Special production features for soft cheeses
Cheese processing (part 2)

Soft cheeses make up a vast family of cheeses, ranging from traditional products such as AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée) cheeses, to industrial products and specialties.

Various manufacturing techniques and maturing processes [42] are at the root of their great diversity.

With 472,807 tonnes produced in 1999, soft cheeses account for around 28% of French cheese production tonnage (table B at [Doc. F 6 308]).

According to the international standards (A-6/1978) of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and the WHO (World Health Organization), a soft cheese must have a HFD (moisture in fat-free cheese) content of more than...