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Starter Culture Costs in Iowa Cheddar Cheese Plants¹

Department of Dairy and Food Industry, Iowa State University, Ames

ABSTRACT

In developing Cheddar cheesemaking, suitable starter culture and rennet are of importance secondary only to milk. The initial cost of rennet per liter, or when calculated as cost per 0.454 kg of cheese, has been a tangible value. However, even if managers have determined their plant's starter costs, they may not have had an opportunity to compare them with those of other cheese factories. This information is provided.

Several points are immediately apparent. If culture media constitute about 70% of the daily starter cost and labor contributes another 20%, starter rooms and equipment, seed cultures, and other necessary materials appear less expensive. For most plants, more sophisticated culture procedure, including frequent rotation, use of liquid nitrogen, and phage-inhibitory media would not affect plant profits except, perhaps, to improve them. In view of the wide variation in labor costs in starter making, plant operators should study their present systems. The high cost of starter media suggests a need for research on this problem.

¹ Journal paper no. J-6020, Iowa Agricultural and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames. Project 1188.