IFF debuts CHOOZIT LIFT to eliminate curd washing in cheese

NETHERLANDS – International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), a global supplier of food ingredients, has announced the launch of CHOOZIT LIFT, a first-of-its-kind culture developed to transform the production of semi-hard cheeses for significant sustainability and business benefits.

By leveraging the company’s extensive bioscience expertise, the solution combines advanced strain design with practical cheesemaking knowledge to eliminate the curd-washing step entirely from the process.

In doing so, this novel culture helps reduce water and energy use in production while maintaining the high quality of the final products, thereby meeting consumer expectations.

“The future of dairy production, including cheesemaking, is about achieving more with less—less water, less energy, less compromise. CHOOZIT LIFT helps combine the centuries-old craft of cheesemaking with cutting-edge bioscience to unlock that future,” said Annie Mornet, Senior Business Product Director for cheese at IFF.

The company stated that CHOOZIT LIFT is a ready-to-use culture solution that combines different bacterial strains to naturally reduce the lactose level of whey, enabling cheese manufacturers to control post-acidification and reduce the risk of excessive acid development, ensuring a homogenous taste with no bitterness. 

CHOOZIT LIFT has been successfully validated through trials with cheesemakers to ensure efficacy. Data show that by using CHOOZIT LIFT to produce 1 kilogram of semi-hard cheese, manufacturers can save 3 liters of water, making processes more cost- and energy-efficient without compromising quality.

For plants producing 10,000 tons of semi-hard cheese per year, this product could save an average of 25,000 cubic meters of water annually. Plus, with no whey dilution required, CHOOZIT LIFT also enables lower costs associated with whey treatment, including energy usage, storage capacity, and transportation.

In addition to the direct economic benefits, removing the water-intensive curd-washing step reduces the environmental footprint of operations and final products, offering cheese producers an effective way to meet growing demand for sustainable products.

It also helps maintain consistent product quality during seasonal water shortages, ensuring reliable and efficient production.

“Our focus is to understand customer needs and provide solutions that make a real, measurable difference in our customers’ operations. CHOOZIT® LIFT represents a new frontier in cheese production, and we’re excited to collaborate with customers to maximize its impact,” said Rossana Rodriguez, Global Business Director for Dairy Biosciences at IFF.

She highlighted that with semi-hard cheeses such as Gouda making up nearly 30% of global industrial cheese production annually, there exists a substantial opportunity to create large-scale positive impact.

She emphasized that this innovation not only benefits businesses and environmental sustainability but also upholds the premium quality that distinguishes exceptional cheese.

Subscribe to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa, the Middle East and around the world. SUBSCRIBE HERE