IQF vs. Shredded Cheese

[tahi0009]

Hello,

I am wondering if any of you would know some pros and cons to using IQF(individually quick frozen) vs. standard shredding. From my understanding the big chains use IQF, there must be a reason why the use that. I know the price is higher.

But I am trying to think of costs attached to shredding:

1. food waste, there is obviously loss of cheese at the shredder and when scraping the bottom of the cheese bins.

2)employee cost( I know some of you are going to say I am paying for the employees anyways, might as well have them working) that’s B.S, if I don’t have them cutting cheese they could be more productive in other aspects: i.e customer service, cleaning, boxes, prep work

3)electricity and maintenance costs on the machine

anything else that i didnt think of? some disadvantages?

 

[Patriot_sPizza]

Many, many, many years ago I used some IQF cheese for a very short period of time…Leprino forged this concept for their major chains…

You need to be careful, as many might not consider all their products to be 100% Real Cheese…

It is a minor hassle to always keep a stock adequately defrosted and you need to have space to either keep a frozen stock, or enough slacked out to suit your sales volume…

Performance-wise, I found it satisfactory, but would not use it these days…

I much prefer to shred my own and use a custom blend…

If you are indeed a large volume user, I’d recommend a VCM and blend/dice your own…

 

[brad_randall]

Patriot'sPizza:

many might not consider all their products to be 100% Real Cheese…

I does not meet the labeling requirements to be called Mozzarella, you will be selling “pizza cheese” instead.
Patriot'sPizza:

Performance-wise, I found it satisfactory, but would not use it these days…

We liked the product when it was 1st available and used it for a long time. A few years back, we perceived a change (for the worse) in the way which the cheese cooked (a lot more individual granules drying out and burning on top of the pizza). A final increase in their overage convinced us to try other options. It’s still the cheapest cheese out there, just no longer that much cheaper than everything else.

We’ve switched to a diced fresh pack Mozzarella and I personally feel that my final product has never been better for taste and especially in appearance.