NEW YORK — IFF has launched a new high-performing cheese starter culture aimed at cheddar cheese manufacturers.

Choozit Vintage is designed to mitigate common issues in the production of aged cheddar, such as gas and crystal formation or color and texture defects. These issues can inhibit process efficiency and improvement, yield and whey quantity.

“Choozit Vintage is an easy-to-use culture that helps manufacturers overcome undesirable flavor development such as bitterness during aging, delivering highly reliable pH and texture results throughout the ripening process,” said Annie Mornet, senior global product manager for cheese at IFF. “Our extensive trials have demonstrated an increase in savory notes with Choozit Vintage. Cheddar cheese manufacturers can now be confident in achieving consistent, well-balanced flavors and a smooth, clean-cut texture in every batch.”   

The Choozit starter is part of the company’s high-performing culture range that includes seven rotations of blended mesophilic and thermophilic direct-to-vat cultures.

The launch comes just over a month after IFF sold its savory solutions group, which developed ingredients for butchers and plant-based systems, for approximately $900 million.