DSM Food Specialties and Tianjin University Establish Cheese Technology Institute

This training course will include an introduction into cheese processing technology, on-site production of Cheddar, Mozzarella or Processed Cheese, sensory evaluation plus an appreciation of cheese culture.

25 Mar 2010 --- DSM Food Specialties and Tianjin University of Technology & Science has announced the creation of the "Cheese Technology Institute" a dedicated online resource for cheese manufacturers in China. Visitors to www.cheeseinstitute.com can access details of the latest cheese research, manufacturing and application information plus facts about international cheese culture. It also clearly explains the cheese making process via text and video. DSM Food Specialties will help Tianjin University of Technology & Science build and run the "Cheese Institute" website.

“This website was established to increase cheese production in China. Although still less than most Western countries, cheese consumption has grown significantly in China over recent years with imports increasing year on year. In fact, 90% of current cheese consumption depends on imports,” comments Thomas Zhao, dairy area sales manager, DSM Food Specialties.

This increased consumption can be attributed to the fact that more and more young people enjoy eating cheese and this forms a good basis for development of the industry. In recent years, western fast food such as pizza has become increasingly popular and this has fuelled demand for cheese Mozzarella for example. It is estimated that from 2008 to 2010, the Chinese cheese market has been in a “preparation phase”; from 2010 to 2012, processed cheese will be the most fashionable cheese type; and from 2012 to 2018, authentic cheese will be produced and China will enter the cheese harvest stage.

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games also presented the cheese market with an exciting opportunity. Consumers became more familiar with the food’s nutritional value. Consumer lifestyles and tastes changed and as large numbers of foreigners came into China, more cheese was required. These factors helped boost cheese development in China. A similar effect was also witnessed in Japan after it held the Olympic Games in 1964 cheese production increased from 5,000 tons in 1962, to four million tons in 1972.  That is 800 times more cheese in just ten years.

The Shanghai World Expo will further help to promote the production of domestic western food in China, which links closely to the development of the cheese industry. It provides Chinese cheese manufacturers with an effective platform from which to rapidly advance the cheese industry.

In addition to the website, a cheese seminar and cheese technology training course is also scheduled for May 2010. This training course will include an introduction into cheese processing technology, on-site production of Cheddar, Mozzarella or Processed Cheese, sensory evaluation plus an appreciation of cheese culture.