Dive Brief:
- Chr. Hansen has developed a coagulant said to boost cheese yields by up to 1%, FoodBev reported. CHY-MAX Supreme is the result of five years of research and is the third generation of the Danish company's fermentation-produced chymosin range of coagulants, FoodBev said.
- CHY-MAX Supreme is also designed to help cheesemakers deliver greater commercial returns. The company said the ingredient can produce more milk and cheese in less time, and also allows for better slicing and grating.
- "We understand the challenges of modern cheesemakers who are under pressure to generate maximum value, increase flexibility, and meet customer demand for better functionality and convenient cheese formats. To accommodate those needs, we are delighted to bring our newest innovation to the market," Soeren Herskind, vice president of commercial development for Chr. Hansen, said in a release.
Dive Insight:
While Chr. Hansen didn't explain how the new coagulant works, Herskind said in the release that a "small but crucial change" to its CHY-MAX enzyme had made "a big difference across cheese production and functionality for Cheddar, Continental or Pasta Filata/Mozzarella cheese types."
The company said the CHY-MAX Supreme product enables cheesemakers to make more cheese from the same amount of milk. A 1% increased yield in global production equals more than 220 million kilograms, or about 485 million pounds, which could provide enough to meet annual consumption for 15 million U.S. consumers, Food Ingredients First said.
Cheesemakers are likely to want to try this new ingredient — and Chr. Hansen said two trial customers were already using it in production and other trials are ongoing — but the product hasn't been approved everywhere yet. Herskind said approval could take "a few months to a few years."
The number of cheese-producing companies seeking out the product could be limited in the U.S., though, since supplies are way up and prices are down. The Wall Street Journal reported in December that storage facilities are jammed with about 1.4 billion pounds of Swiss, cheddar, American and other types of cheese, so it's unlikely U.S. cheesemakers — such as Kraft Heinz, Tillamook and Darigold, among others — would seek out an ingredient designed to enhance production even more.
However, cheese manufacturers may want to check out CHY-MAX Supreme for its potential to cut production time and enhance slicing and grating since those advantages could give their products a competitive edge in a crowded segment.
The Danish food science powerhouse has recently unveiled other food innovations for different segments of the food business. One is a trademarked sweet potato variety, which is showing promise as a natural and vibrant red alternative to carmine and artificial food colors. Herskind said additional innovations were in the pipeline for the spring and fall.
Such launches appear to be helping Chr. Hansen on the revenue side. The company recently reported 9% organic revenue growth for its second quarter, and expected 9% to 11% organic growth for the year.