In Japanese cheese market the rate of process cheese consumption is higher in total cheese consumption, comparing with US and European market. Therefore, process cheese has been diversified in Japanese market. This article surveys the diversity of Japanese process cheese and the recent new products.
The following process cheese categories have developed in Japan. Since the meltable sliced cheese was released, the consumption has rapidly increased. Now the rate of the meltable sliced cheese consumption reached to 50% or over in the total sliced cheese. The convenience of the precut process cheese is driving away the block process cheese with carton in the recent decade. The candy type process cheese also has developed in Japan, which are consumed mainly as flavored cream cheese varieties for children.
The remarkable new products are described as follows. The three-layered precut process cheese and the two-layered portion cheese make conspicuous not only flavor but also coloring in the layered process cheese. The new packages are small and airtight portions but easily openable. “Hojun Gouda” originated from Japan has plenty of free amino acids due to the fermentation by L. helveticus, so “Hojun Gouda” also makes the cheese flavor strong even in the process cheese. The number of process cheese with health claim, such as calcium or iron enriched process cheese, has gradually increased. On the other hand many studies recently demonstrated the health related functions of cheese. Considering the Japanese food trends, the health claims possibly become important in the process cheese development.
