Agroscope has developed a new maturation process for cheese at its research dairy in Liebefeld and registered it with the European Patent Office. The new process is essentially based on a textile biodegradable wrap in which the cheese is packaged after the salt bath, as Agroscope researcher Hans-Peter Bachmann explained in a newspaper article in “die grüne“ published by farming publishing agency Schweizer Agrarmedien AG. In order to implement this process into practice, the Swiss competence center for agricultural research is cooperating with 13 partners from the cheese sector as well as two partners in the textile industry.
“I personally find it very interesting that cross-sector development projects and collaborations such as this are enabling textile products to be used in new areas and so resulting in innovative applications for all involved,” said Urs Schellenberg, commenting on the cooperation project. “By implementing such projects with local production partners, we can further strengthen our production site of Switzerland in the long term,” explained the owner and Managing Director of E. Schellenberg Textildruck AG.
The biodegradable textile wrap helps the cheese retain moisture during the maturation process. According to Bachmann, this means the cheese curd remains softer and is able to develop a fuller flavor. Schellenberg highlights that the material for the wrap is made from a plant which is “not only very common in Switzerland but also a perfect fit with the image of Swiss cheese”. However, he says the name will not yet be revealed.