Dairy, cheese and farm glossary
Short definitions of the terms you meet on the farm, in the factory and at the point of sale. Detailed numbers are in the articles and calculators linked to each term.
- Yield
- The amount of cheese produced from a given amount of milk, usually expressed in kilograms per 100 litres or litres of milk per kilo of cheese. It is affected by fat, protein, cheese type and moisture. Yield calculator →
- Fat standardisation
- Adjusting the fat, or the protein-to-fat ratio, of milk before processing by removing some fat or adding cream, so output is uniform from batch to batch. Standardisation calculator →
- Protein-to-fat ratio (P/F)
- The ratio of protein to fat in milk. It determines the texture, yield and consistency of the cheese.
- Rennet
- An enzyme (chymosin) added to milk to coagulate it in cheese making. Its strength is measured in units such as IMCU or as a 1:N ratio, and the dose is calculated by milk quantity and coagulation time.
- Curd
- The solid mass formed after milk coagulates, the basis of cheese. The whey is separated from it.
- Whey
- The liquid left after the curd is separated, carrying some fat, protein and lactose. High fat in the whey signals yield loss.
- Calcium chloride
- A substance sometimes added to pasteurised milk to improve curd firmness.
- Pasteurisation
- A heat treatment of milk that kills most pathogenic bacteria before processing.
- pH (acidity level)
- A measure of the acidity of milk and curd. Monitoring its change during processing indicates how fermentation is going and product quality.
- Brine
- A salt solution in which some cheeses such as halloumi and Akkawi are soaked. Its salinity, temperature and acidity are controlled and it is changed periodically. Salt calculator →
- Baumé degree
- A unit measuring the density of a salt solution. It converts approximately to a salinity by weight.
- Ageing
- Leaving cheese for a set time in controlled conditions to mature and gain flavour and texture, with some loss of weight.
- Halloumi
- A cheese whose curd is heated, folded and usually kept in brine, and which withstands grilling and frying.
- Akkawi
- A soft white cheese kept in brine, common in the Levant.
- Shanklish
- A soft cheese that is aged, rolled into balls and coated with thyme or chilli, common in the Levant.
- Labneh
- Strained yoghurt giving a thick texture, sold fresh or pressed in oil.
- FEFO
- Short for First Expired, First Out: issuing what expires soonest first, to reduce waste from expiry. Factory inventory with FEFO →
- Lot (batch)
- A quantity of a material or product sharing a number, date and source, used for traceability.
- Traceability
- The ability to know the source of every material and the destination of every product: which farm the milk came from, which cheese batch it entered, and which customer it was sold to. Traceability and recall →
- Recall
- Withdrawing a product from the market because of a quality or safety problem. The mock exercise tests how fast the affected products and customers can be identified.
- HACCP
- A system for hazard analysis and critical control points in food safety, requiring documented records of readings such as temperature and pH. HACCP record in the Chef Board →
- SCC (somatic cell count)
- The number of cells per millilitre of milk, which rises with udder inflammation. It is used in quality-based milk pricing. Quality-based milk pricing →
- Mastitis
- Inflammation of a cow's udder that lowers yield, raises SCC and affects milk quality.
- Heat stress
- A condition cows suffer when heat and humidity rise, lowering feed intake, yield and fertility.
- Dry matter (DM)
- The part of feed after water is removed. Nutritional requirements are usually calculated on this basis.
- NEL (net energy for lactation)
- A unit estimating the energy a cow uses for maintenance, pregnancy and milk production, measured in megacalories.
- NDF (neutral detergent fibre)
- A measure of fibre in feed, important for rumen health and the cow's rumination.
- Rumen
- The largest compartment of the cow's stomach, where bacteria digest roughage.
- Dry-off
- Stopping milking a cow about two months before calving so the udder recovers and prepares for the next lactation. Dry cow ration →
- Silage
- Fermented green feed preserved without air, such as corn silage. Corn silage →
- Ration (TMR)
- A calculated mix of feeds that covers a cow's requirement at the lowest possible cost. Feed ration calculator →
- True cost per kilo
- The cost of a kilo of finished product after adding milk, materials, labour, fixed costs, energy and packaging and dividing by the actual kilos. How to calculate it →
- JoFotara
- Jordan's national e-invoicing system run by the Income and Sales Tax Department. JoFotara invoicing →
- Point of sale (POS)
- The cashier system that records sales, prints receipts and updates stock. Cashier system →
- Shift
- A defined cashier work period opened with an opening amount and closed by reconciling actual cash with expected cash.
- Customer portal
- A private page for each wholesale customer to order from and see his invoices and balance. Wholesale customer portal →