Mitigating solids loss and waste in processed cheese production

Abstract

Company XYZ is an employee owned international cheese and dairy product manufacturer with 19 domestic and 12 international production facilities, employing over 8,000 people worldwide. This company specializes in a variety of consumer and food service product lines, including but not limited to, natural and processed cheeses, yogurts, and plant-based products. In early 2019, the leadership team at Plant A noticed a spike in product loss and waste generated during the production of processed cheese. Plant A was on target to be $1.2 million over budget for acceptable loss and waste by the end of the fiscal year. As a result, a task force was assembled and the goal of this study was to identify loss points in the process, identify potential solutions, and implement best practices to mitigate the product loss and waste during production. At the conclusion of this study, significant savings were realized and negative budget implications were rectified.