At a Glance:
- A high moisture content or low cheese content can cause cheese slices to stick together, which causes clumping and longer preparation times.
- Use of too many additives and poor formulations can also cause cheese to break or stick.
- Without proper separators or good packaging, cheese slices can stick together or become contaminated.
- Storing cheese at the wrong temperatures can make it too soft and sticky or too hard and crumbly.
One of the most common frustrations faced by foodservice operators is when cheese slices stick together or tear during handling. This issue can have a significant impact on the business, leading to slower prep times, increased food waste, and inconsistent presentation of menu items.
To overcome the challenge, it’s important to know why these issues happen in the first place. The main reasons cheese slices stick together or break usually relate to the product quality and poor storage conditions.
This article will highlight the common reasons behind cheese slice handling problems, such as breakage and sticking, and provide practical solutions to prevent them. It will help you improve efficiency, control waste and cost, and ensure consistent quality in every dish.
Excess Moisture Content
One of the primary reasons cheese slices stick together is excess moisture content. Cheese naturally has moisture, but when the moisture level is too high, cheese slices can stick together inside the packaging. This can cause clumping, leading to longer prep times and unnecessary product waste as staff struggle to separate the slices.
To avoid this, choose cheeses that have the right moisture balance, such as Hi-Melt cheese. It is made to withstand high temperatures without losing its texture. Effective processing methods and moisture control during the production of Hi-melt help create a smoother product for foodservice use.
Low Cheese Content
Another issue that causes cheese slices to break or stick is low cheese content. When cheese slices contain a low percentage of real cheese and more artificial ingredients, they lack the natural elasticity and strength needed to handle regular kitchen preparation and high-heat applications. Such cheese slices tend to break easily under slight pressure or become sticky.
Look for cheese slices with a higher percentage of real cheese, like Hi-Melt cheese for burgers. This cheese offers a better texture, resulting in a more consistent cooking experience for the staff and higher-quality dishes for customers.
Use of Additives and Preservatives
Many processed cheese slices contain additives and preservatives to prolong shelf life and maintain their appearance. However, high amounts of stabilisers or artificial binders can result in a rubbery or sticky texture. Therefore, it can cause cheese slices to stick together, making them harder to separate during food preparation.
By selecting premium cheese suppliers that use balanced formulations, you can prevent these problems. Hi-Melt slices from The Burger Cheese, for instance, contain a few additives that assure better texture and performance while maintaining high menu quality and consistent results across every serve.
Packaging and Layering Issues
Inadequate packaging or insufficient separators between cheese slices often causes them to stick together. Poorly sealed packaging can also lead to contamination and loss of flavour.
To prevent this issue, it’s important that your cheese comes in adequate packaging. Ensure that cheese slices are packaged with sufficient separators to maintain their shape and freshness. Also, check the packaging upon delivery to ensure it is sealed correctly and is undamaged.
Structural Weakness from Poor Formulation
Poor formulation can result in weak cheese slices that tear easily or fail to hold together during cooking. Incorrect fat-to-protein ratios or unbalanced ingredients can make the cheese fragile, which causes slices to break under light pressure or melt unevenly.
The best solution is to choose high-quality cheese slices with a stable structure and elasticity. By selecting cheese that has been carefully formulated for reliable performance, foodservice businesses can avoid the hassle of poorly melting cheese slices.
Improper Storage Temperatures
The storage temperature of cheese is crucial for maintaining its texture and ease of handling. If cheese is kept at a high temperature, it becomes soft and sticky, making it hard to separate individual slices. On the other hand, if cheese is stored at too low a temperature, it can become brittle and break.
Cheese slices should be stored in a temperature range of 1°C to 5°C. Slices should be spaced properly, and temperature variations should be minimised, to maintain the cheese’s freshness.
Cheese slices that stick together or break during handling can cause major problems in a busy commercial kitchen. These issues disrupt kitchen operations, slow down food prep, and raise food waste and cost. To reduce these frustrations, it’s essential to understand the underlying causes of the problem, such as excessive moisture, low cheese content, improper storage temperatures, poor formulations, and packaging.
Partner with a reliable cheese supplier that offers high-quality slices that don’t break or stick during handling, ensuring consistent performance and improved kitchen efficiency.
