Kashkaval cheese, belonging to the group of sliceable semi-hard cheeses, is a dairy product enjoyed by people of all ages. Approximately 10 kg of milk is needed to produce 1 kg of kashkaval cheese, making it both nutritious and flavorful.
During the cheese maturation stage of kashkaval production, proper design of environmental climate control is a critical factor that determines quality. Dehumidifiers used in maturation (resting) rooms have a significant impact on the quality and characteristics of the cheese.
In accordance with the Turkish Food Codex Cheese Communique guidelines, producing cheese in a technically appropriate and hygienic manner is extremely important for reducing the risk of variable product quality, increasing production efficiency, and maintaining the integrity of food safety protocols. Maintaining balanced humidity levels throughout production processes, which vary depending on the type of cheese, directly affects the maturation process and surface quality of the product. Kashkaval cheeses matured on hygienic multi-tier stainless steel racks in cool rooms may develop unwanted mold and bacteria when exposed to high humidity, while low humidity can cause excessive drying and the formation of hairline cracks on the surface. Therefore, capacity calculation and system configuration are critically important when selecting dehumidifiers to be integrated into the cooling system in kashkaval maturation rooms. Different temperature and humidity conditions in cheese production directly affect weight loss and quality. In kashkaval production, food codex standards are referenced to determine the required moisture content of the cheese.
The table below shows the required moisture content in kashkaval cheese according to the Turkish Food Codex Cheese Communique.
In kashkaval production, after the mixture obtained with milk and enzymes is prepared, it is kept in a salt bath. Following the salt bath, the kashkaval moves to the maturation stage. This is a critical phase where the cheese develops its distinctive flavor, aroma, and texture. During the maturation (resting) stage, cheeses are typically kept in a cold room with operating dehumidifiers at 12 to 18°C and a specific relative humidity level. The most suitable climate values are determined by manufacturers according to the product recipe. During maturation, kashkaval cheese releases moisture into the environment, losing weight and shrinking. Internal circulation fans added to the space help ensure that dry and cool air contacts all products homogeneously, aiming to minimize shrinkage.
Desiccant-type rotor dehumidifiers with low dew point values transfer heat into the maturation room through the rotor surface that heats up via the reactivation air line used while evacuating the moisture released from the kashkaval cheese into the environment. The evaporators responsible for cooling must have additional thermal capacity to compensate for the heat load transferred into the room. Otherwise, temperature stability within the room may be disrupted in exchange for the moisture removed from the environment. Maintaining products under stable humidity and temperature conditions throughout the maturation period enables production to be organized according to the FIFO (First In-First Out) principle. The first product group to enter the resting room will be the first group to exit. Gradual drying of the products begins with the dry air sent into the room by the dehumidifiers.
Silica Gel Rotor Chemical Dehumidifiers
Stages of Dehumidification:
- Surface Moisture Removal: The production recipe and the density of the dry material in kashkaval cheese play an important role in how quickly moisture moves within the product. The denser and harder the product, the greater the resistance to moisture movement from the center to the surface. Therefore, the journey of moisture to the surface can take a long time. The airflow rate and volume produced by the dehumidifiers determine how much energy can be transferred from the material surface. The difference between the partial vapor pressure of the air surrounding the product surface and the vapor pressure of the product surface has a significant effect on the rate of moisture separation from the product. As the surface moisture is removed from the kashkaval cheese, the drying rate of the cheese will slow down.
- Internal Moisture Removal: After surface moisture is removed, the moisture coming from the lower layers of the product toward the surface travels a tortuous path along capillaries to meet the dry air. In the heat and mass transfer that takes place here, an equal balance must be created between the masses of the two materials through which heat and moisture are transferred. Since the air mass is lower relative to the product, a lower volume of air must pass over the product per unit time compared to the first stage of the process to maintain the balance between the two masses. High air velocity also increases turbulence, which breaks the dry layer on the product surface, allowing more moisture to evaporate into the air, creating a vacuum effect for moisture on the surface and accelerating hairline crack formation. At this point, to prevent over-drying, the variables must be balanced, and in the process integration of the dehumidifier, the distribution of the dryness capacity released by the unit into the environment is a critical consideration. Additionally, the packaging and weight specifications of the products are another factor that accelerates or slows down the process of removing internal moisture. The drying rate of 1 kg products will not be equal to that of 500 g products because they have different surface areas and shorter moisture travel paths. Chemical composition, material thickness, and material structure combine to give each product unique drying characteristics. Even within similar material classes, products can have significantly different drying rates.
The kashkaval cheese maturation stage is a process that can be shaped with expert engineering infrastructure that enables the cheese to acquire its fundamental characteristics. Good kashkaval cheese is achieved through proper maturation conditions, and this process brings out the characteristic flavor of the cheese.
The maturation period of kashkaval cheese kept in a closed, controlled volume conditioned by dehumidifiers varies depending on the type of cheese and the production method. This period can generally last several days. While the maturation process for soft cheeses concludes within a few days, maturation for hard cheeses can extend to a period of several weeks. For cheese producers, it is important to have the shortest possible maturation time to maintain high production capacity. However, after a certain period, storing products in an environment conditioned by a dehumidifier can cause the product to lose more water than necessary, turning the maturation process into a drying process. High dry bulb temperatures shorten the maturation and drying time while causing negative effects on weight loss and quality.
Packaging and Storage: After the maturation process is completed, the cheese is packaged and stored under appropriate conditions. This is the stage where the cheese reaches the consumer. Some types of kashkaval may be kept at specific temperature and humidity values to form a rind. However, in recent years, molds have been vacuum-packaged for storage, largely preventing rind formation. Cheese molds stored at 4°C are packaged and prepared for consumers.
During the kashkaval maturation process, the integration of dehumidifiers, ventilation duct designs of the maturation rooms, cooling equipment selection, and the process flow diagram must all work together as an integrated system. A humidity-controlled cold room utilizing dehumidifiers plays a vital role in the development of the cheese's texture and aroma, extending its shelf life. The dehumidifiers used in these processes enhance stable quality and efficiency, delivering consistent production output regardless of seasonal variations.
NKT – Humidity Control Technologies, with our expert engineering team, provides our customers with the most suitable industrial dehumidifier solutions, offering complete system designs for kashkaval maturation processes that are energy-efficient and high-performance.