In Gen Z terms, it's #legit! The word is actually short for “legitimate”, but it has come to mean something of particularly high quality. This is how young consumers define cottage cheese or quark. The dairy product has quickly become the latest food trend on social media, overtaking popular superfoods such as avocado, quinoa and goji berries.
It's no wonder - cottage cheese is high in protein and calcium, low in fat and calories, and packed with important nutrients, including essential amino acids such as isoleucine, leucine and valine, as well as magnesium and vitamin B12. Nutritionists say cottage cheese is ideal for fitness and weight-conscious people, helping to build muscle, burn fat and keep you feeling full for longer.
„We have permanently increased production,”
Multi-purpose
Influencers on social networks such as TikTok and Instagram have recognised this and are sharing recipe ideas that go beyond cheese as a sandwich filling or omelette ingredient. They are showcasing cottage cheese in fluffy pancakes, as a frozen option for summer ice creams, in cheese crisps, as a sweet cookie dough or as a topping for grilled cheese. Cottage cheese has inspired a whole generation. MILRAM also uses its own Instagram channel to show how versatile this superfood is.
Back in the 1970s, the dairy product was considered the ideal food as part of the fitness movement. But cottage cheese has gone quiet. Until now. The numbers also reflect its triumph. The Daily Mail, for example, reports that sales of the dairy product in the UK have risen to a 40-year high.
DMK responds to the hype
We have picked up on the trend on our MILRAM social media platforms and developed our own trendy recipes with cottage cheese.
DMK is also experiencing a comeback and is responding to the new demand for MILRAM cottage cheese at its Hohenwestedt site. “We have permanently increased production,” says Jan-Erik Ploog, Production Team Leader. To achieve this, the number of
employees in the Cottage Cheese Department has been increased. “With the closure of the
spray drying plant, we are training colleagues who will support us in production in the future.” The special consistency of the product is due to the curd that forms the basis of cottage cheese. Unlike fresh cheese, the milk is thickened using lactic acid bacteria. The curd is then diced. The next stage is to cook it in order to stabilise it and give it structure.
This involves heating the curd-whey mixture to around 52 degrees. The curd is then mixed with dressing and packaged. Overall, more than 30 percent more cottage cheese will leave the plant this year than planned. By 2025, the increase is expected to be almost 40 percent. I am sure that granulated cottage cheese will now become a regular item on many consumers' shopping lists.”
