Pizza cheese
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Pizza cheese encompasses several varieties and types of cheeses and dairy products that are designed and manufactured for use specifically on pizza. These include processed and modified cheese, such as mozzarella-like processed cheeses and mozzarella variants. The term can also refer to any type of cheese suitable for use on pizza.<ref name=johncorrell/> The most popular cheeses used in the preparation of pizza are mozzarella (accounting for about 30%), provolone, cheddar and Parmesan. Emmental, pecorino romano and ricotta are often used as toppings, and processed pizza cheeses manufactured specifically for pizza are mass-produced.<ref name="IrishTimes 2014"/> Some mass-produced pizza cheeses are frozen after manufacturing and shipped frozen.
Processed pizza cheese is manufactured to produce optimal qualities in browning, melting, stretchiness and fat and moisture content. Several studies and experiments have analyzed the impact of vegetable oil, manufacturing and culture processes,<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> denatured whey proteins<ref name="one"/><ref name="AJDT-2001"/> and other changes to create ideal and economical pizza cheeses.<ref name="Guinee 2000"/> In 1997, it was estimated that annual production of pizza cheese products was 1 million tons in the United States and 100,000 in Europe, and in 2000 demand for the product in Europe was increasing by 8% per year. The trend of steadily-increasing production and consumption of mozzarella and pizza cheese continued into the first decade of the 21st century in the United States.<ref name="Kindstedt 2012"/>
Varieties and types
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The International Dictionary of Food and Cooking defines pizza cheese as "a soft spun-curd cheese similar to Mozzarella made from cow's milk..." that is "...used particularly for pizzas and contains somewhat less water than real Mozzarella..."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Most are at least 95 percent mozzarella,<ref name="three">Template:Cite web</ref> with different moisture and fat densities.<ref name=johncorrell/><ref name="McMahon"/> Cheese for frozen pizzas may be comminuted, in which the cheese is processed into minute granules or fragments.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Low-moisture mozzarella can be formulated specifically for pizza.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Cheese may be processed into blocks, from which the product can be grated, made into granules or sliced for use on pizza<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or other foods. Pizza cheese frequently consists of a blend of two or more cheeses, such as low-moisture mozzarella or provolone.<ref name=johncorrell /> Low-moisture mozzarella was first manufactured in dairy factories in the Midwestern United States, and was originally called "pizza cheese".<ref name="CST 1998">Template:Cite web</ref> Compared to standard mozzarella, low-moisture mozzarella has a firmer texture, is easier to grate, has better browning and melting characteristics, and is less perishable.<ref name="CST 1998"/>
Globally, mozzarella is the most popular pizza cheese.<ref name="Howard 2014"/> However, it has been estimated that in the United States only 30% of all pizza cheese used is actual mozzarella.<ref name="forbes2007"/> Provolone is the second most popular one.<ref name=johncorrell /> Cheddar may be mixed with mozzarella to preserve chewiness.<ref name=johncorrell /> Grated Parmesan may be added to the top of a pizza, and typically does not melt well when cooked.<ref name=johncorrell /> A diverse variety of processed pizza cheeses are produced, including analogue cheese. Provel is one example. Other pizza cheeses include Emmental and pecorino romano;<ref name="Bittman 2010"/> Detroit-style pizza is noted for its use of Wisconsin brick cheese.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> Ricotta is used for calzones or as a topping.<ref name="Fraioli 2009"/><ref name="Adler Fertig 2014"/>
Several cheeses may be mixed together in its formulation, and each has individual browning and blistering characteristics.<ref name="Howard 2014"/> For example, a combination of mozzarella and Cheddar may blister less when cooked compared to other combinations, because cheddar has less elasticity, while mozzarella and provolone may brown less compared to other combinations.<ref name="Howard 2014"/>
Processed pizza cheeses
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Pasteurized and processed cheese-like products for pizza that are quicker and cheaper to produce than real cheese<ref name=beeb>Template:Cite web</ref> and designed to melt well and remain chewy are used on many mass-produced pizzas in North America and the United Kingdom.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> These products are referred to as analogue (or analog) pizza cheese;<ref>Advanced Dairy Chemistry – P. F. Fox, P. L. H. McSweeney – Google Books</ref> in the UK the term "cheese analogue" is used, making clear that it is not actually cheese. In the book Technology of Cheesemaking, editors Law and Tamimethat state that analogue pizza cheese appears to be the leading type of cheese analogue produced globally.<ref name="TechnologyofCheesemaking">Template:Cite book</ref> Each year in the United States, 700 million frozen pizzas are sold, three-quarters of which contain cheese substitutes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Analogue pizza cheeses may be formulated for processing with less sophisticated cheese-making equipment than is required for mozzarella cheese, such as using simple mixing and molding.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> They tend to have a soft texture and once melted, may have a slightly "stringy" quality when pulled or bitten into. They may lack fusion, i.e. shredded pieces might not flow together when they melt.<ref name="TechnologyofCheesemaking"/> New stabilizer systems have been developed that have helped to enable the creation of analogue pizza cheeses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
An example of a processed pizza cheese is Provel, which uses Cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheeses as flavorants.<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Dead link</ref> Some analogue types are made with casein, a by-product of milk, and vegetable oil, rather than milk fat.<ref name="DanishDairy">[1]Template:Cite web</ref> Casein-based mozzarella-like imitation processed cheeses prepared using rennet are also used as a mozzarella substitute on frozen pizzas.<ref name="TechnologyofCheesemaking"/>
In some instances, the production of analogue pizza cheese can be similar to the production of cream cheese, although production may be different and homogenization may be avoided.<ref name="DanishDairy"/> In some varieties, the product is heated to remain at a specific temperature and for a specific amount of time, which causes the proteins in the mix to gelatinize.<ref name="DanishDairy"/> During this process, salts in the mix serve to emulsify it and thus improve the meltability of the final product.<ref name="DanishDairy"/> The heated product is then placed in packaging such as bags-in-boxes while still hot, as it will flow when hot but solidifies as it cools.<ref name="DanishDairy"/> During packaging, these types of pizza cheeses are then quick-cooled to avoid browning of the product, which can occur via the Maillard reaction.<ref name="DanishDairy"/>
Research and development
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Manufacturers and academics have conducted studies and experiments in an effort to improve the stretchiness, melting characteristics, browning, fat content and water retention of pizza cheese.<ref name="AJDT-2012"/> Several patents exist for specialized varieties of pizza cheese and for its processing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A study by Rudan and Barbano found that the addition of a thin layer of vegetable oil atop low- and reduced-fat pizza cheese increased meltability and reduced browning and dehydration when the product was cooked, but the texture remained overly chewy and tough.<ref name="TechnologyofCheesemaking"/> A study by Perry et al. found various methods to heighten the melt of low-fat pizza cheese by increasing its moisture, including the use of pre-acidification, fat-replacers, and exopolysaccharide starter cultures as well as higher pasteurization temperatures.<ref name="TechnologyofCheesemaking"/>
Manufacturers aim for a moisture content of 50–52% and a fat-in-dry-matter content of 35–40%.<ref name="one">Template:Cite web</ref> A study published in the International Journal of Food & Science Technology found that a 12.5:87.5 blend of vetch milk and cow milk improved stretchiness and melting characteristics.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Vetch is a legume that has seeds which are similar to lentils.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> An experiment published in the International Journal of Dairy Technology suggested that the level of galactose, a monosaccharide sugar that is less sweet than glucose and fructose, can be reduced using different culture techniques.<ref name="Baskaran November 2003"/> An article in the International Journal of Food Engineering found that trisodium citrate, a food additive used to preserve and add flavor to foods, slightly improved the preferred qualities of pizza cheese.<ref name="Farahmandfar 2010"/> Research published in Dairy Industries International suggested that denatured whey proteins increased moisture retention, but that the improvements were very slight and not economically worthwhile relative to the minor improvements.<ref name="one"/>
Some consumers prefer pizza cheese with less browning, which can be achieved using low-moisture part-skim mozzarella with a low galactose content.<ref name="Baskaran November 2003"/><ref group="nb">Galactose is a type of sugar found in dairy products and other foods that is less sweet than glucose. Sugar in foods can lead to caramelization when they are cooked, which increases their browning.</ref> Some varieties derived from skim mozzarella variants were designed not to require aging or the use of fermentation starter.<ref name="McMahon">Template:Cite web</ref> Others can be produced through the direct acidification of milk, which may be used in place of bacterial fermentation.<ref name="McMahon"/><ref name="JDS-1964"/>
Production and business
[edit]In the United States, the production and consumption of mozzarella and pizza cheese steadily increased in the mid-20th century, and this trend has continued into the first decade of the 21st century.<ref name="Kindstedt 2012">Template:Cite book</ref> In the U.S., several hundred million pounds of pizza cheese is consumed annually.<ref name="forbes2007"/> In 1997, it was estimated that annual production of the product was 1 million tons (2 billion pounds) in the United States and 100,000 tonnes (98,000 long tons; 110,000 short tons, 220,460,000 pounds) in Europe.<ref name="Fox 2000">Template:Cite book</ref> It has been estimated that 30% of all pizza cheese used in the United States is mozzarella.<ref name="forbes2007">Template:Cite magazine</ref> As of 2000, demand for the product was growing in Europe by 8 percent per year.<ref name="three"/>
Mass-produced pizza cheese is used by the foodservice industry, quick service restaurants,<ref name="IrishTimes 2014"/> and other industries and businesses. The world's largest manufacturer of pizza cheese, Leprino Foods Company, processes 600,000 tonnes (590,000 long tons; 660,000 short tons, 1,322,760,000 pounds) a year.<ref name="three"/> Leprino Foods holds patents for some specialized mozzarella production processes that enable the quick manufacture of the product.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One such product is a frozen shredded cheese used for pizza that is created in a few hours from milk.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Other U.S. companies also mass-produce pizza cheese, which is shipped in a frozen state.<ref name="Mielke 2016">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Schuman 2013">Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2000, Glanbia is the largest producer of pizza cheese in Europe.<ref name="Euromonitor2000"/> Some retail and commercially mass-produced frozen pizzas have cheese stuffed into the pizza crust.<ref name="Kirkova 2016">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="The Huffington Post 2016">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="FoodBev 2016">Template:Cite web</ref>
Use by region
[edit]Significant amounts of pizza cheese are used in Europe,<ref name="Fox 2000"/><ref name="Euromonitor2000"/> Australia, New Zealand<ref name="Fox 2000"/> and the United States. Whole milk mozzarella is popular in pizzas in the East and Southwest regions of the U.S., while one survey showed that provolone was more popular on the east and west coast.<ref name="johncorrell"/> Cheddar may be used more in the Eastern and Southern regions of the U.S.<ref name="johncorrell"/> Provel cheese is typically used in the preparation of St. Louis-style pizza in the U.S.<ref name="St Louis 2007"/>
See also
[edit]- Food processing
- List of cheeses
- Novozymes
- Pasta filata – a technique to produce a stretched curd cheese suitable for pizza
Notes
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[edit]Further reading
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