Essential Hygiene and Disinfection Practices in Cheesemaking

Hygiene in Cheesemaking: A Professional Guide

Cleanliness and hygiene in cheesemaking—and in the entire food production process—are absolutely essential. If we buy milk from a farmer, we have no control over milking hygiene, which is the main factor determining whether pasteurization is necessary. You can find post about pasteurisation on this blog.

Even raw milk free from unwanted bacteria can become contaminated during transport or while being poured into a pot or kettle. When making cheese, you want it to turn out perfectly. No matter how good the recipe is, if your equipment, workspace, or hands are not impeccably clean, your cheese has a high chance of becoming contaminated.

Potential contaminants include Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and spores of Clostridium tyrobutyricum—the latter cannot be destroyed by pasteurization.

Maintaining a Clean Work Area

If you have a dedicated cheesemaking facility, you likely already know how to manage hygiene. But if you make cheese at home, designate a “clean zone” in your kitchen—usually a cleaned countertop with easy access to the sink.

If you bake sourdough or yeast bread at home, avoid baking on the same day as cheesemaking. Yeasts—even wild ones—can interfere with cheese production.

Clean the countertop with detergent or vinegar. Many people also use a 70% ethanol or isopropanol spray and wipe it dry with a paper towel.

Hand Hygiene

Handwashing should become a habit. Just as you wash your hands before eating or after using the bathroom, wash them before and during cheesemaking.

Wash your hands especially after touching objects that may harbor unwanted bacteria—cell phones, doorknobs, sink faucets, or kitchen sponges.

Procedure:

1. Wash thoroughly with soap and warm water.

2. Dry with a paper towel.

3. Disinfect with a hand sanitizer.

Equipment Hygiene

1. Washing

After production, all equipment must be thoroughly washed:

• pots/kettles

• molds

• slicers

• sieves

• thermometer tips

Use warm water with dish detergent. The goal is to remove cheese residue, spices, proteins, and fats. In larger facilities, sodium hydroxide-based products are often used.

2. Disinfection

Disinfection is best done right before cheesemaking. There are several options:

Chlorine-Based Products

• Available as tablets, granules, powders, concentrates, or diluted liquids

• Dose according to manufacturer instructions

• Immerse equipment for 10–30 minutes

• Rinse thoroughly with drinking water afterward

Hydrogen Peroxide / Active Oxygen

• Available as powder, granules, tablets, or liquid

• Dose as recommended

• Equipment can be rinsed in the solution or immersed for about 5 minutes

• No rinsing required

Acidic Agents

• Typically based on phosphoric or sulfuric acid

• Immerse for 10–30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with drinking water

Hot Water or Steam

For those avoiding chemicals:

• Immerse equipment in 80–90°C water

  • ~5 minutes at 80°C

  • ~30 seconds at 90°C

• Alternatively, place equipment in a pot with 2–3 cm of water, cover with a lid or foil, and let the steam disinfect it

Important: Not all cheesemaking tools can withstand high temperatures—check this beforehand.

Calcium Deposits and Acid Cleaning

Milk calcium deposits accumulate on equipment and must be removed with acidic agents.
Instead of phosphoric or sulfuric acid, you can use:

• strong citric acid solution

• vinegar (heated slightly for better effect)

Hygiene is the foundation of successful cheesemaking. A clean workspace, properly washed and disinfected equipment, and strict hand hygiene significantly reduce the risk of contamination and ensure consistent, high-quality results.