Culturing excellence: The new frontier of specialty cheese

From London deli counters to boutique grocers in San Francisco, the demand for specialty cheese is growing. In fact, the category has emerged as one of the most exciting and fast-evolving segments in food.

According to Mintel ¹, nearly half of cheese consumers are actively searching for new varieties to try. People are more curious and more health conscious. And they are not simply buying cheese; they’re buying texture, bold flavors, origin, craftsmanship, a premium experience and a story that feels personal.

This appetite for discovery, combined with shifting dietary preferences and rising expectations for quality, presents a golden opportunity for producers, but only if they’re ready to innovate. Because creating a truly standout cheese isn’t just about tradition or taste. It’s about understanding microbial behavior, mastering process conditions, ensuring safety, and tapping into the cultural heritage behind each variety.

Specialty cheese comprises a very wide range,” says Annie Mornet, senior cheese expert at IFF. “From soft to hard, with or without rind — but they all share one thing: character. Consumers want something that tastes exceptional and feels different”

— The modern challenge for a traditional craft —

Specialty cheese has become more than a food trend. It is a movement, sitting at the sweet spot where heritage meets innovation, where microbial mastery creates mouthfeel, and where culture – both social and bacterial – defines value. This growing appetite is a boon for the sector. But it also introduces complexity – and higher stakes for producers.

Ask any cheesemaker and they’ll tell you: it’s not enough to create great cheese once. The real challenge is doing it again and again, even as the milk changes, fermentation shifts, and consumer preferences evolve. “You need to find the right balance between profitability and quality,” adds Mornet. “You’re not competing on volume; you’re competing on identity.”

Anne-Sophie Lecorps, who leads technical applications at IFF’s cheese division, agrees. “Across categories – blue, goat, soft – the core challenges are quite similar: control costs, adapt to modern lifestyles, but never lose the essence that makes each cheese unique.” Safety is non-negotiable. Any slip in microbial control in the production environment of the cheese can mean spoilage, recalls, or reputational damage. But equally, too much standardization risks stripping away the very uniqueness that defines a specialty product.

“You’re working with raw milk, with unpredictable milk matrices, and with bacteria that evolve. But that biodiversity is also what gives cheese its soul. Our job isn’t to remove it; it’s to manage the risk while preserving the complexity.”, says Anne-Sophie Lecorps.

IFF operates a crucial role in shaping the success of specialty cheese producers around the world. The offer is comprehensive: from coagulants and acidifiers to ripening cultures, protective solutions, and troubleshooting support. But at the very heart of IFF’s impact is how the solutions are applied.

“Cheese is a craft, and our support has to match that,” says Mornet. We listen first. We analyze second. Only then do we propose the solution.”

This tailored approach is enabled by state-of-the-art tools like IFF’s VIP System (Vats in Parallel) at its pilot plant in Dangé St Romain, France. The VIP can help to replicate a cheesemaker’s process on a small scale, trial multiple culture combinations, and generate precise data to guide decision-making. It is a process that gives producers confidence to make choices that are not just based on tradition or assumptions,  but on scientific evidence tailored to their own milk and process.

— Creating cheeses with character —

One of IFF’s specialties is helping customers design cheese that’s not just consistent, but memorable. “Cheesemakers are artists,” adds Mornet. “They know what they want. Our job is to help them get there with the right toolbox.” Take Roquefort, for example. Its iconic blue veining depends on Penicillium roquefortii strains that must be perfectly timed with fermentation. Or Munster cheese, where brevibacterium cultures and careful humidity control create its signature orange rind. IFF’s portfolio includes MARZYME® microbial coagulants, CHOOZIT® acidifiers, HOLDBAC® protective cultures, and adjuncts that enhance flavour, texture, and shelf life – all the while safeguarding the cheese from pathogens and phage attacks, which are a growing concern in today’s production environments.

The rise of snacking culture and convenience formats is forcing producers to rethink not only taste but also form and function. More demand for individually wrapped specialty cheeses is putting more pressure on efficiency, sliceability, shelf life, and texture. IFF is helping producers adapt through customized ripening profiles, and culture strains that deliver consistent performance in newer formats — without losing the artisanal feel.

Meanwhile, younger consumers are demanding more information about what’s in their cheese, how it was made, and where it came from. “Transparency is part of the premium now,” adds Lecorps. “And that starts with process integrity.”

— From troubleshooting to trailblazing —

Innovation is not just important to help launch new cheese to market. Often it can come to the rescue of an existing one. One particular IFF customer was struggling with contamination in its washed-rind cheese. “They were facing high waste levels and inconsistent ripening. We didn’t just look at surface bacteria — we looked at the matrix. Ripening isn’t magic. It depends on curd quality,” reveals Mornet.

Working together, they fine-tuned the milk processing, rebalanced the microbial environment, and implemented simple hygiene protocols. The result? Better consistency, reduced scrap, and restored confidence. “It’s one of the reasons I love this work,” she adds. “You can take a real problem and solve it – not with guesswork, but with partnership and science.”

— What’s next for specialty cheese? —

Yes, the market for specialty cheese will grow, but it will also bring more competition. The companies that win will be those that innovate faster, adapt to trends, and remain true to the sensory richness that defines specialty cheese. Lecorps believes cheesemakers are now thinking differently. This applies not only to the next generation of producers, but also traditional cheese companies that are exploring this new universe. “They want faster development, more control, and more sustainable practices. We’re here to help them scale those ambitions.”

From optimizing processes to navigating seasonal milk changes, IFF is investing in new fermentation science, culture development, and digital tools to meet this demand. “The world of cheese is shifting. But with the right partner, you don’t have to choose between tradition and innovation. You can have both.”

For anyone entering the specialty cheese space, the message from IFF’s team is clear: build with intent, craft with curiosity, and don’t go it alone.

“Great cheese comes from passion,” concludes Mornet. “But it also comes from precision. And that’s where we come in.”

In the end, specialty cheese isn’t just about making something delicious. It’s about preserving a craft while adapting to evolving consumer preferences and the pressures of  modern food production. It’s about navigating complexity without compromising character. As consumer expectations shift and competitive pressures mount, success will hinge not only on innovation, but on collaboration – between science and tradition, between craft and consistency, between producers and partners.

Because in a category defined by nuance, no two cheeses – or cheesemakers – are the same. And that’s precisely where the opportunity lies: in leveraging deep technical expertise to support creative freedom, in making sure passion has the tools it needs to thrive, and in giving artisanal producers the confidence to scale without sacrificing soul, or the most important thing: taste.

Are you in the business of distinctive cheese? You need a second-to-none partner for your cultures.

_References

1. _{Mintel extracts – Cheese, UK, 2024} ↩︎