fat cottage cheese with acid or acid-rennet coagulation of proteins using the traditional production method consists of the following operations:

Acid method Acid rennet method

A diagram of the technological line for the production of cottage cheese using the traditional method is shown in Fig. 1

Good-quality milk with an acidity of no higher than 20°T is sent for the production of cottage cheese, which must be prepared for fermentation. To do this, milk is normalized for fat content, cleaned of mechanical impurities, pasteurized and cooled to fermentation temperature.

By normalizing milk, the required ratio between the mass fraction of fat and protein in the processed mixture is established, which ensures the production of cottage cheese of a standard composition. Calculations for the normalization of milk are carried out taking into account the protein content in it and are carried out, as a rule, by mixing. Normalized milk is cleaned of mechanical impurities and sent for pasteurization.

The milk pasteurization mode affects the density of the curd obtained during ripening. As the pasteurization temperature increases, the density of the curd increases, but at the same time, the ability of the curd to retain moisture also increases, which makes it difficult to remove whey from it. In this regard, when producing cottage cheese, milk is pasteurized at a temperature of 78 ± 2 ° C with a holding time of 15-20 s. This mode is considered sufficient to destroy microflora in the normalized mixture and obtain a clot convenient for further processing.

The pasteurized mixture is cooled to a fermentation temperature of 28-30°C (in the warm season) and 30-32°C (in the cold season). Fermentation and fermentation of the mixture is carried out in special double-walled baths for the production of cottage cheese. For ease of maintenance, they are mounted on platforms.

When producing cottage cheese using the acid-rennet method, 1-5% of the starter prepared from pure cultures of mesophilic lactic acid streptococcus is added to the mixture cooled to the fermentation temperature. Thoroughly mixed milk is kept for 2-3 hours until its acidity reaches 32-35°T. After this, a 40% solution of calcium chloride is added to it at the rate of 400 g of anhydrous salt per 1 ton of milk. Rennet or pepsin is added in the form of a 1% solution at the rate of 1 g of enzyme per 1 ton of milk. The rennet solution is prepared using boiled water cooled to 35°C. In order to increase its activity, a pepsin solution is prepared using acidic clarified whey at a temperature of 36±2°C 5-8 hours before use.

Adding rennet at the same time as the starter makes it possible to stir the milk every 30-40 minutes in the first 2-3 hours after fermentation, which protects it from fat settling. In addition, increasing the acidity of milk during aging increases the activity of the added rennet, which improves the quality of the curd.

The readiness of the clot is determined by fracture testing. To do this, insert the end of the spatula slightly obliquely into the clot and carefully lift it. The finished clot gives a smooth break with shiny edges, releasing a transparent light green serum. If the clot is not yet ready, the fracture will have a flabby appearance with the release of cloudy whey. Incorrect determination of the readiness of the curd entails a deterioration in the quality of the curd and a decrease in its yield. The readiness of the curd is most accurately determined by its acidity, which for full-fat and semi-fat cottage cheese should be 58-60°T. The formation of a clot occurs in 6-8 hours.

To reduce the duration of milk fermentation, you can use a starter consisting of mesophilic and thermophilic lactic acid streptococci in a 1: 1 ratio in an amount of 5% of the milk weight. The fermentation temperature is increased in the warm season to 35±1°C, in the cold season - to 37±1°C, the duration of milk fermentation is reduced to 4-5 hours, and the release of whey from the curd occurs more intensively.

In order for the resulting curd to acquire the consistency of cottage cheese, it is necessary to remove about 70% of all the moisture it contains. Water is removed from the curd along with the dry substances dissolved in it (lactose, whey proteins, etc.) in the form of whey. To speed up the release of whey, the clot must be cut into small pieces, which will significantly increase its surface. The curd is cut with special wire knives, first into horizontal layers along the length of the bath, and then along the length and width into vertical layers. The result is cubes measuring about 20 mm along the edge. The cut clot is left alone for 30-40 minutes. During aging, whey is intensively released from it, which is removed from the baths using a siphon or through a fitting.

When producing full-fat or semi-fat cottage cheese using the acid method, a starter prepared from pure cultures of mesophilic lactic acid streptococcus in an amount of up to 5% is added to the normalized mixture. Thoroughly mixed milk is left to rest until a curd forms.

Under the influence of lactic acid, formed as a result of lactic acid fermentation, milk casein becomes insoluble, forming a curd. Unlike the clot obtained by acid-rennet coagulation, it has less strength and viscosity. This is explained by the unequal dispersion of protein particles in these two clots. In the clot obtained by acid-rennet coagulation, protein particles of large (30-50 microns) and medium (10-30 microns) sizes account for about 80%. During acid fermentation, there are no large protein particles in the curd, and the share of small ones (up to 10 microns) accounts for about 55%.

The readiness of the clot can be determined by fracture testing, while paying attention to the color of the released whey. More accurately, the end of ripening is determined by the acidity of the curd, which reaches 70-80°T. The formation of a clot occurs in 7-9 hours.

The finished curd is cut with knives into cubes with an edge size of 20 mm and left alone for 10-15 minutes to partially release the whey from it, and therefore, to somewhat compact the clot pieces. Whey from a curd obtained by the acid method is released more slowly than from the acid-rennet method. To accelerate the phenomenon of syneresis, in this case, an increase in temperature is used, which causes a stronger contraction of the protein clot and a more intense release of whey from it. For this purpose, the cut and somewhat compacted clot is heated to a temperature of 40-44°C, directing hot water into the interwall space of the bath. To ensure uniform heating of the entire mass, the curd is carefully stirred. In this case, intensive mixing is not allowed, which causes fragmentation of pieces of the curd with the formation of small protein particles that will come off with the whey, thereby reducing the yield of the product. You should also not allow the curd to overheat above the set temperature, which will result in cottage cheese with a dry and rough consistency. If the curd is underheated, the separation of whey in it slows down, and as a result, the curd will have increased acidity, a spreadable consistency, and losses during its production will increase.

After heating the curd to the required temperature, it is left alone for 20-30 minutes for better dehydration. The released whey is removed from the bath. Further operations in the production of cottage cheese obtained by both acid and acid-rennet methods are performed in a similar way.

To improve the release of whey, the curd is pressed in small portions, placed in durable calico or lavsan bags. Through the bath fitting, 7-9 kg of clot flows into each bag by gravity. The bags are tied and placed in several rows in a press trolley, where the whey is released from the curd under the influence of its own weight. Self-pressing occurs in the workshop at an air temperature of no higher than 16°C and lasts for at least 1 hour. The end of self-pressing is determined visually by the surface of the curd, which loses its shine and becomes dull.

After self-pressing, the bags are placed in several rows in a press cart or another type of press and the curd is pressed under pressure until ready. Pressure during pressing should be increased gradually, otherwise some of the dry matter will go into whey and losses will increase. During the pressing process, bags of curd are shaken and shifted several times, which speeds up the release of whey. To avoid an increase in acidity, pressing is carried out in rooms with an air temperature of 3-8°C. The end of pressing is determined by the moisture content in the curd. The entire pressing process lasts no more than 10 hours.

It is more advisable to press the cottage cheese not in calico, but in lavsan bags. This speeds up the whey separation, resulting in a 40% reduction in pressing time. In this regard, the acidity of the cottage cheese decreases by 12-15°T, which improves the quality of the finished product. By reducing the adhesion of the protein clot to the lavsan fabric, the loss of cottage cheese during production has been reduced to within 8-10 kg per 1 ton of product. Mylar fabric is also easier to wash and is much stronger than calico.

After pressing, the curd is immediately sent for cooling to a temperature of 8-15°C, using coolers of various designs, the most advanced of which are two-cylinder closed coolers.

The technology of cottage cheese using the traditional method has a number of serious disadvantages. Thus, the entire process of producing cottage cheese lasts at least 12 hours. Separating the whey from the curd using fabric bags takes a long time and requires a lot of manual labor; a significant amount of fat leaves the curd with the whey. The entire process is carried out in an open manner, which creates the possibility of repeated microbiological contamination of the product. All this was the reason for searching for ways to improve the production of cottage cheese.

In 1961, at the Chelyabinsk dairy plant, a separate method of producing cottage cheese using existing equipment was first introduced. The essence of this method is that low-fat cottage cheese is produced from skim milk, to which cream is added, increasing its fat content to 9 or 18%. Low-fat cottage cheese is produced using the acid-rennet method. The finished low-fat cottage cheese is pressed until it acquires the required moisture content and ground on a rolling mill to obtain a uniform consistency. After this, it is mixed in a kneading machine with pasteurized and cooled cream with a fat content of 50-55%. All necessary calculations for this are performed using special tables.

The use of a separate method for producing cottage cheese on existing equipment made it possible to reduce fat loss per 1 ton of cottage cheese by 13-14 kg, but did not lead to increased mechanization of the technological process.

The use of curd separators made it possible to completely mechanize the technological process of producing cottage cheese using a separate method and to develop special flow-mechanized lines that are equipped with large enterprises in our country. When producing cottage cheese on these lines (Fig. 2), skim milk is pasteurized at a temperature of 78±2°C for 15-20 s, cooled to 28-30°C, and it is supplied to fermentation containers equipped with special mixers for mixing the curd . Fermentation of skim* milk occurs at a temperature of 30-32°C in the cold season, and at 28-30°C in the warm season. Add to skim milk 1-5% starter prepared from pure cultures of mesophilic lactic acid streptococcus, 30-40% solution of calcium chloride at the rate of 400 g of anhydrous salt per 1 ton of milk and 1% solution of rennet, pepsin or enzyme preparation VNIIMS at the rate of 1 g of enzyme per 1 ton of milk. All this is added at the same time, the contents of the container are mixed for 10 minutes and left alone to form a clot. Fermentation of skim milk continues for up to 8-10 hours.

The end of ripening is determined by the acidity of the curd, which should reach 95-110°T. At lower acidity, it becomes difficult to process the curd in the separator and its nozzles may become clogged.

The resulting clot is thoroughly mixed with a stirrer for 5-10 minutes and pumped into a plate heat exchanger. In it, the stirred curd is heated to a temperature of 60°C and then cooled to 30°C. As a result of heat treatment, the curd separates the whey better. At the same time, a significant part of lactic acid microorganisms in vegetative form is destroyed in the curd. This protects against an excessive increase in acidity and gives the product greater shelf life.

From the heat exchanger, through a two-section mesh filter, the curd is pumped into the curd separator. In the separating device, the curd is distributed in thin layers between plates.

Under the influence of centrifugal force, it is separated into curds and whey. The curd, as a heavier fraction, is thrown to the periphery, from where it is continuously discharged through nozzles into the receiver. The clarified whey is removed from the separating device through a special ring.

The curd released from the separator is fed through a receiver through a special pump for immediate cooling into a plate or tubular cooler. Low-fat cottage cheese, cooled to a temperature of 8°C, enters the mixer. Pasteurized and cooled cream with a fat content of 50-55% is also supplied here using a dosing pump from a container. The combination of cottage cheese and cream in the mixer occurs in volumetric proportions. In the mixer chamber, low-fat cottage cheese and cream are thoroughly mixed and the product moves to a cone nozzle, through which it exits the mixer in a continuous flow. Through the storage container, the cottage cheese enters the filling machine.

As a result of processing the curd in separators, the finished product acquires a paste-like consistency, different from the traditional one, and therefore received the name soft dietary cottage cheese.

54. Methods of milk coagulation in the production of cottage cheese production of cottage cheese in the traditional way

Based on the method of curd formation, there are two methods of producing cottage cheese: acid and rennet. The first is based only on the acid coagulation of proteins by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria, followed by heating the curd to remove excess whey.

Rotki. In this way, low-fat and low-fat cottage cheese is produced, since when the curd is heated, significant loss of fat occurs into the whey. In addition, this method ensures the production of low-fat cottage cheese with a more delicate consistency. The spatial structure of the clots of acid coagulation of proteins is less strong, formed by weak bonds between small casein particles and the whey is released worse. Therefore, to intensify the separation of whey, heating of the curd is required.

With the rennet-acid method of milk coagulation, cry runoff is formed by the combined effect of rennet and lactic acid. Under the influence of rennet, casein transforms into paracasein at the first stage, and a clot is formed from paracasein at the second stage. When casein transforms into paracasein, it shifts its isoelectric point from pH 4.6 to 5.2. Therefore, the formation of a clot under the influence of rennet occurs faster, at a lower acidity than when proteins are precipitated with lactic acid, the resulting clot has less acidity, and the technological process is accelerated by 2-4 hours. During rennet-acid coagulation, calcium bridges formed between large particles provide high strength to the clot. Such clots separate whey better than acidic ones, since the spatial structure of the protein is compacted faster in them. Therefore, heating the curd to intensify the separation of whey is not required.

Full-fat and semi-fat cottage cheese is produced using the rennet-acid method, which reduces the loss of fat into whey. During acid coagulation, calcium salts are released into the whey, and during rennet-acid coagulation, they are retained in the curd. This must be taken into account when producing cottage cheese for children who need calcium for bone formation.

Good-quality fresh whole and skim milk with an acidity not exceeding 20 °T is used as raw material. Milk is normalized for fat, taking into account its protein content (by protein titer), which gives more accurate results.

Normalized and purified milk is sent for pasteurization at 78-80°C with a holding time of 20-30 s. The pasteurization temperature affects the physicochemical properties of the curd, which, in turn, affects the quality and yield of the finished product. Thus, at low pasteurization temperatures, the curd is not dense enough, since whey proteins are almost completely lost to the whey, and the yield of curd decreases. With increasing pasteurization temperature, the denaturation of whey proteins increases, which participate in the formation of the curd, increasing its strength and

Strengthening moisture-holding capacity. This reduces the intensity of whey separation and increases product yield. By regulating pasteurization and curd processing modes and selecting starter strains, it is possible to obtain curds with the desired rheological and moisture-retaining properties.

G.N. Mokhno proposed to increase the pasteurization temperature of the mixture for cottage cheese to 90 °C in order to completely precipitate whey proteins and increase the yield of cottage cheese by 20-25%; in this case, there are no difficulties in separating the whey from the clot.

Pasteurized milk is cooled to the fermentation temperature (in the warm season up to 28-30, in the cold - up to 30-32 ° C) and sent to special baths for the production of cottage cheese. The starter for the production of cottage cheese is made from pure cultures of mesophilic lactic acid streptococci and added to milk in an amount of 1 to 5%. Some experts recommend adding Str. acetoinicus. The duration of ripening after adding the starter is 6-8 hours.

With the accelerated fermentation method, 2.5% of the starter prepared from cultures of mesophilic streptococcus and 2.5% of thermophilic lactic acid streptococcus are added to the milk. The ripening temperature with the accelerated method increases in the warm season to 35, in the cold season - up to 38 ° C. The duration of milk fermentation is reduced by 2-3.5 hours, while the release of whey from the curd occurs more intensely.

To improve the quality of cottage cheese, it is advisable to use a direct method of preparing the starter using sterilized milk, which allows you to reduce the dose of ferment to 0.8-1% while guaranteeing its purity.

With the rennet-acid method of producing cottage cheese, after adding the starter, add a 40% solution of calcium chloride (at the rate of 400 g of anhydrous salt per 1 ton of milk), prepared in water boiled and cooled to 40-45 ° C. Calcium chloride restores the ability of pasteurized milk to form, under the influence of rennet, a dense curd that separates whey well. Immediately after this, rennet or pepsin is added to the milk in the form of a 1% solution at the rate of 1 g per 1 ton of milk. Rennet is dissolved in water boiled and cooled to 35 °C. In order to increase its activity, a pepsin solution is prepared with acidic clarified whey 5-8 hours before use. To speed up the turnover of curd baths, milk is fermented to an acidity of 32-35 ° T in tanks, and then Then they pump it into curd baths and add Calcium chloride and enzyme.

The readiness of the curd is determined by its acidity (for fatty and semi-fat cottage cheese it should be 58-60, for low-fat cottage cheese - 75-80 °T) and visually the curd should be dense, give even smooth edges at the break with the release of transparent greenish whey. Fermentation with the acid method lasts 6-8 hours, with the rennet-acid method - 4-6, with the use of an active acid-forming starter - 3-4 hours. It is important to correctly determine the end of ripening, since an under-fermented curd results in sour curd with a spreadable consistency.

To speed up the release of whey, the finished curd is cut with special wire knives into cubes with a side size of 2 cm. With the acid method, the cut clot is heated to 36-38 ° C to intensify the release of whey and kept for 15-20 minutes, after which it is removed. With rennet-acid - the cut curd without heating is left alone for 40-60 minutes for intensive release of whey.

To further separate the whey, the curd is self-pressed and pressed. To do this, it is poured into calico or lavsan bags of 7-9 kg (70% of the bag’s capacity), they are tied and placed in several rows in a press trolley. Under the influence of its own mass, whey is released from the clot. Self-pressing occurs in the workshop at a temperature not higher than 16 ° C and lasts for at least 1 hour. The end of self-pressing is determined visually, by the surface of the curd, which loses its shine and becomes dull. Then the cottage cheese is pressed under pressure until ready. During the pressing process, the bags of cottage cheese are shaken and rearranged several times. To avoid an increase in acidity, pressing must be carried out in rooms with an air temperature of 3-6 ° C, and upon completion, the curd must be immediately cooled to a temperature not exceeding 8 ° C using coolers of various designs; the most advanced of them is the two-cylinder one.

The finished product is packaged using automatic machines into small and large containers. Cottage cheese is packaged in clean, steamed wooden tubs or clean aluminum, steel, tinned wide-neck flasks or cardboard boxes with liners made of parchment or plastic film. Cottage cheese is packaged in small packages in the form of bars weighing 0.25; 0.5 and 1 kg, wrapped in parchment or cellophane, as well as in cardboard boxes, bags, glasses made of various polymer materials, packed in boxes with a net weight of no more than 20 kg.

Cottage cheese is stored until sale for no more than 36 hours at a chamber temperature of no higher than 8 ° C and a humidity of 80-85%. If the shelf life is exceeded due to ongoing enzymatic processes, defects begin to develop in the curd.

Curd makers with a pressing bath are used to produce all types of cottage cheese, while the labor-intensive process of pressing cottage cheese in bags is eliminated.

The curd maker consists of two double-walled baths with a capacity of 2000 liters with a tap for draining the whey and a hatch for unloading the curd. Pressing baths with perforated walls are fixed above the baths, onto which filter fabric is pulled. Using a hydraulic drive, the pressing bath can be raised up or lowered almost to the bottom of the ripening bath.

Accordingly prepared milk enters the baths.

Here leaven, solutions of calcium chloride and rennet are added to it and, just as with the usual method of producing cottage cheese, it is left for ripening. The finished cry stock is cut with knives included in the curd maker kit and kept for 30-40 minutes. During this time*, a significant amount of whey is released, which is removed from the bath with a separator (a perforated cylinder covered with filter fabric). In its lower part there is a pipe that slides into the bathtub pipe. The separated whey enters the sampler through a filter fabric and a perforated surface and exits the bath through a pipe. This preliminary removal of whey increases the efficiency of pressing the curd.

For pressing, the perforated bath is quickly lowered down until it comes into contact with the surface of the curd. The speed of immersion of the pressing bath into the curd is set depending on its quality and the type of curd being produced. The separated whey passes through a filter fabric and a perforated surface and is collected inside a pressing bath, from where it is pumped out every 15-20 minutes.

The downward movement of the pressing bath is stopped by the lower limit switch when a space filled with pressed curd remains between the surfaces of the baths. This distance is established during experimental production of cottage cheese. Depending on the type of cottage cheese produced, the duration of pressing is 3-4 hours for full-fat cottage cheese, 2-3 hours for low-fat cottage cheese, 1-1.5 hours for low-fat cottage cheese. With the accelerated ripening method, the duration of pressing full-fat and semi-fat cottage cheese is reduced by 1-1.5 hours.

At the end of pressing, the perforated bath is lifted, and the curd is unloaded through the hatch into the carts. The cart with cottage cheese is lifted upward and tipped over the cooler hopper, from where the cooled cottage cheese is supplied for packaging.

The mechanized line Ya9-OPT-5 with a milk production capacity of 5000 l/h is the most advanced and is used for the production of semi-fat, “Peasant” and low-fat cottage cheese. The finished curd is mixed for 2-5 minutes and fed into a direct-flow jacketed heater using a screw pump. Here the curd is quickly (4.5-7 minutes) heated to a temperature of 42-54 °C (depending on the type of cottage cheese) by supplying hot water (70-90 °C) into the jacket. The heated curd is cooled to 8-12 °C in a water cooler (25-40 °C) and sent to a two-cylinder dehydrator covered with filter fabric. The moisture content in the finished curd is regulated by changing the angle of inclination of the dehydrator drum or by changing the temperature of heating and cooling of the curd.

The finished cottage cheese is sent for packaging and then into the refrigeration chamber for further cooling.

In order to reserve cottage cheese in the spring and summer periods of the year, it is frozen. The quality of defrosted cottage cheese depends on the freezing method. During slow freezing, cottage cheese acquires a grainy and crumbly consistency due to the freezing of moisture in the form of large ice crystals. With rapid freezing, moisture simultaneously freezes in the form of small crystals throughout the entire mass of cottage cheese, which do not destroy its structure, and after defrosting, the original consistency and structure characteristic of it are restored. After defrosting, even the elimination of the undesirable grainy consistency is observed due to the destruction of grains of cottage cheese by small ice crystals. Cottage cheese is frozen in packaged form - in blocks of 7-10 kg and briquettes of 0.5 kg at a temperature of -25 to -30 ° C in thermally insulated continuous freezers to a temperature in the center of the block of -18 and -25 ° C for 1 .5-3 hours. Frozen blocks are placed in cardboard boxes and stored at the same temperatures for 8 and 12 months, respectively. Defrosting of cottage cheese is carried out at a temperature not exceeding 20°C for 12 hours.

PRODUCTION OF COOK COOK BY SEPARATE METHOD

With this production method (Fig. 8), milk intended for the production of cottage cheese is heated in a plate apparatus to 40-45 ° C and separated to obtain cream with a fat mass fraction of at least 50-55%. Cream is pasteurized

The product is placed in a plate pasteurization-cooling unit at 90°C, cooled to 2-4°C and sent for temporary storage.

Skim milk is pasteurized at 78-80 °C for 20 seconds, cooled to 30-34 °C and sent to a tank for ripening, equipped with a special mixer. Sourdough, calcium chloride and enzyme are also added here, the mixture is thoroughly mixed and left to ferment until the acidity of the curd is 90-100°T, since when separating a curd with less acidity, the separator nozzles may become clogged.

The resulting curd is thoroughly mixed and pumped into a plate heat exchanger, where it is first heated to 60-62 °C and then cooled to 28-32 °C, due to which it is better separated into the protein part and whey. From the heat exchanger, the curd is fed under pressure into the curd separator, where it is separated into whey and curd.

When producing full-fat cottage cheese, dehydration by separation is carried out to a mass fraction of moisture in the curd of 75-76%, and when producing semi-fat cottage cheese - to a mass fraction of moisture of 78-79%. The resulting curd mass is cooled on a plate cooler to 8 °C, ground on a rolling machine until

Obtaining a homogeneous consistency. The cooled cottage cheese is sent to a kneading machine, where pasteurized chilled cream is supplied by a dosing pump, everything is thoroughly mixed. The finished cottage cheese is packaged on automatic machines and sent to a storage chamber.

Using the technology described above, full-fat, semi-fat, “Peasant”, soft dietary, and soft dietary fruit and berry cottage cheese are obtained.

Soft dietary cottage cheese is produced by fermenting pasteurized (85-90 °C) skim milk with pure cultures of lactic acid streptococci, removing part of the whey by separation, and then adding cream to the low-fat cottage cheese. To do this, leaven, calcium chloride and rennet solution (1-1.2 g/t) are added to pasteurized and cooled to 28-34 °C skim milk with stirring. The mixture is fermented until the acidity of the curd is 90-110°T (pH 4.3-4.5) or up to 85-90°T (accelerated fermentation). The finished curd is thoroughly mixed with a stirrer (5-10 minutes) and, using a pump, is sent to a plate heat exchanger, where it is first heated to 60-62 °C for better whey separation, and then cooled to 28-32 °C. Next, the curd is crushed using a mesh filter and goes to the cottage cheese separator - the manufacturer to obtain low-fat cottage cheese.

The resulting cottage cheese is first pumped to a tubular cooler, where it is cooled to 8 ° C and fed to a mixer - dispenser for mixing with pasteurized (85-90 ° C with holding time for 15-20 s) and cooled (to 10-17 ° C) cream with mass fraction of fat 50-55%

Soft dietary cottage cheese must contain a mass fraction of fat of at least 11%, moisture 73%: its acidity should not exceed 210 °T. The cottage cheese should have a pure fermented milk taste, a delicate, uniform consistency, slightly spreadable, a white color with a creamy tint, uniform throughout the mass.

Soft dietary fruit and berry cottage cheese is produced with syrups, which are first thoroughly mixed in a separate container with cream and served in a mixer-dispenser for mixing with cottage cheese. Low-fat soft dietary fruit and berry cottage cheese is also produced.

The finished product is machine-packed into boxes, cups or bags made of polymer materials, which are then placed in boxes and sent to the refrigerator for storage at a temperature of 2 °C.

The product's shelf life is no more than 36 hours from the date of production at a temperature not exceeding 8 °C."

Homemade cheese is made fat (4% fat) and low-fat. It is a cheese mass made from individual grains, white (for fat) with a slightly yellowish tint. The taste of the product is delicate, slightly salty, the smell is sour milk. The mass fraction of fat in homemade cheese is 4.3 and 20%, low-fat cheese - 0.4, salt no more than 1, moisture no more than 78.3 and 79%, respectively; the acidity of the product is not higher than 150 °T. To produce it, skim milk with an acidity of no higher than 19°T and cream with a mass fraction of fat of 30% and an acidity of no higher than 17°T are used.

The cream is pre-pasteurized at 95-97 °C for 30 minutes (to impart a pasteurization flavor), homogenized at a temperature of 26-30 °C and a pressure of 12.5-13 MPa, after which it is cooled to 4-8 °C. Skim milk is pasteurized at 75 °C for 18-20 s, cooled to 30-32 °C and fermented in a bath. The starter contains Str. lactis, Str. diacetilactis, Str. cremoris in a ratio of 2:1; : 2. If the starter is added in an amount of 5-8%, ripening continues for 6-8 hours, if in an amount of 1-3%, then 12-16 hours at a temperature of 21-23 °C. In addition to the starter culture, calcium chloride is added to the milk in the form of a solution (400 g of anhydrous salt per 1 ton of milk) and a 1% solution of rennet (1 g per 1 ton of milk).

The readiness of the curd is determined by the acidity of the whey, which should be 45-57°T (pH 4.7-4.9), and the strength of the curd. The finished curd is cut with wire knives into cubes with an edge size of 12.5-14.5 mm and left alone for 20-30 minutes. During the aging process, acidity increases, whey is better separated and the curd thickens (dries out). After this, to reduce the acidity of the whey to 36-40°T, water is added to the bath (at 46°C) so that the level in the bath rises by 50 mm, the curd is heated by introducing hot water into the bath jacket. Heating is carried out so that first the temperature of the curd increases at a rate of 1 °C in 10 minutes, then until the temperature rises to 48-55 °C - 1 °C in 2 minutes. The acidity of the curd during heating should not increase by more than 3°T (i.e., up to 39-43°T). Upon reaching a temperature of 48-55°T, the curd grain is kneaded for 30-60 minutes in order to compact it. The readiness of the grain is determined by the compression test: when lightly squeezed in the hand, it should retain its shape and not knead.

When the curd grain is ready, the whey-1 cup is removed from the bath and water at a temperature of 16-17 ° C is poured into it, in which the grain is washed, cooling for 15-20 minutes. Then it is washed with cold water (2-4°C). "The volume of water should be equal to the volume of whey removed. Then the water is drained, and the grain is moved to the walls of the bath so that a gutter is formed in the middle for the whey to drain. Fillers are added to the dried grain (mass fraction of moisture no more than 80%) and mixed thoroughly. Salt pre-dissolved in 8-10 times the amount of cream. Ready homemade cheese is packaged in small containers - boxes designed for 500 g, cardboard glasses with a polymer coating and polymer glasses for 200, 250 and 500 g, as well as in wide-neck flasks and cardboard boxes with paper lining and polymer coating, designed for 20 kg.

Terms of sale of Homemade cheese: at room temperature no more than 24 hours, at 8-10 °C no more than 5 days, and at 2-4 °C no more than 7 days.

* The calculations use average data for Russia

Cottage cheese is a healthy fermented milk product that is obtained by fermenting fresh milk and then removing whey from it and which contains valuable, easily digestible proteins, carbohydrates, fats, nutrients, vitamins and microelements necessary for humans.

Cottage cheese prepared in the traditional way is classified according to its fat content. According to GOST R, cottage cheese can be low-fat, low-fat (1.8%), classic (4-18%) and full-fat (19-23%). Accordingly, cottage cheese differs in calorie content. One hundred grams of full-fat cottage cheese contains over 200 kilocalories, half-fat cottage cheese contains 160 kcal, and low-fat cottage cheese contains about 80-85 kcal. Research shows that the greatest demand is for fatty and semi-fat types of cottage cheese. Low-fat and low-fat cottage cheese are somewhat inferior to them in taste, but these types are used for the production of various cottage cheese products, including creams, cheese curds, curd masses with various additives and fillers, curd desserts, etc.

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Depending on the method of coagulation of milk proteins, cottage cheese is divided into acidic and acid-rennet. Acid cottage cheese is prepared from skim milk by fermenting the raw material with special starter cultures. Under the influence of lactic acid, which is released during lactic fermentation when starters are added to milk, the protein coagulates. Unlike acid curd, when producing acid-rennet curd, both rennet enzyme (or pepsin) and lactic acid bacteria starters are used to coagulate milk proteins.

So, cottage cheese is a nutritious, healthy and tasty product that is suitable for both children's and diet food. Its production is profitable and quickly pays for itself.

“Documentary” issue of organizing cottage cheese production

To open a cottage cheese production, you must first choose the organizational and legal form of running your business and obtain the necessary permits. You can register as an individual entrepreneur or open an LLC. Both cases have their advantages and disadvantages. The main difference between an LLC and an individual entrepreneur is the level of responsibility to creditors. If the LLC is declared bankrupt and the company’s property is not enough to pay off its debts, the founder will be obliged to pay creditors an amount not exceeding the authorized capital. An individual entrepreneur will repay the debts of his company at the expense of all his property. At the same time, the administrative responsibility of an individual entrepreneur is lower than that of an LLC. Another significant difference is the taxation system. When choosing a traditional tax system, an LLC will spend more on taxes than an individual entrepreneur. In addition, the company will have to maintain accounting records, for which it will be necessary to hire an accountant. On the other hand, if you ever want to sell your share of the business, it will be easier to do this in the LLC format.

There is also an “image” nuance. As a rule, trust on the part of partners is higher in an LLC than in an individual entrepreneur. Although at first you will hardly notice the difference. If you do not plan to work on a large scale from the very beginning, then experts advise giving preference to individual entrepreneurs, since it is easier and cheaper to register.

When registering, you will need to select an OKVED code. In our case, this is 15.51.14 “Production of cottage cheese and cheese and curd products.” When you have already found a suitable production facility, you will need to obtain permits from the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service (SES) and the fire inspectorate. To do this, you must submit a copy of the state registration certificate of the enterprise, a copy of the taxpayer’s certificate, a lease agreement with the owner of the premises or territory, a technological production map, a list of equipment used at the facility, indicate the capacity of the facility, the number of employees and data on medical examinations, a plan of the rented premises , where the equipment is installed, a project for the reconstruction of the premises (if its original functions are changed) and the conclusion of the SES on the approval of this project, a passport for the ventilation system, a disinfection agreement, a statistical certificate with a seal.

To carry out production activities you also need to obtain a license. To do this, a package of documents is submitted to the licensing organization, which includes applications of the established form, copies of constituent documents and a receipt for payment of the state duty. After inspection of your workshop, a permit valid for at least five years is issued.

Since cottage cheese is a product of the dairy industry, its certification is also required immediately after the launch of your production. For domestically produced cottage cheese, a declaration of conformity is issued OKP 922290 Cottage cheese (922291 Cottage cheese from 0.1% to 9.0% fat content, 922292 Cottage cheese from 10.0% to 17.0% fat content, 922293 Cottage cheese from 18.0% or more fat content, 922294 Cottage cheese, grains, 922295 Cottage cheese for baby food). This document confirms the quality and safety of your cottage cheese and is issued either for mass-produced products (for a period of no more than three years) or for a batch of cottage cheese (for the shelf life of the products included in this batch). If you do not have experience in issuing certificates and are not well versed in these issues, then it is best to seek help from a specialized intermediary company. This way you will save a lot of effort and time. To obtain a certificate, you will need to prepare the following documents: application for certification, contract, constituent documentation, label layouts, phytosanitary registration certificate, veterinary certificate.

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The cottage cheese you produce must comply with the established GOST standards: GOST R 52096-2003 “Cottage cheese. Technical specifications" (please note, this standard does not apply to products enriched with vitamins, micro- and macroelements, probiotic cultures and prebiotic substances), GOST 31534-2012 "Grained cottage cheese. Technical conditions".

If you care about the quality of your products, then from the very beginning you should take care of creating your own production laboratory, equipped with all the necessary equipment to control the quality of the raw materials supplied to you. Requirements for the organization of production microbiological laboratories are given in the “Methodological recommendations for the organization of production microbiological control at dairy industry enterprises”, approved on February 7, 2008. The production laboratory of dairy industry enterprises and the organization of its activities must comply with the requirements of sanitary rules SP 1.2.731-99 “Safety work with microorganisms of groups III-IV pathogenic™ and helminths", SanPiN 2.3.4.551-96 "Production of milk and dairy products" and "Methodological recommendations for organizing production microbiological control at milk processing enterprises" MP 2.3.2.2327-08.

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Of course, setting up a laboratory will require additional and tangible costs, but they will quickly pay off if you care about the reputation of your company. In addition, it makes sense to think about developing and approving your own technical specifications for products.

Cottage cheese production workshop

SanPiN 2.3.4.551-96 “Production of milk and dairy products” (approved by Resolution of the State Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision of the Russian Federation dated October 4, 1996 N 23) sets out in detail all the requirements for the territory for the construction of a workshop, production and auxiliary premises, water supply and sewerage, lighting, heating, ventilation, environmental protection, technological equipment, inventory, utensils, their sanitary treatment, as well as all technological processes. First of all, the premises you rent or purchase must have enough space (the area of ​​the main workshop must be at least 30 square meters). Even if you do not plan to open your own laboratory from the very beginning, you need to

It is necessary to have running water, sewerage, electricity and a ventilation system. The water used for the workshop can be artesian, but must meet the drinking water requirements in accordance with GOST 2874-82. The walls in the workshop must be tiled to a height of more than two meters, the floors must be non-slippery, waterproof and resistant to acids. The walls of household, auxiliary and storage rooms are painted in light colors.

The cost of project development for the construction of a mini-factory from scratch will be from 70 thousand rubles. Such a project, as a rule, includes a general explanatory note, architectural and construction solutions, master plan and transport, engineering equipment, networks and systems, technological solutions, and environmental protection provisions.

Cottage cheese production technology

There are two main methods of producing cottage cheese, depending on the method of curd formation: acid and rennet. The first method is used to prepare low-fat and low-fat cottage cheese with a delicate consistency. In this case, acid coagulation of proteins is carried out by fermenting milk with bacteria. Accordingly, in the second method, in which the curd is formed due to the direct influence of rennet and, accordingly, the loss of fat into the whey is reduced, curd of medium and high fat content is obtained.

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The technological process of producing cottage cheese in the traditional way includes the following stages: receiving milk, normalizing milk to the required state, cleaning and pasteurizing milk, cooling milk to fermentation temperature, adding starter and rennet to milk, fermenting milk, cutting the curd, separating whey, cooling cottage cheese, packaging, packaging and storage of finished products.

Reception of milk is carried out by a trained and certified laboratory assistant using equipment and methods in accordance with GOST 26809-86 “Milk and dairy products. Acceptance rules, sampling methods and preparation of samples for analysis”, GOST 28283-89 “Method of organoleptic assessment of smell and taste”. The starting raw material for preparing cottage cheese in the traditional way is fresh whole skim milk with an acidity of no higher than 20°T, which is pasteurized at a temperature of 79-80°C for 20-30 seconds. It is extremely important to maintain this temperature regime, as this is the main condition for the high quality of the finished product. At low temperatures, the resulting curd is not dense enough, so whey proteins almost completely go into the whey, and the yield of curd is significantly reduced. As the temperature increases, the denaturation of whey proteins increases, as a result of which the intensity of whey separation decreases and the yield of curd increases. To increase the fat content of the product using the separate method, pasteurized cream is added to it.

Pasteurized milk is cooled to fermentation temperature. This temperature directly depends on the time of year: in the spring-summer period, milk is cooled to 28-30°C, and in the cold season - to 30-32°C. The cooled milk is then sent to baths to make curds. The starter for the production of cottage cheese is made using pure cultures of mesophilic lactic acid streptococci. It is added to milk in an amount of 1-5%. The duration of ripening is from 6 to 8 hours. To speed up this process, add 2.5% starter culture prepared from cultures of mesophilic streptococcus and 2.5% thermophilic lactic acid streptococcus to the milk. In the warm season, ripening using the accelerated method is carried out at a temperature of 35°C, and in the cold season - up to 38°C. In this case, you can reduce the duration of milk fermentation by 2-3.5 hours.

To improve the quality of the product, experts advise using a direct method of preparing the starter using sterilized milk, which allows you to reduce the dose of starter to 1%.

When using the acid-rennet method of producing cottage cheese in the traditional way, immediately after adding the starter to the milk, a 40% solution of calcium chloride (400 g of anhydrous salt per 1 ton of milk), prepared in boiled water at a temperature of 40-45 ° C, is also added. Thanks to calcium chloride, pasteurized milk can again form a fairly dense curd that separates whey well under the action of rennet. At the next stage, rennet (or pepsin) is added to the milk in the form of a 1% solution at the rate of 1 gram per 1 ton of milk. The enzyme is first dissolved in boiled water at a temperature of 35°C. A pepsin solution to increase its activity is prepared in advance (at least five hours before use) using acidic clarified whey. To speed up the process of making cottage cheese, milk is fermented to an acidity of 32-35°T in special tanks and only then pumped into curd baths. Enzyme and calcium chloride are added to the raw materials prepared in this way.

The ripening process when using the acid method takes about six hours, and when using the acid-rennet method - 4-6 hours. The use of an active acid-forming starter allows you to reduce this time by 1.5-2 times - up to 3-4 hours. The degree of readiness of the curd can be determined by the level of its acidity. For low-fat cottage cheese this indicator should be 75-80°T, and for fatty and semi-fat types - 58-60°T. In addition, the clot is assessed visually. Normally, it should be quite dense and at the break have even smooth edges with the release of a transparent greenish serum. It is very important to determine the end of ripening in time, otherwise you will get a sour, sticky spreadable mass, and not tasty grainy curd.

To speed up the release of whey, the finished curd is cut using special wire knives into cubes with a side size of 2 cm. When using the acid-rennet production method, the cut curd is left for about another hour for intensive release of whey, then it is subjected to self-pressing and pressing. At this stage, the cut cubes are placed in calico or lavsan bags with a volume of 7-9 kg, more than half filled. The bags are then tied and placed in several rows on press carts. Under the influence of its own mass, whey is released from the clot. This process, called self-pressing, is carried out in the workshop at a temperature of no more than 16°C and takes about an hour. The readiness of the mass is determined by eye: the surface of the clot loses its shine and becomes matte. After this, it is pressed until ready. Periodically, bags of cottage cheese are shaken and rearranged several times. Pressing should be carried out at an air temperature of 3-6°C. Higher temperatures lead to increased acidity and spoilage of the finished product. After pressing, the cottage cheese is sent to coolers, then packed on automatic machines into containers of the required volume. Cottage cheese is packaged in small packages in the form of bars weighing 0.25; 0.5 and 1 kg, wrapped in parchment and/or cellophane, bags, glasses made of polymer materials. The finished product, according to TU 9222-180-11419785-04, is stored for sale for no more than 72 hours at a temperature of 2-8°C and air humidity of 80-85%.

Workshop equipment and workers

To produce cottage cheese, a whole complex of equipment is used for receiving, cooling, processing, storing and transporting raw materials. So, for example, received milk is stored in tanks - metal containers, pumped using pumps, received using milk meters (scales), processed by milk separators, pasteurizers, filters, etc.

The main part of the line includes cottage cheese makers with pressing baths, water-heated curd baths, installations for pressing and cooling cottage cheese. Among coolers, two-cylinder designs are considered the most successful.

In addition to this equipment, you will also need filling and packaging machines, equipment for storing and transporting finished products.

The minimum cost of such equipment is 2,450,000 rubles, not counting the costs of transportation and commissioning.

To operate a mini-factory, a staff of 6-10 workers will be required. All of them must undergo a medical examination, training and be certified in hygienic training, and have valid medical records. The procedure for undergoing hygienic training and certification was approved by Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation dated June 29, 2000 No. 229. The frequency of medical examinations, a list of medical specialists, laboratory and functional tests, as well as a list of contraindications to work are given in Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 302n dated 12 April 2011

In addition, you will need an accountant and a sales manager.

Prospects, expenses and income

In general, competition in the field of milk processing and, in particular, the production of fermented milk products is assessed as average. According to experts, in many regions this area is promising and deserves attention.

The total investment in the creation of a mini-factory for the production of cottage cheese and other cottage cheese products is estimated at 5,500,000 rubles. The payback period is at least two years with stable operation and fulfillment of plans for the production and sale of finished products. In general, the profitability of production in the curd industry is 7-10%.

A ready-made business for the production of pasteurized milk and kefir drink packaged in plastic bags, sour cream and cottage cheese packaged in plastic containers, and Adyghe cheese packaged in plastic containers will cost approximately the same amount (5.5-6 million rubles). The volume of such production is 3000 liters of milk (reception, cleaning, processing with production and storage of the above products). On the one hand, a ready-made business seems to be a more profitable option, primarily due to already established relationships with suppliers, retail chains, individual stores, and an established staff... However, if you are going to purchase an already operating business, it is advisable to first consult with a specialist who will be able to assess all risks and prospects.

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Cottage cheese is a protein fermented milk product made from milk by fermentation, followed by the removal of part of the whey and the pressing of the protein mass. Cottage cheese is made from whole, normalized or skim milk. Cottage cheese comes in: fat – 18%, semi-fat – 9%, low-fat.

Organoleptic indicators.

The taste and smell are clean, fermented milk, the consistency is soft and homogeneous, for fatty it is allowed soft, for low-fat it is crumbly. Color – white, with a cream tint.

Microorganic indicators.

E. coli bacteria are not allowed in 0.01g of product. Salmonella is not allowed in 25g of product. Staphylococcus aureus is not allowed in 0.1g of product.

The composition of cottage cheese protein includes essential amino acids, methionine and choline - recommended for diseases of the cardiovascular system. The milk fat of cottage cheese is absorbed by 95%.

Methods for producing cottage cheese.

1 Acidic.

2 Acid rennet.

3 Separate (adding high-fat cream to the cottage cheese).

In acidic: casein coagulation occurs under the influence of lactic acid. With this method, the curd has a good consistency, however, when producing fatty cottage cheese, the whey is more difficult to separate. The most cost-effective.

Acid rennet? coagulation occurs under the influence of lactic acid and rennet or pepsin. Rennet enhances the process of separating whey from the curd.

General technological scheme.

1 Reception and preparation of raw materials.

2 Purification of milk from mechanical impurities. t 25-45 degrees C.

3 Homogenization P – 6 MPa, t – 50 degrees C.

4 Cool the milk to t – 4 degrees C, store for no more than 6 hours.

5 Normalization and heating. Carry out taking into account the mass fraction of protein, depending on the normalization coefficient for each type of cottage cheese.

6 Pasteurization t -78 degrees C, 10-20 seconds. Increased pasteurization regimes will promote protein denaturation, this increases density and impairs whey separation.

7 Storing milk. Cooling to 4 degrees C, storage no more than 6 hours.

8 (Acidic). Fermentation t – 30 degrees C in summer, 32-35 in winter. Mesophilic lactic acid streptococci are used. When using symbiotic starters, ripening at t – 32 degrees Celsius.

8’ (Acid rennet). Adding calcium chloride and milk-clotting enzymes to milk. Calcium chloride is added: 400g of anhydrous calcium chloride salt per 1t of milk, in the form of a 40% solution. After this, add rennet at the rate of 1g per 1t of milk.

9 Fermentation. The end of ripening is determined by the acidity of the curd. For 18% and 9% cottage cheese – acidity 61 degreesT, for low-fat cottage cheese 65 degreesT, ripening 6-10 hours (for acid-rennet). For acidic 18% and 9% - 75 degreesT, low-fat - 85 degreesT, ripening duration 8 - 12 hours.

10 Curd processing and cooling. Cutting into curd grains, the whey begins to separate (syneresis), and the whey is removed from the curd bath.

11 Self-pressing and pressing of the curd. Pressing is carried out when the moisture mass fraction reaches 65 - 73%. For pressing, the curd grain is placed in lavsan bags, tied and placed on a prestle. . Under the influence of its own mass, whey continues to be released, this process lasts no more than an hour at t - 15-17 degrees C. The end of the process is determined visually by the disappearance of shine from the surface of the clot. The curd is then pressed using various installations where cooling and pressing take place. At the same time, the temperature of the cottage cheese is 8 – 10 degrees C. Additional cooling to t – 6-8 degrees C.

12 Packaging. Consumer packaging – parchment, foil, cups; transport packaging – aluminum containers, plastic boxes up to 15 kg.

13 Storage. No more than 36 hours at t< 8градС.

Defects of cottage cheese and methods for their prevention.

Defects of taste and smell.

1 Fodder taste - transmitted from milk; in the autumn-winter period a slight fodder taste and low-fat cottage cheese are allowed.

2 Unclean, old, musty taste and smell. Caused by poorly washed containers, storage in poorly ventilated areas, and the development of microorganisms.

3 Excessively sour taste. Failure to comply with fermentation temperature conditions, increased lactic acid fermentation; prolongation of self-pressing and pressing time, untimely cooling.

4 Acetic-sour taste and smell. Development of acetic acid bacteria due to elevated storage temperatures.

5 rancid taste. With the development of butyric acid bacteria in cottage cheese, which secrete the enzyme lipase, they develop if pasteurization regimes are not followed.

6 Bitter taste. Due to the quality of raw materials.

Consistency defects.

1 Rough, dry, crumbly. Increased heating temperature during curd processing and excessive crushing.

2 Rubbery consistency. It is typical for cottage cheese produced using the acid-rennet method when high doses of rennet are added.

3 Spreadable consistency. When fermenting cottage cheese.

4 Swelling. Caused by yeast when the curd is not cooled sufficiently at elevated storage temperatures.

5 Isolation of serum. Insufficient pressing.

6 Sliming and molding of cottage cheese. It is observed when packaging is loose, when the lid does not fit tightly to the cottage cheese, and when temperature and humidity conditions are violated.