Process diagram: Cheese production

The diagram illustrates how cheese is made from milk, in a process that consists of eight stages.

Overall, the process is linear. The milk is heated and treated with bacteria so that it separates, the solid part is pressed and salted, and the cheese is finally stored to ripen. The first three stages prepare the milk, the next four separate and shape the solid part, and the final stage allows the cheese to ripen.

First, fresh milk is delivered to the dairy. It is then pasteurised, which means that it is heated to kill bacteria. Bacteria and rennet are stirred in, and the milk separates into curds and whey in the curdling stage.

In the next stages, the curds are cut and the whey is drained. The curds are then pressed into blocks.

Finally, the blocks are salted or soaked in brine, and the cheese is stored for months so that it can ripen. Throughout the process, the milk is gradually changed from a liquid into a solid. Maturing, which lasts for months, is the longest stage mentioned.