CAMEMBERT cheese

production
Country of
origin

France

Region,
town

Normandy,
Camembert

Source of
milk

Cows

Pasteurised Not normally

Texture

Soft-ripened

Aging time

at least 3
weeks

Certificatio
n

Camembert
de
Normandie
AOC
1983,
PROCESSING
PDO 1992

LINES
Lucio Betancourt // Erasmus
Student 2008

HISTORY
Invented in 1791 by Marie Harel, a
farmer from Normandy
Origin of the cheese known today as
Camembert is more likely to rest with
the beginnings of the industrialization
of the cheese-making process at the
end of the 19th century
Certification : protected designation of
origin in 1992 // AOC in 1983

Presentation of CAMEMBERT
Ripened cheese made from
unpasteurized cow's milk
2,2 liters of milk are necessary to
produce 1 camembert
The time necessary for obtaining a
fully ripened cheese is 30 to 35 days.

Chemical composition
It gets its characteristic flavor from
many naturally occurring chemical
substances, including ammonia,
succinic acid and sodium chloride

Preparation of the milk (day 1)

PRODUCTION STEP 0
Reception of the milk and
tests (acidity, test
Listria)
Standardization of the fat
content (partial skinning)
- 28 gr Fat/L to have a
camembert with
45%
of fat.
Other additions before
making the curd
Primary ripening of the

Curdling (day 2)

PRODUCTION STEP 1
Solidify the milk
Coagulation in vats at 32 or 35
Fundamental process made generally
with rennet

Draining (day 2)

PRODUCTION STEP 2
80 % of the water
contained in the curd wich
is extracted
The biological factor
The mechanical factor
A : during stirring
B : during cutting
C : during whey drainage
D : during pressing
Source :
Dairy Processing Handbook, Tetrapak
Sweden

Molding (day 2)

PRODUCTION STEP 3
Made at 30C to favorise the draining

Removal from the molt and Salting (day 3)

PRODUCTION STEP 4
Camembert are salted on both faces and
circumference
The salting allows:
- The selection of microorganism necessary for
the maturing of the Camembert.
- It completes the draining of the curd.
- It gives flavour to the cheese.
Percentage of salt in a Camembert is from
1,80 to 2 %.

Maturing (day 4 to day 15)

PRODUCTION STEP 5
Maturing in drying store with
reversal (temperature between 10
and 12C)

Packaging
Maturing in box in cellar

3 days

7 days

15 days

The Controls
To receive the AOC, a Norman camembert
should respect several norms. For instance :
During the whole process, the milk temperature
should not rise over 37 C. No milk powder,
concentred milk, or lactic proteins should be
added to that camembert
The moulding should be done with a ladle in at
least four times. The size of the laddle should
be approximately the same as the size of the
mould.
The salt should only be a "dry" one
At least 45% fat content in a camembert.
At least 115g of dry matter in a camembert.

LINKS
http://www.foodprocessingtechnology.com/projects/arla/
http://www.accreteil.fr/svt/Scexp/fromage.htm
http://www.fromages-xavier.com/Lafabrication-du-fromage
http://www.food-info.net/fr/dairy/cheeseproduction.htm
http://www.camembert-