Cheesemakers didn’t always have access to plastic packaging materials. It wasn’t until after World War II that plastic packaging became popular in the dairy industry. So, what did cheesemakers do before that?

As the name implies, mixed milk cheeses are produced by blending any combination of cow, sheep, and/or goat milk. These cheeses provide an opportunity for cheesemakers to produce products with unique flavor profiles. 

In the 1970s, some companies began producing cheese in large 640-pound blocks to reduce handling and packaging costs.

CheeseExpo, a biennial event hosted by Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR), returns from April 16 to 18 at the Baird Center in Milwaukee, Wis. 

Cheese judging and grading are important activities performed by the cheese industry, but both play very different roles.

Cheesemakers are constantly striving to make high quality cheese by avoiding the occurrence of any unwanted attributes or defects.

The specialty cheese category is continuing to grow as consumers are looking for new and interesting cheeses with unique flavors and attributes.

Eighteen of the 26 businesses are receiving a DBIA grant for the first time, and 12 are farmsteads.  

Packaging is essential to maintaining and protecting the quality of the cheese product as well as attracting the eye of consumers. The Center for Dairy Research is investigating methods to produce bioplastics from dairy waste and looking into producing pure lactic acid, a renewable and biodegradable bioplastic, from the biofermentation of cheese whey.

April event to feature education seminars, special events and networking opportunities.