What are the steps in cheese processing and their functions?

- Function: Receiving and preparing raw milk for cheesemaking.

2. Culturing and Ripening:

- Function: Adding bacteria cultures to the milk to ferment and develop flavors.

3. Coagulation:

- Function: Adding rennet to coagulate milk proteins into a semi-solid form.

4. Cutting:

- Function: Cutting the coagulated milk into small, uniform pieces.

5. Heating:

- Function: Gently heating the cut curds to expel whey and promote further coagulation.

6. Draining and Whey Separation:

- Function: Separating the curds from the liquid whey.

7. Salting:

- Function: Adding salt to flavor the cheese and regulate the moisture content.

8. Pressing and Molding:

- Function: Shaping and pressing the salted curds into molds.

9. Cheddaring (for Cheddar Cheese):

- Function: Cutting and stacking curd blocks to expel more whey and promote acidity development.

10. Aging and Maturing:

- Function: Storing the cheese in a controlled environment to develop flavors and textures.

11. Packaging:

- Function: Wrapping and packaging the matured cheese for storage and sale.

12. Distribution and Consumption:

- Function: Distributing the packaged cheese to retailers and consumers.