Dairy Pipeline
Summer 1996     Vol. 8  No. 3
University of Wisconsin-Extension                                                                                                College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
A Technical Resource for Dairy Manufacturers
Wisconsin
Center for Dairy Research
CDR
What?s Inside:
continued on page 8
No doubt you?ve heard about HACCP, or Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Points. Like Tang?, cordless drills, and biomedical
lasers, the HACCP system got its start in the space program. The
U. S. Army Natick Laboratories, along with NASA (National
Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the Pillsbury
Company, designed the HACCP system to produce safe foods for
the astronauts. They didn?t start out to develop a new system,
initially they focused on 100% assurance of safe foods. Once
they realized standard quality control methods wouldn?t be
enough, this group developed a logical system focused on
identifying and controlling potential hazards to prevent food-
borne disease. Within two years of the 1969 Apollo missions,
Pillsbury began to apply HACCP in plants producing food for
the rest of us. Since then, HACCP has gone international ? from
Europe to the far East, HACCP is recognized as an effective tool
to produce the safest food possible.
Should you be using HACCP? Creating a HACCP plan takes time,
work and commitment. However, done correctly, HACCP is a
system that will help prevent food safety problems. In addition,
as HACCP spreads through the food industry, your customers
might be asking if you have a HACCP system in place. Your
competitors might say yes.
As you explore the HACCP system remember that HACCP is a
safety program. Keep in mind the distinction between safety
and quality and realize that HACCP is one part of your total
program. After all, it is possible to produce a very safe product
that just doesn?t sell.
continued on page 5
Heading for HACCP?
Inventing a New Niche Product, Part 9
Jim, Don, and Sara set off for their first meeting with a graphic
design agency in high spirits. After twenty months, they were
energized and ready to discuss the Reenap Company?s new
product project. It seemed like their company, a small manufac-
turer of common Cheddar cheese, had embarked on this new
product development process a long time ago. Early on, Don,
Jim, along with other employees started the process by forming
a New Product Development Team. They assessed the small
company?s capabilities, researched competitive products,
analyzed the needs of their customers and consumers,
brainstormed many possible new product ideas, and used
consumer feedback to develop and test concept statements for
the Team?s favorite new product ideas. Most recently, they fielded
a ?product test? to make sure their new cheese would be well
received when they brought it to market.
After all this work, they chose a concept that focused on ?aged
Cheddar the way it used to be.? Their testing reassured them that
this concept was both simple and broadly appealing. They
summarized it this way:
To people who love Cheddar cheese, new Reenap Real Aged
Cheddar offers the taste of Cheddar the way it used to be
because it is made in a small factory by cheesemakers who
make cheese the old fashioned way ? using more flavor produc-
ing cheese cultures than you?ll find in most commercial
Cheddar.
Your customers might be asking if
you have a HACCP system in place.
Your competitors might say yes.
Heading for HACCP?....................................................... 1
Inventing a New Niche Product, 9 .................................. 1
New Law Amends Delaney Clause ................................. 2
Factors Affecting Herd Milk Composition and Milk
Plasmin at Four Levels of Somatic Cell Counts .............. 3
Curd Clinic ...................................................................... 10
Calendar ............................................................ Back Page
Paul Scharfman, Specialty Cheese Company and Wisconsin Specialty Cheese Institute
UW Dairy Pipeline, Summer 1996
2
New Law Amends Delaney Clause
From the IDFA Hotline
The Delaney Clause was officially amended when the Food Quality Protection
Act of 1996 (H.R. 1627) was signed into law on August 3, 1996. This law
removes the issue of  pesticide residues in processed foods from the umbrella of
the Delaney clause, replacing it with a single safety standard for raw and
processed food.  The changes are primarily concerned with pesticide residues in
food products ? dairy processors are indirectly affected when they use pro-
cessed fruits, nuts, and vegetables in ice cream, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy
products.
Before this legislation, pesticide residues on foods were treated differently. If the
residue was on a raw agricultural product, like fruits or vegetables, then it was
regulated under FFDCA ?408 which spelled out tolerance levels for residues. If
the pesticide residue was found in a processed food, it became a food additive
and was regulated under FFDCA ?409 (containing the Delaney clause).
Carcinogenic pesticides were prohibited at any residue level by the Delaney
clause. However, this Act contained a provision that allowed residues in
processed food as long as they did not exceed the tolerance levels for the raw
agricultural commodity. Sometimes residue levels concentrate in processed
food to levels above the tolerance limits. This was acknowledged by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and for years they set separate
tolerance limits for processed food. This policy was challenged in court and it
didn?t hold up; Les vs. Reilly instead upheld the zero-risk approach of the
Delaney clause.
Changing thresholds
The food industry has long supported the exclusion of pesticide residues from
the Delaney clause, which sets the zero-risk standard. In 1958, when the
Delaney clause became law, the methods to detect pesticide residues could only
detect high concentrations. Now, the methods have been refined and thresholds
of detection have changed so dramatically that very small quantities of residues
can be measured. This factor has led to general agreement that that the Delaney
clause has outlived its usefulness.
The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (H.R.
1627) has now redefined food additive to
exclude pesticide residues in both raw and
processed food. (Food additive safety is
still governed by ?409 which applies the
Delaney clause.) Pesticide residues
will be regulated under ?408, and
the EPA will determine safe levels.
Along with this change comes
several other amendments which
modify enforcement methods,
increase monitoring of pesticide
residues, and provide consumer
information. For more information
about this legislation, contact Clay
Detlefsen at the IDFA office, (202) 737-4332.
News from CDR
Milkfat fractionation offers new opportunities
for using milkfat in baked goods, dairy prod-
ucts, chocolates and candy. Would you like to
know how fractions can enhance your product?
The very first Milkfat as a Food Ingredient Short
Course still has openings. The course will be
held Oct. 22 and 23 in Babcock Hall. Call CALS
conference office for registration, (608) 263-
1672. For course details, talk to Kerry Kaylegian
at (608) 265-3026 or Bill Wendorff at
(608) 263-2015.
CDR still has proceedings available from the
Maximizing Cheese Yield seminar, part of the
LaCrosse Cheesemakers Conference on April
9 -11, 1996. Topics in this publication include
milk standardization, effect of cutting and
coagulation on yield, Mozzarella cheese yield,
and standardization and cheese yield. The cost
is $5 each. Call CDR if you are interested in
purchasing a copy, at 262-5970.
Aw a rd s
Mark Johnson, CDR researcher, was elected to
represent the Dairy Foods Division of the
American Dairy Science Association (ADSA).
Bill Wendorff, professor, Dept. of Food Science
received the Pound Extension Award for
excellence in extension/outreach.
Robert Sellars, Robert L. Sellars and Associates,
Milwaukee, will be honored by the College of
Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of
Wisconsin-Madison for his longstanding
support of the college. The Honorary Recogni-
tion Banquet will take place November 8,1996 at
the UW Memorial Union. CDR
UW Dairy Pipeline, Summer 1996
3
Factors Affecting Herd Milk Composition and Milk Plasmin
at Four Levels of Somatic Cell Counts
bulk tank milk, and the dairies analyzed one set for fat, protein,
lactose, and SCC using standard methodology. Alto Dairy
performed the psychrotophic bacteria count (PBC) and The
Dairy Science Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
analyzed plasmin and plasminogen activities. We used  the Van
Slyke formula and AOAC formula to predict cheese yield.
Results and Discussion
As expected, we found that the lactose, fat, protein, and casein
contents of milk changed throughout the year. We grouped herds
by SCC to test the effect of SCC on lactose, PBC, and milk protein
content. (Listed in Table 1.)
Group A herd results were significantly (p<.05) different from all
other groups only for casein percentage and casein number.
These results agree with previous research (2, 8, 11, 12) that
showed that milk with low SCC had higher protein and casein
percentages and higher casein number. The reduced protein
quantity and quality in combination with increasing SCC led to
reductions in predicted cheese yields, confirming results from
previous studies on relationships between high SCC milk, such as
loss in curd firmness and reduced heat stability during cheese
manufacturing (1, 3, 4, 5, 12,).
We used the Van Slyke formula and the AOAC casein formula
jointly because divergence between the results may indicate
problems in the measurement system and the need for monitor-
ing the cheese-making process. We found small discrepancies
between the two groups of results that may be due to overesti-
mating the cheese yield derived from the Van Slyke formula
compared with estimating from the AOAC formula.
Linda U. Ballou, Marina Pasquini, and Robert D. Bremel, Dept of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Thomas Everson,
Grande Cheese, Dean Sommer, Alto Dairy Cooperative
Milk contains a number of natural enzyme systems that break
down proteins and peptides, and the plasmin system is one of the
most important. Numerous studies implicate plasmin and its
inactive precursor, plasminogen, in degradation of milk proteins.
(See the review by Fox and Stepaniak,7). The plasmin system
may have a particularly detrimental effect in dairy manufactur-
ing since the activity of the enzyme continues indefinitely during
cold storage. This leads to changes in the coagulation properties
of milk (6). Thus, reducing plasmin activity in raw, or incoming
milk, is a desirable goal. On the positive side, plasmin may play
an important role in ripening some cheeses, and in others it has
no effect.
Most previous studies of plasmin have focused on milk from
small numbers of individual cows and little information exists
on the plasmin and plasminogen contents of bulk tank milk. One
recent study (10) indicated that treating cows with bST reduces
the plasmin content of the milk from individual cows, suggesting
that using bST to increase milk production might have desirable
effects on milk  processing.
Psychrotrophic bacteria are another factor affecting milk quality.
In the dairy industry, we define psychrotrophs as those bacteria
capable of growth at < 7?C. Not only can these bacteria survive
the pasteurization process, but their optimal survival tempera-
ture is low. This means that psychrotropic bacteria continue to
grow during refrigeration of milk. In addition, they produce and
secrete proteolytic enzymes that biochemically alter the milk and
have been associated with a large number of defects in dairy
products. The defects include proteolysis in stored milk, bitter
tastes of liquid milk, reduced shelf-life, reduced quality and yield
of cottage cheese, and increased rennet coagulation time. Again,
information regarding these organisms in bulk tank milk are
limited. Testing bulk tank milk for plasmin and
psychrotrophic bacteria might help to determine
milk quality. We surveyed bulk tank milk to evaluate
the relationships between concentrations of
plasmin, plasminogen, casein, and casein number
and SCC and psychrotrophic bacteria count (PBC).
Materials and Methods
We included two hundred farms associated with two
Wisconsin dairies (Alto Dairy Cooperative, Waupun
and Grande Cheese Company, Brownsville) in this 12
month study. We collected 2424 duplicate samples of
Subclass SCC PBC
SCC : Somatic Cell Count
PBC: Psychrotrophic Bacteria Count
A <100,000 <100
B 100,000 - 200,000 100 - 500
C 200,000 -  400,000 500 - 1000
D >400,000 >1000
Table 1. Categories for each factor used in statistical analysis.
UW Dairy Pipeline, Summer 1996
4
The predicted cheese yield estimated with the AOAC formula and
analyzed according to SCC group showed a difference in cheese
yield of .25 kg/100kg between SCC group A and group D (9.69kg/
100kg vs. 9.44 kg/100kg.) In this study, where the statistical
design was intended to give equal numbers of herds in various
SCC groups, the magnitude of the SCC on predicted cheese yield
was not large. The differences seen between groups A and D may,
in fact, be due to the elevated overall protein content found in
milk with low SCC. The analysis of variance results suggests that
a very small fraction of the variation is attributable to the SCC.
When we analyzed the predicted cheese yield according to PBC
group,we found the  trend was similar to that of the SCC analysis
(P=.09 vs. P=.194). The SCC and PBC analyses were not signifi-
cant, but the same trends were observed for cheese yield. The
difference of .3 kg/100kg between PBC groups A and D may
indicate that pshychrotrophic bacteria are responsible for
increases in proteolytic activity and casein degradation, thus
reducing cheese yield. Verdi et al, (13) studied a limited number
of psychrotrophic bacteria and found no significant conversion
of plasminogen to plasmin, suggesting that the psychrotrophs
studied did not produce plasminogen activators and that the
conversion occurred through other factors. However, a routine
PBC test that detects number and different strains of
psychrotrophic bacteria may provide better evaluation of milk
quality and cheese yield.
Conclusions
Milk from this sampling of contemporary herds shows relatively
typical changes in composition by month. The stastistical  design
enabled the association of SCC with other qualitative properties
of milk to be determined. Our analysis showed associations
between  SCC on plasmin activity and association between PBC
and SCC. The impact of SCC on milk protein quality was smaller
than seen in previous studies. These associations may have
important implications for milk quality assessment and should
be included in a farm HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control
Point) program. Proteolysis is associated with elevated SCC, but
there are several contributing factors. Therefore, undue emphasis
should not be placed on SCC as the only indicator of milk quality.
Psychrotrophic bacteria also affect milk quality by reducing
shelf-life and product yield and they may be a source of pro-
teolytic enzymes or plasminogen activators.
At least three potential risk factors have been identified, and one
is SCC. Therefore, we suggest that a multivariate approach to
defining the quality parameters to base milk payment schemes
on. These findings, which are relevant milk quality standards for
SCC in cows, may also be applied to other milk-producing
animals, such as sheep and goats, which appear to have inher-
ently higher SCC in milk (9). Determining the relationships
among SCC, plasmin, and psychrotrophic bacteria may improve
quality control systems for milk and dairy products.
References
1. Ali, A. E.,  A. T. Andrews, and G. C. Cheeseman.  1980. Influence
of elevated somatic cell count on casein distributions and
cheese-maiking. J. Dairy Res. 47:393.
2. Anderson, M., and A. T. Andrews. 1977  Progressive changes in
individual milk protein concentrations associated with high
somatic cell counts. J. Dairy Res. 44:223.
3. Barbano, D. M., R. Verdi and R. Rasmussen. 1987. Milk quality
influences cheese yields.  Diary Field 170:22.
4. Emmons, D.  1991.  Factors affecting the yield of cheese.  Page
10 in IDF Bull. 9402. Int. Dairy Fed., Brussels, Belgium.
5. Everson, T. C. 1984.  Concerns and problems of processing and
manufacturing in super plants. J. Dairy Sci. 67:2095.
6. Farkye, N. Y., and P.F. Fox. 1990. Observations on plasmin
activity in cheese. J Dairy Res. 57:413.
7. Fox. P. F., and L. Stepaniak. 1993.  Enzymes in cheese technol-
ogy. Int. Dairy J. 3:509.
8. Haenlein. G.F. W., L. H. Schultz, and J. P. Zikakis. 1973.  Compo-
sition of protein in milk with varying leukoctye content. J. Dairy
Sci. 56:1017.
9. Hinckley, L. S. 1991. Quality standard for goat milk. Dairy Food
Environ. Sanit. 11:511.
10. Politis, I., E. Block, and J. D. Turner.  1990.  Effect of soma-
totropin on the plasminogen and plasmin system in the mam-
mary gland:  proposed mechanism of action for somatotropin on
the mammary gland. J. Dairy Sci 73:1494.
11. Verdi, R. J., and D. M. Barbano. 1988. Perliminary investigation
of the properties of somatic cell proteases. J. Dairy Sci. 71:534.
12. Verdi, R. J., and D. M. Barbano.  1991. Effect of coagulants,
somatic cells enzymes, and extracellular bacterial enzymes on
plasminogen activation. J. Dairy Sci. 74:772.
13. Verdi, R. J., D. M. Barbano, M. E. Dellavalle, and G. F. Senyk.
1986. Variability in true protein, casein, nonprotein nitrogen, and
proteolysis in high and low somatic cell milks.  J. Dairy Sci.
70:230.
CDR
UW Dairy Pipeline, Summer 1996
5
Several resources are available to help you
plan and implement a HACCP plan in your
plant. Start with the Dairy Product Safety
System, a technical manual published by the
International Dairy Foods Association
(IDFA).This comprehensive manual will take
you from defining HACCP all the way through
the steps needed to implement a program,
including model programs for dairy plants. A
second resource you might consider is CDR?s
Safety and Quality Applications program. (See
sidebar for details.)
Prerequisite programs
Before starting a HACCP program, IDFA
suggests that you evaluate and review existing
programs. ?Prerequisite programs? are the
universal procedures, like GMP?s (Good
Manufacturing Practices) that control
environmental conditions in a dairy plant in
order to produce safe products. These
prerequisite programs are the foundation of a
HACCP plan and they are a good place to
start. The IDFA manual outlines six prerequi-
site areas, including details to check and
forms you can use to evaluate your program.
The prerequisite areas include physical
premises, receiving and storage, equipment
performance and maintenance, personnel
training programs, sanitation, and recall
programs.
Once the prerequisite programs are in place
you can move on to implementing HACCP. Is
management fully committed to using
HACCP to assure product safety? This is
essential for an effective program, since
developing a HACCP system will involve a lot
of time and effort. A multi-disciplinary
HACCP team, made up of workers from all
parts of production, is another essential
element. You?ll need a team leader, and your
HACCP team will need some training before
they start. IDFA suggests starting with limited
goals if your team is inexperienced, for
example begin by considering pathogens in a
single dairy product.
With your team in place, start your HACCP
plan by describing each product you process.
continued from page 1
HACCP CDR?s Food Safety Applications Program
CDR?s food safety applications program offers a helping hand to dairy companies
as they develop and evaluate food safety plans. The staff has invaluable regulatory
and processing experience which can help your company meet the challenge of
continuing to produce pathogen-free, high quality
dairy foods.
We can help you in the following ways:
? Plant visits, audits
We can help you organize and implement
an audit program for your plant. We?ll review
 your sanitation program and then establish a
 working team to solve sanitation current problems and prevent
future problems.
? Plant santitation
We can review your plant sanitation, including tearing down
individual pieces of equipment for inspection.
? HACCP
If you have a HACCP program, we?ll review it for you. If you don?t,
we can help you design and start one.
? Quality Assurance, Quality Control
We can review your program and, if necessary, recommend changes.
? Regulations
We can meet to explain and discuss government regulations. We can
also explain how the regulations relate to your plant and products.
? Analytical testing
When we do on site audits we can also do ATP monitoring and
microbiological analysis of dairy products.
Call program coordinator, Marianne Smukowski, for more details.
Phone (608) 265-6346
FAX (608) 262-1578
E-mail MSmuk@aae.agecon.wisc.edu
(E-mail address after January 1: MSmuk@cdr.wisc.edu)
Consider composition, structure, processing, packaging systems, storage, required
shelf-life and instructions for use in your description. To keep on track, keep asking,
?Is this a hazard or a quality issue?? You?ll need a separate plan for each final
product. Next, identify the intended use of your product, considering the end-user,
which may be the general public, another food, or even a nonfood product. Now,
you?ll need to organize a flow diagram. This is not an engineering feat, instead use
words in boxes to illustrate the steps used to produce each product, like the example
shown in Figure 1 on page 6.
next page
UW Dairy Pipeline, Summer 1996
6
 next page
Conducting a hazard analysis
When you have a good, simple flow diagram you are ready to
conduct a hazard analysis. Now you are getting to the core of the
HACCP experience. For this purpose, a hazard is any microbio-
logical, chemical, or physical property that threatens the safety of
your product. Analyzing hazards involves asking a series of
questions to get at the varied factors that influence the safety of
food. For example, you might ask about the chances that your
product could be contaminated with hazardous substances. Or
the likelihood that your product will contain viable spore-
forming pathogens. The HACCP team also needs to consider
what preventive measures, if any, are available. When you are
finished, you should be able to list the significant hazards of each
step in the flow chart, along with the severity of the risk and
preventive measures.
Next, you can identify critical control points, or CCP?s. They
originate from the hazard areas you already identified and
include things like the temperature of incoming milk, or pasteur-
ization times and temperatures. Many hazard areas may already
be controlled by your prerequisite programs, the ones that aren?t
must be identified as CCP?s. The IDFA manual contains a CCP
decision tree that you can use to sort through your analysis.
Figure 1. This flow chart of a model HACCP program for Cheddar cheese is from the IDFA manual,
?Dairy Product Safety Systems.? The shaded boxes are Critical Control Points.
......
Dairy Storage
Metal Detector
Drain Table
Cheese Vat
Pasteurization
Raw Cream Storage
Clarifier/Separator
Blend Ingredients
Dairy Ingredient Receiving Non-Dairy Liquid ReceivingDry Ingredient Receiving
Dry Ingredient Storage Non-Dairy Storage
Box/Mold Filling
Distribution
Press
Packaging Storage
Starter Culture Media
Pasteurization
Rennet
CaCl
2
Whey
Whey Storage
Color
NaCl
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
.....
.....
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
UW Dairy Pipeline, Summer 1996
7
Now that you have a list of CCP?s you need
to set some parameters for them. Start by
setting critical limits for each CCP, the
limit that must be met to assure safety.
Use regulatory standards, literature
searches, experimental studies and your
experiential knowledge to set your critical
limits. Monitoring these critical limits is
also built into your HACCP plan and you
use it to determine and record when a CCP
has exceeded the critical limit. Ideally,
monitoring should be 100% accurate and
quick. That?s why physical and chemical
methods, like measuring pH and tempera-
ture, are more effective tools than micro-
biological testing.
Documentation and verification are built
into HACCP plans. Corrective action plans
for dealing with deviations from CCP?s
need to be documented and recorded.
Your documentation should also include
all records for CCP?s, the monitoring
systems, a list of the team, the flow
diagram, etc. Don?t worry, the IDFA
manual will help you with this, too.
Like many other systems and processes,
HACCP is really never finished. You should
conduct a full review at least annually. In
addition, new product development, new
hazards, and manufacturing changes are
all situations that prompt a HACCP
evaluation. Employee training and
education is another ongoing process.
Your entire staff needs to become familiar
with the overall principles of HACCP and
their part in the HACCP system.
So ... you made a
commitment to
HACCP, you?ve
done the
research,
requested the
IDFA manual and
you have a
HACCP team in
place. Go ahead
and start ?
you?re ready for
Blast Off!
The U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA) is considering proposing
regulations that would require food manufacturers to add HACCP
principles to food safety programs. To help make this decision, FDA is
conducting a pilot program with seven volunteer companies. Alto Dairy
in Waupun, Wisconsin is one of them, and Dean Sommer of Alto offered
the following HACCP tips:
? It?s important to keep HACCP simple as possible. Undue complications
will lessen or delay the chances for successfully implementing and
continuing the system. Employees are more likely to adopt a system that
is clear, simple, straight forward, and manageable.
? Employee training is critical for the success of the system. Not all
employees need the same depth of training, for example HACCP team
members vs. line workers. However, all employees need HACCP training
to understand the goals, the tools, and their role in the HACCP system.
? Sometimes all we can do is reduce a risk to a reasonable level, we can?t
totally eliminate risks. Metal detectors are a good example ? they are just
not dependable below a certain limit.
Alto Dairy participates in FDA pilot
To contact IDFA:
Seven Principles of HACCP
1. Conduct a hazard analysis associated with growing, harvesting, raw materials,
and ingredients, processing, manufacture, distribution, marketing, preparation,
and consumption of the dairy food.
2. Identify the Critical Control Points (CCPs) required to control the identified
hazards in the process.
3. Establish the critical limits for preventive measures associated with each
identified CCP.
4. Establish the critical limits for preventive measures associated with each
identified CCP.
5. Establish CCP monitoring requirements. Establish procedures for using the
results of monitoring to adjust the process and maintain control.
6. Establish effective record keeping systems to document HACCP plan.
7. Establish procedures to verify that HACCP is working.
1250 H St. NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 737-4332
Fax: (202) 331-7820
UW Dairy Pipeline, Summer 1996
8
might work, but I think we?d be better off if we tried for a more
subtle stimulus, and one that is more memorable and distinc-
tive.?
Don nodded his head. ?That makes sense. The crew at the Reenap
Company can dream up some possible names and then we can
do a little more testing among consumers who are interested in
our concept to find out which names they like the most.?
?Yes, that will help. And, we?d like to suggest some names, too.
But, please temper your brand name research results with
judgment. Testing names can be very difficult. I?d suggest you do
your research, then let your New Product Development Team
choose among the top three or four names. If possible, we?d like
to offer our thoughts as well since the sketches we develop might
work best with some names and not others.?
?Consider it done. But what about the fact that we use more
cheese culture??
?Yes. That could either be a burst on the package front or
explained on the package back. Its not a benefit, its a reason for a
benefit. First, the package should help consumers understand the
benefit of the product, second the package should explain why
the benefit is believable. The truth is, most consumers spend so
little time looking at each package of food they buy that the
benefit statement, sketch and product name will be more
important to us in designing the package label than the fact that
you use more cheese cultures.?
?So our package will show our brand name in big letters, our
consumer promise in almost as big letters, and an explanation
about our cheese cultures either in a burst on the front or
explained on the back. What else do you suggest??
?A picture or a sketch. That?s why you?re here after all!  Our
experience is that a picture is worth a thousand words ? even
though you couldn?t get that many words on a label! We suggest
you let us work on a sketch of some sort that will communicate
the essence of our concept. Why don?t we meet again in three
weeks.
The Graphic Design Agency
The theory behind any consumer communication ? advertising
or packaging design ? is simple: give the consumer a stimulus
that will generate a response of ?I want to buy this product.?  The
biggest difficulty is determining what stimulus will generate that
response. It requires both knowledge gained from market
research and creative, artistic insight into people?s behavior.
Generally, we cheesemakers need to use outside experts for this!
That?s how the Reenap folks found themselves at a design agency.
?We figure that the package ought to say something like ?Great
Tasting? in big letters since that?s the real benefit,? said Don.
The people from the design agency looked at one another. Their
account executive cleared her throat and replied, ?Don, I?m afraid
we don?t agree. If you want your family to be happy do you tell
them ?Be happy!??  Of course not. The same goes for communicat-
ing with consumers, in advertising or on package labels. You give
the consumer a stimulus that will prompt the desired response.
For your family, perhaps the stimulus  ?Let?s go on vacation!?
would make them happy. For consumers of Cheddar cheese you
have done a great deal of work to learn that the stimulus ?aged
Cheddar the way it used to be? will prompt a response of great
tasting. So, let?s make the aged Cheddar  phrase stand out on the
package label.?
?Does that mean we should name the product something like Old
Time Cheddar??
?I don?t think so, but that?s not such a bad idea. It might work, but
ask yourself whether you really think your target market, which
seems more educated and wealthier than average, would respond
to that name. Again, the art in consumer communication involves
creating a stimulus that will prompt consumers to have the
desired response.
What we?re looking for is a name that makes people think of the
good old days. For example, a name like Covered Bridge or
Golden Clover might convey the image of rural country ? pure,
and wholesome like our images of yesteryear. These images
might be a stimulus, when combined with the slogan they may
prompt consumers to buy your product.
You see, Don, we believe that selecting a brand name
for a new product is both critically important and
terribly difficult. For your new product, we need a
name that is distinctive compared to other brand
names, and one that is both memorable and supports
the core promise of the concept. It must serve as part
of a stimulus that will prompt the desired response in
our targeted consumers. If it is too blatant I?m afraid it
will just turn people off. The name you suggested
continued from page 1
Niche
UW Dairy Pipeline, Summer 1996
9
By that time you could select a brand name and we can develop
some alternative sketches to show you.?
Selecting a Package Structure
For most new products, selecting a package structure is easy.
Cereals come in rectangular boxes right?  Ice cream comes in
tubs, doesn?t it?  Well, maybe selecting a package structure isn?t
so easy. Different shapes and varied construction can portray
different perceptions. For example, why does Ben & Jerry?s come
in small tubs and not small rectangular boxes?
The Reenap Company briefly considered putting their product
into a resealable package. They hoped consumers would value
their package more ? enough to offset the higher packaging
costs. Unfortunately, the realities of shelf space in the supermar-
ket stopped them. As one buyer said, ?That package is great for
consumers and lousy for us, it just takes up too much space.?
After a great deal of discussion, the New Product Development
Team settled on a skin tight package. They felt that traditional
chunk Cheddar cheese suffered from the ?ears? on the package
and they wanted to project a more upscale, high quality image.
Selecting a Name and a Sketch
Three weeks later the design agency greeted the people from the
Reenap Company. Don was anxious to see the sketches the
agency had developed. He looked expectantly at the artist.
?I?d be glad to show you our sketches. But it would be nice to
know where you came out on your brand name decision, first.?
?Well,  as you know, with your help we generated about forty
possible names and tested them. We took the top seven names to
our attorney and asked him to do a trademark search on them.
That eliminated two, so here?s a list of the rest. They are the
favorites, rated by consumers who were interested in our
concept.?
Top Five Possible Brand Names
Clover Meadow
Country Fair
Hardwood Aged
Reenap Farms
Wisconsin Traditions
The design agency staff peered at the list. ?You know, some of
these names could work really well!  I?m not sure about the first
three names, though I can see why consumers liked them ? they
seem quaint and have a nice sound. However, I?m not sure they
support your positioning. After all, your positioning is not based
on being rural, back-woods, or country and your positioning is
certainly not based on being hardwood aged, certainly your
product isn?t!  From what you told me, the concept behind your
product is based on tradition. The name Reenap Farms could
work if people are aware that your company has been making
fine cheeses for generations. If not, then I?d go with the last
name.?
?So you think our new brand name should be ?Wisconsin
Traditions??  That?s excellent. Our Team came to the same
conclusion.?
?Great. That name really works well with some of the sketches we
drew up. Let me show you.?
The agency then showed Don and his Team several sketches. The
first sketch used hi-tech photography to show a man in a modern
cheese factory. The second depicted a rural Wisconsin scene with
cows grazing. The third was a black and white line art sketch of a
man in an apron stirring an open small vat.
The conversation centered on the pro?s and con?s of the different
sketches. The first sketch was eliminated based on the lack of
traditional feeling in the picture. There was, however, little
consensus about the other two sketches. Supporters of each
sketch were seated at the conference table. In the end, they
decided to ask the design agency to mock up each sketch with
the brand name, Wisconsin Traditions and the slogan ?aged
Cheddar the way it used to be.? The group planned to go back and
ask some consumers their opinions of the sketches.
Seek Consumer Opinions of  Your Label Designs
Two weeks later the group reconvened. Based on fifteen inter-
views with consumers who had expressed interest in the concept,
Don was able to tell the design agency which sketch they wanted
to move ahead.
?Basically,? he said, ?the consumer s said that seeing cows made
them feel good, but  it was a common sight on dairy packages. It
did not make them think of cheese, particularly. Showing a
cheesemaker over an old, open vat, however, both was intriguing
and a mark of craftsmanship. What?s more, most people immedi-
ately understood that the man was making cheese, not just
stirring a pot with something like soup in it!?
A Positioning, A Name, A Sketch ... Let?s Go to the
Copy Machine!!
There were many more details to decide. Using information from
the Dairy Council of Wisconsin, the team needed to finalize
nutritional information for the label. They also had to agree on
package and case size (they used industry standard 8 ounce
packages in small 12  pack cases to show high case turn for
retailers). Within four weeks, the New Product Development
Team was looking at approved, finished color art work ready to
be sent to the printer.
continued on page 11
UW Dairy Pipeline, Summer 1996
10
         I have concerns about the safety of reduced fat cheese. Since it has a lower salt and
higher moisture content it seems like it could be more susceptible to pathogens ? what
do you think?
          You certainly aren?t the only one with concerns about reduced fat cheese safety. As
you noted, reduced fat cheeses are higher in moisture and usually lower in salt content
and acidity than full fat cheeses. The moisture increase is due in part to curd pH at drain
and mill, curd washing or whey dilution, and the binding of water by fat substitutes.
Reducing the fat content of cheese also affects physical properties including firmness,
elasticity, and adhesiveness. As a result, certain physical and chemical properties of
reduced fat cheese are unique in comparison to their full fat counterparts.
Consumer demand for high quality reduced fat products continues to grow, thus
producing reduced fat cheeses holds great promise for the Wisconsin cheese industry.
Considerable research has focused on producing reduced fat cheese with satisfactory
taste and texture ? CDR researchers Mark Johnson and Carol Chen have established
manufacturing procedures you can use to produce high quality reduced fat cheese (See
Dairy Pipeline, Spring 1995, Vol. 7, No. 2). Recently, we took the next step and evaluated
the microbiological safety and quality of reduced fat Cheddar cheese.
Our goals included determining the viability of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella
and toxin formation by Clostridium botulinum in reduced fat Cheddar cheese. We
compared the behavior of these pathogens in reduced fat Cheddar to their conventional
full fat Cheddar counterparts.
We also evaluated the ability of natural preservatives including bacteriocins (e.g.,
pediocins, sakacins, enterocins, nisin), monoglycerides, and lysozyme to control Listeria
monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Clostridium botulinum, and spoilage bacteria in reduced
fat cheese.
Preparing the cheese
Reduced fat cheese was prepared using 45.4 kg (100 lb) low fat (1.3% butterfat) milk
with a carbohydrate-based fat substitute (4% w/w Stellar, from A.E. Staley Mfg. Co.,
Decatur, IL). Milk was pasteurized, tempered to 31?C, and inoculated with strains of each
pathogen. After 5 min, antimicrobials were separately added to the milk, and inoculated
with 0.015% (vol/vol) DVS (Direct Vat Set) starter culture (Chr. Hansen?s Laboratory, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI). Milk was incubated for 15 min, and 0.01% chymosin (Chymax-Double
strength, Pfizer, Milwaukee, WI) was added to the milk. A standard Cheddar cheese
making schedule was carried out. The full fat Cheddar had an average pH of 5.63, 42.9%,
moisture , 49.5% fat (%FDB) and 1.95% NaCl. Reduced fat Cheddar had an average pH of
5.82, 51.6 % moisture, 26.9% fat (%FDB), and 1.9% NaCl.
Control vats were inoculated with pathogens, but antimicrobials were not added. For
wash treatments, most of the whey was withdrawn, and the vat was filled with water at
38?C for 10 min with gentle stirring. After pressing for 16 hr, 100 g portions were vacuum
packaged, stored at either 12 or 4?C, and sampled for botulinal toxin, Listeria
monocytogenes, and Salmonella sp. at 0, 1, 7, 14, 21, 30, 60, 90, and 180 d.
Curd Clinic
Q.
A.
Questions for the Curd Clinic?
Write t o:
CDR, UW Dairy Pipeline
1605 Linden Dr.
Madison, WI 53706
FAX:  608/262-1578
e-mail: Paulus@ahabs.wisc.edu
next page
Curd Clinic doctor is Eric A. Johnson,
professor, Food Research Institute
?... reduced fat cheese
seems to actually
permit less pathogen
survival and toxin
production.?
UW Dairy Pipeline, Summer 1996
11
Results and Conclusions
We determined the growth and survival
of Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmo-
nella and toxin production by
Clostridium botulinum in reduced fat and
full fat cheeses, prepared with or without
antimicrobials. We found that counts of
Salmonella decreased 1 to 2 log
10
 cfu/g
and Listeria monocytogenes decreased 2
to3 log
10
 cfu/g in reduced fat cheese
compared to full fat cheese in the
absence of antimicrobials. This was true
at both 4? and 12?C. Botulinal toxin
formation was delayed in reduced fat
Cheddar at 4 and 12?C compared to the
full fat counterpart.
Antimicrobials affected pathogen
survival and botulinal toxin production
in reduced fat and full fat cheese at 4?
and 12?C. Nisin, enterocin, and
monolaurin had the strongest impact on
pathogen survival and toxin production.
In samples treated with nisin, there was
an initial large drop in viability of L.
monocytogenes, and the drop was
greatest in full fat cheese. In full fat, but
not in reduced fat cheeses, counts of L.
monocytogenes eventually increased in
number. Nisin did not significantly
negate Salmonella survival in full-fat or
reduced fat cheese. Enterocin promoted
inactivation of L. monocytogenes  and
Salmonella in reduced fat but not in full
fat cheese. Monolaurin promoted
inactivation of Salmonella and L.
monocytogenes in reduced fat and full-fat
cheeses. Monolaurin also significantly
delayed production of botulinal toxin in
reduced fat cheese and to a lesser extent
in full fat cheese. None of the other
antimicrobials tested significantly
delayed production of botulinal toxin.
In conclusion, our results suggest you can
temper your concerns about reduced fat
cheese since it seems to actually permit
less pathogen survival and toxin
production. The antimicrobials showed
the same general pattern in washed-curd
cheeses. We don?t know how or why this
pathogen inhibition occurs, but we are
continuing our investigation.
CDR
?Before we spend the money on printing, let?s do a final test of the packaging and
product,? suggested Sara.? Let?s take some color copies of these label proofs, cut and glue
them onto packages of our cheese and put them in one or two stores. Then we?ll really be
sure ? before we print all those labels!?
The Final Test ? in the Store
?Price is too high. Not competitive. Too expensive.?  Don was explaining what he had
heard in the store test. ?We?ve got to do something.?
?Am I glad we didn?t print all those labels!!?, laughed Sara. ?Let?s see if we could sell this
product in six ounce packages instead of eight ounce. That way we can lower the selling
price by almost 25%. And, we can have the pieces cut so we can use the same label size
and design. All we have to do is change the label?s net weight declaration and make minor
changes to the nutritionals. What?s more, if we pack the cheese as 16/6oz. we can even
keep the same size corrugated cases that we originally planned on.?
The decisions were made, the product was store tested, again. This time it was considered
a good value versus common eight ounce Cheddar chunks. And, so, finally, the Team
decided to print their labels.
What is a Sell Sheet?
A buyer is busy. The average buyer for a retail supermarket is presented with thousands
of new items every year. Since they can only afford to spend a few minutes considering
each new product  your presentation must be clear, concise and persuasive.
That is the definition of a sell sheet. The Reenap Company didn?t have $2000 to spend on
thousands of copies of glossy-printed sell sheets, let alone the $l5,000 that many larger
firms typically spend on introductory selling brochures for new products.
Let?s get some color copies of a photo of our new cheeses ? with their new labels, of
course. On the back we can print a brief explanation of the concept and why it will help
the Trade make money.?
?Nice idea, Jim,? said Sara, ?That shouldn?t cost much and I think it will be effective.?
?I figure it will cost us about $25 for me to shoot a roll of film of our cheeses on a nice
wooden table and get the best shots blown up to 8x10. Then, we?ll need to spend a few
bucks for desktop publishing to get the back copy camera ready, and maybe $100 to make
50 two-sided color copies. We ought to be able to do the whole job for about $200.?
?Who will write the back copy?? asked Don.
?Let?s ask our local food broker, one of the folks from the design agency, and maybe you,
Sara, to work on the copy together. I?m sure they can simply state why the product will be
a benefit to the Trade and how it is different from other cheese products now available.?
To Market ...
The Team was almost ready to go to market. In my next, and final, article I will discuss
pricing, selecting a broker and distributor network and introductory promotional
spending.
CDR
continued from page 9Niche
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UW Dairy Pipeline
Calendar
Oct. 7-11  Wisconsin Cheese Technology Short Course. Madison, WI. Call Bill
Wendorff at (608) 263-2015.
Oct. 22-23  Milkfat as an Ingredient Short Course. Madison, WI. Call Kerry
Kaylegian at (608) 265-3086.
Oct. 29-31  Producing Safe Dairy Foods. Madison, WI. Call CALS Conference
office at (608) 263-1672.
Nov. 6  Eastern Wisconsin Cheesemakers and Buttermakers Assn. Annual
Convention. Depere, WI. Call Art Loehr at (414) 999-3895.
Nov. 12-13  Wisconsin Cheese Grading Short Course. Madison, WI. Call Bill
Wendorff at (608) 263-2015.
Jan. 6-9 Milk Pasteurization and Process Control School. Madison, WI. Call
Bob Bradley at (608) 263-2007 for information, or the CALS Conference Office
(608) 263-1672 to register.
Jan. 13-17  Ice Cream Makers Short Course. Madison, WI. Call Bob Bradley
at (608) 263-2007 for information, or the CALS Conference Office (608) 263-
1672 to register.
Feb. 4-5  Wisconsin Dairy Field Reps Conference. Madison, WI. Call Bill
Wendorff at (608) 263-2015.
Feb. 25-27  Wisconsin Process Cheese Short Course. Madison, WI. Call Jim
Path at (608) 262-2253 for more details.