Swiss-Dutch ingredients company, dsm-firmenich, has introduced a coagulant enzyme designed to transform cheese production – MaxirenEVO.
Today’s cheese manufacturers face multiple challenges, from evolving quality requirements and demand for enhanced texture and taste, to improving sliceability and shredding and optimising whey value – all while ensuring efficient and sustainable production.
MaxirenEVO is engineered with cutting-edge fermentation technology, and targets alpha s-1 (αs1) casein via a highly specific mode of action to deliver better texture and flavour development, improved yields, and increased processing flexibility. It is the latest addition to the Maxiren range, a portfolio of 100 per cent pure chymosin enzymes produced by fermentation.
Enhanced flexibility for processing freedom
MaxirenEVO is able to precisely convert αs1 casein into a αs1-i casein, leading to fast curd knitting, superior water binding, better moisture distribution, and improved emulsification. At the same time, its low proteolytic activity ensures the cheese retains its structure and smoothness throughout its shelf life, preventing cutting losses, stickiness, or texture degradation.
This combination of features results in cheese with a uniform texture throughout its lifespan. MaxirenEVO enables cheesemakers to slice and shred their cheese earlier into maturation, providing greater flexibility in processing. Additionally, it helps maintain a high-quality texture throughout the cheese’s shelf life, allowing it to be processed and sold even in its later stages – preserving quality for the long term.
MaxirenEVO also performs well at low pH levels, making it ideal for fast-processing applications like mozzarella production, where pre-acidification is commonly used. Beyond cheese production, MaxirenEVO ensures no residual enzyme activity after processing, allowing cheesemakers to diversify revenue streams without compromising quality.
Dsm-firmenich business director cheese, Ardy van Erp, said the cheesemaking industry faces mounting pressure to adopt sustainable, resource-efficient processes while catering to consumer expectations for consistent quality.
“With MaxirenEVO, we’re delivering exactly what cheesemakers need: unprecedented flexibility, superior performance, and the ability to meet growing demand for pizza-perfect cheeses that stay golden after cooking and deliver a melt-in-the-mouth stretch, even at the end of their shelf-life,” said van Eerp.
“What’s more, cheese producers have the option to maximize the benefits of MaxirenEVO in mozzarella applications by pairing it with DelvoCheese CP-500 cultures – which can increase mozzarella yield without compromising on quality.”
Boosting taste, yield and sustainability
By targeting αs1 casein with precision, MaxirenEVO stimulates flavour formation, contributing to a clean, robust cheese flavor without bitterness. In addition to optimizing cheese quality, MaxirenEVO offers tangible environmental and economic advantages.
By increasing moisture retention by up to 1.7 per cent, cheesemakers can produce more cheese from the same amount of milk. This translates to a reduction in carbon emissions of approximately 1.6 per cent compared to first generation fermentation-produced coagulants.
