dsm-firmenich, a leading innovator in nutrition, health, and beauty, launches four new Dairy Safe culture rotations. These all-in-one, label-friendly solutions deliver assured bioprotection through improved phage robustness as well as greater temperature resistance, controlled eye formation, consistent acidification, and enhanced flavor development for premium semi-hard, hard, and continental-style cheese varieties.

Cheesemakers are under increasing pressure to deliver more cheese without the use of preservatives that need to be listed on ingredient labels. With 67% of European consumers avoiding foods which contain unfamiliar ingredients,¹  and Americans regarding a food as safe when it is labelled as “natural,” “organic”, or “healthy”,²  cheesemakers are acutely aware of the need to reduce additives—in fact 10% of all cheese launches now carry an “additive-free” claim.³  dsm-firmenich’s new Dairy Safe™ cultures are designed to enable additive-free formulation, delicious tastes, and spoilage protection. 

By introducing carefully selected culture strains that offer extra strains per rotation for enhanced phage robustness, dsm-firmenich gives cheesemakers a label-friendly way to protect against spoilage and costly downgrades. Unlike other common preservation methods like lysozyme and nitrate, Dairy Safe cultures support label-friendly cheese production, are non-dairy allergen free, work across various milk varieties, and enable a high-value whey output. 

The newly launched strains are even more temperature robust than the previous generation, meaning they accommodate the production of a greater variety of cheese types. Alongside assured bioprotection, the new cultures deliver more consistent acidification, reliable gas production for uniform and attractive eye formation, faster flavor development, and enhanced overall flavor intensity. Together, these advances give cheesemakers greater processing control, reduce the risk of costly downgrades, and make it easier to deliver label-friendly ingredient lists.

Dairy Safe cultures contain the unique combination of both nisin-producing strains as well as nisin-immune strains with the newly launched rotations producing a higher concentration of nisin than any other solutions on the market. The nisin-producing and acidifying Lactococcus lactis strains effectively prevent butyric acid fermentation and inactivate other gram-positive spoilage bacteria such as Clostridia tyrobutyricum, which prevents late blowing, and the formation of slits and cracks. The nisin-immune starter culture strains ensure consistent acidification and taste with a similar performance to standard direct-to-vat starter cultures. Dairy Safe cultures come in two taste directions—buttery savory or sweet bouillon—and are suitable for use with cow, goat, or sheep milk and support organic claims. 

Pim van Hee, global business director Cheese Cultures at dsm-firmenich says: “Spoilage can be devastating to cheesemakers—for quality and profitability. That’s why we set out to develop a new generation of all-in-one protective cultures that give cheese producers complete peace of mind that they are protecting their product, their brand, and profitability with a single label-friendly solution. Whether you're producing cheese for supermarkets or artisanal eateries, it’s our mission to help you deliver excellent cheese, every time.” 

Evandro Oliveira de Souza, Global Senior Vice President at dsm-firmenich adds: “At dsm-firmenich, we are committed to leading the way in cultures for cheese making by constantly innovating and staying 100% focused on the success of our customers. With Dairy Safe, we are proud to offer solutions that not only protect and enhance cheese quality but also help our partners respond to evolving consumer expectations and thrive in a competitive market.”

dsm-firmenich’s Dairy Safe cultures have been trusted by the industry for over 30 years, and its customers benefit from tailored technical support.

¹ EIT Food Consumer Observatory, 2024

² IFIC Food & Health survey, 2024

³ Mintel, 2025