I was invited to a press tour of the Valio plant, recently put into operation in Ershovo, Moscow Region.
I don’t know about you, but I was interested in how processed cheese is made (I buy this cheese for my child, he loves sandwiches with processed cheese, so the trip was also interesting for me personally, not just for work).

First, we were taken to the locker rooms to wash our hands with some special solution and dress in disposable suits from head to toe.

The first stop is a chemical laboratory. Here, raw materials are analyzed, both the finished product and intermediate studies of cheese. At the moment, since production is not very large (for now, we dare to hope), there is only one process engineer working in the laboratory.

All employees of the enterprise work in such snow-white workwear. Clothes are changed every day.

All the basic equipment needed to work with chemicals and cheese whey is located here. We have the latest express analyzers that can quickly determine the parameters of cheese, and equipment for conducting research on cheese compliance with GOST. In the photo above: behind the laboratory specialist there are containers with finished products for analysis.

Hard cheese and butter are cut here

To produce processed cheese, hard cheeses, butter, milk powder, salt melters and water are taken. The cheese and butter are cut on a cutter, placed in cages with a cellophane liner and delivered to the workshop, where all the ingredients are weighed and laid out in portions.

A technologist is responsible for determining in what proportion all the ingredients should be mixed to prepare one batch of processed cheese. The weight of one batch is 90 kg, based on this, all components are mixed. All ingredients are placed in one container and sent to the workshop. Below is a line for the production of processed cheese.

In this photo the only thing missing is the melting vat itself, it stands on the opposite side of the line, so it doesn’t fit into the frame

Then all the ingredients are poured into the melting pot (pictured below). Here the cheese undergoes heat treatment using hot steam in stirring mode. In this kettle the temperature of the cheese reaches 80 degrees. But this is not enough. To make the cheese more homogeneous and have a longer shelf life, another system is used.

Melting vat

Our guide explains to us how the vat works

With its help, high-temperature processing of cheese is carried out - the temperature reaches about 130 degrees. From the boiler, the cheese flows into the surge tank using a pump. Passing through the pipes, the cheese is mixed with live steam, the temperature of which is 150 degrees. All microorganisms die at this temperature, which ensures a high quality product.

This is a buffer tank into which the finished mixture goes

Cooling tank

Next, the cheese enters the cooling tank, where it loses up to 50 degrees, again returning to a temperature of 80 degrees, and with the help of a pump it enters the cremating tank, where cheese formation occurs. At this stage, the plant’s specialists regulate the viscosity of the cheese. The cheese is stirred, but the product is not saturated with oxygen. Instead, salt melters are used, which affect its crystal lattice.

Cremation tank (from the word "cream", not "crematorium")

Cheese comes in different varieties. When the cheese remains on the foil, this indicates that it is not viscous enough. Depending on the time the product is inside the cremating tank, the viscosity of the cheese and its appearance change. According to the standards, the cheese must hold its shape and not stick to the wrapper. Then, after the filters, the cheese goes to filling machines. But before this, the cheese is tasted and inspected; the properties that the product must meet (color, consistency and taste) are described in detail in the instructions.

Filters through which finished cheese is passed

Currently, the production line operates 8 hours on weekdays, but in the near future it is planned to establish a round-the-clock operation. The entire line melts 500 kg of cheese per hour. So far there are no plans to expand the range, but in the future it is possible to install several more such lines, which could produce cheese with various additives: mushrooms, herbs, bacon.

The beginning of the conveyor of round boxes

After melting, the cheese enters the packaging workshop. There the cheese mass is packaged into triangles and packaged. Triangles are selectively weighed and their weight and condition are reported. Every gram counts - a mistake of one gram in one triangle on the larger side entails a significant loss of product in the batch size.

Cheese triangles are printed here

Next, the triangles are packed into round boxes and travel along a conveyor to a cold room. Conveyor speed - 200 boxes per minute from one belt. But in a cold room they move slowly so that the boxes and cheese inside have time to cool down. After which the conveyor belt moves the product to packaging. The product is packed into boxes (photo below), placed on pallets and taken to the warehouse.

Familiar boxes

from here the cheese is taken to the warehouse

After visiting the plant, a group of journalists went to the warehouse, which, very logically, was located next to the production.

The air temperature in the warehouse is only +4 degrees, which allows the goods to be provided with the necessary storage conditions.

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The warehouse is organized on the principles of address storage: each employee has a device that allows them to read a barcode and view the destination of the goods on the shelves and their shelf life, or the destination address if the goods are intended for shipment to the client. This information is also duplicated in printed travel sheets. The warehouse ensures the storage of imported goods and their distribution throughout retail chains throughout Russia. The warehouse operation is managed by the Microsoft Dynamics AX system.

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Below are the raw materials from which processed cheese "Viola" is made. In my opinion, you can eat it like that. No, but it’s better in melted form :) I also love these cheese curds.

Siiiiiirrrrrr!

All ingredients of the final product are brought from Finland: milk powder, hard cheese, salt melters.

Ingredients

Overall, it was a very interesting trip. Since then I have been looking for Valio grain cottage cheese in stores, but have not found it yet. I really liked it! At the buffet table we were fed with home-produced products. The milk and cheeses are amazing. Only expensive ones, as I understand it.

I bought Viola “Valio” “Finnish Favorite” processed cheese for breakfast.

I have loved the processed cheese from this manufacturer for a long time, and if I want cheese, I buy it. And here there are 4 flavors at once: creamy, with chanterelles, salami and salmon. And this is not a processed cheese product - this is the main thing!

Sold in standard cardboard packaging. The “corners” are neatly laid out inside.

I am a fan of regular creamy processed cheese without any additives. But here I ate all 4 with pleasure.

The only thing I didn’t like was that it was problematic to “open” the package of cheese – the tails that you had to pull kept breaking.

But there are no comments or complaints about the taste and quality of the cheese! It is tight, dense, the aroma of cream and a little of each additive - they are all different. There is no smell or taste of something unnatural, which is what processed cheeses are now famous for. I once bought cheese from another manufacturer to try - I had to throw it away, it was impossible to eat.

The cheese is easy to chew, or rather it melts in your mouth, it is so tender. I think this is the best processed cheese in stores. It’s a pity that it’s not cheap, but it’s not so expensive that you’d deny yourself the pleasure.

I was invited to a press tour of the Valio plant, which had recently been put into operation in Ershovo, Moscow Region.
I don’t know about you, but I was interested in how processed cheese is made (I buy this cheese for my child, he loves sandwiches with processed cheese, so the trip was also interesting for me personally, not just for work).

First, we were taken to the locker rooms to wash our hands with some special solution and dress in disposable suits from head to toe.

The first stop is a chemical laboratory. Here, raw materials are analyzed, both the finished product and intermediate studies of cheese. At the moment, since production is not very large (for now, we dare to hope), there is only one process engineer working in the laboratory.

All employees of the enterprise work in such snow-white workwear. Clothes are changed every day.

All the basic equipment needed to work with chemicals and cheese whey is located here. We have the latest express analyzers that can quickly determine the parameters of cheese, and equipment for conducting research on cheese compliance with GOST. In the photo above: behind the laboratory specialist there are containers with finished products for analysis.

Hard cheese and butter are cut here

To produce processed cheese, hard cheeses, butter, milk powder, salt melters and water are taken. The cheese and butter are cut on a cutter, placed in cages with a cellophane liner and delivered to the workshop, where all the ingredients are weighed and laid out in portions.

A technologist is responsible for determining in what proportion all the ingredients should be mixed to prepare one batch of processed cheese. The weight of one batch is 90 kg, based on this, all components are mixed. All ingredients are placed in one container and sent to the workshop. Below is a line for the production of processed cheese.

In this photo the only thing missing is the melting vat itself, it stands on the opposite side of the line, so it doesn’t fit into the frame

Then all the ingredients are poured into the melting pot (pictured below). Here the cheese undergoes heat treatment using hot steam in stirring mode. In this kettle the temperature of the cheese reaches 80 degrees. But this is not enough. To make the cheese more homogeneous and have a longer shelf life, another system is used.

Melting vat

Our guide explains to us how the vat works

With its help, high-temperature processing of cheese is carried out - the temperature reaches about 130 degrees. From the boiler, the cheese flows into the surge tank using a pump. Passing through the pipes, the cheese is mixed with live steam, the temperature of which is 150 degrees. All microorganisms die at this temperature, which ensures a high quality product.

This is a buffer tank into which the finished mixture goes

Cooling tank

Next, the cheese enters the cooling tank, where it loses up to 50 degrees, again returning to a temperature of 80 degrees, and with the help of a pump it enters the cremating tank, where cheese formation occurs. At this stage, the plant’s specialists regulate the viscosity of the cheese. The cheese is stirred, but the product is not saturated with oxygen. Instead, salt melters are used, which affect its crystal lattice.

Cremation tank (from the word “cream”, not “crematorium”)

Cheese comes in different varieties. When the cheese remains on the foil, this indicates that it is not viscous enough. Depending on the time the product is inside the cremating tank, the viscosity of the cheese and its appearance change. According to the standards, the cheese must hold its shape and not stick to the wrapper. Then, after the filters, the cheese goes to filling machines. But before this, the cheese is tasted and inspected; the properties that the product must meet (color, consistency and taste) are described in detail in the instructions.

Filters through which finished cheese is passed

Currently, the production line operates 8 hours on weekdays, but in the near future it is planned to establish a round-the-clock operation. The entire line melts 500 kg of cheese per hour. So far there are no plans to expand the range, but in the future it is possible to install several more such lines, which could produce cheese with various additives: mushrooms, herbs, bacon.

The beginning of the conveyor of round boxes

After melting, the cheese enters the packaging workshop. There the cheese mass is packaged into triangles and packaged. Triangles are selectively weighed and their weight and condition are reported. Every gram counts - a mistake of one gram in one triangle on the larger side entails a significant loss of product in the batch size.

Cheese triangles are printed here

Next, the triangles are packed into round boxes and travel along a conveyor to a cold room. The conveyor speed is 200 boxes per minute from one belt. But in a cold room they move slowly so that the boxes and cheese inside have time to cool down. After which the conveyor belt moves the product to packaging. The product is packed into boxes (photo below), placed on pallets and taken to the warehouse.

Familiar boxes

from here the cheese is taken to the warehouse

After visiting the plant, a group of journalists went to the warehouse, which, very logically, was located next to the production.

The air temperature in the warehouse is only +4 degrees, which allows the goods to be provided with the necessary storage conditions.

Stock

The warehouse is organized on the principles of address storage: each employee has a device that allows them to read a barcode and view the destination of the goods on the shelves and their shelf life, or the destination address if the goods are intended for shipment to the client. This information is also duplicated in printed travel sheets. The warehouse ensures the storage of imported goods and their distribution throughout retail chains throughout Russia. The warehouse operation is managed by the Microsoft Dynamics AX system.

Stock

Below are the raw materials from which processed cheese “Viola” is made. In my opinion, you can eat it like that. No, but it’s better in melted form :) I also love these cheese curds.

Siiiiiirrrrrr!

All ingredients of the final product are brought from Finland: milk powder, hard cheese, salt melters.

Ingredients

Overall, it was a very interesting trip. Since then, I have been looking for Valio grain cottage cheese in stores, but have not found it yet. I really liked it! At the buffet table we were fed with home-produced products. The milk and cheeses are amazing. Only expensive ones, as I understand it.