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Iowa's American-Type Cheese Plant Starter Culture Costs

Department of Food Technology, Iowa State University, Ames 50011

ABSTRACT

A survey of 10 dairy plants in Iowa manufacturing American-type cheese revealed that costs for starter culture programs ranged from $24.58 to $475.27/d. Labor costs for the starter portion of cheese making ranged from $2.50 to $85.60/d. Material costs ranged from $21.63 to $396.14/d. Equipment costs ranged from 0, where equipment had been depreciated, to $54.79/d. Material cost was the largest percentage of the total cost, ranging from 64.5 to 98.5%. Media costs, as a percent of the material costs, varied from 0 for the direct vat set system to 87% for bulk set. Starter costs per 45.36 kg of milk made into cheese ranged from 13.66¢ for direct vat set systems to 3.47 to 6.09¢ for external pH control systems used by the 4 largest milk plants. Starter costs for all plants, regardless of the system, were a small portion of the total cost of changing milk into cheese.