The folks at Sargento aren't saying much about how they make their reduced sodium colby jack and mozzarella, but they have said that simply altering
the ingredients or using salt substitutes did not do the trick. Innovation in the production process was the key in reaching their goal of
offering a good-tasting reduced sodium cheese
, but this only came to light at an industry meeting in July, months after the company had launched its new line.
Give Sargento credit for understanding that the ONLY reason to eat cheese is because it tastes good. Indeed, there are healthier sources of
protein or calcium than cheese...but that doesn't matter. Americans love cheese. (The USDA reports that we produced 9.9 billion pounds of it in 2008!)
However, the lesson the entire industry learned from early introductions of low-fat cheese was that U.S. consumers will not purchase cheese that fails
to deliver on taste and texture.
Knowing that consumers were seeking better-for-you versions of their favorite foods now more than ever, Sargento began the quest to create a
reduced sodium cheese that would not represent a compromise of taste or texture. The company's director of marketing, Jane Gapinski, explained to a reporter for industry
trade publication Dairy Reporter that salt as an ingredient in the making of cheese is not for taste alone, but it is also important for the product's
shelf life. At any rate, the sodium chloride substitutes – ammonium chloride and potassium chloride – did not work, according to the Sargento's taste
experts, so the research and development team took another tack and looked at modifying the production process.
Creating a reduced sodium cheese was a pursuit that began about five years ago when one of the Sargento chefs pointed out the trend of consumer
interest in reducing the consumption of salt. Prolonging the process for developing a new cheese product is that aging the cheese requires a four– to
eight-week wait before results can be evaluated.
While Sargento was certainly not first to market with a product line of reduced-sodium cheeses, the company seems intent on being one with a
good-tasting product. Innovation is nothing new for this family-owned business, and it can claim its
share of "firsts." In 1955, founder Leonard Gentine invented vacuum packaging for cheese to preserve freshness; in 1958, Sargento was the first company
to market shredded cheese; in 1969, it introduced peg bar merchandising to place cheese at eye level in the dairy case; and in 1986, it introduced the
zipper-closure bag for cheese.
Sargento Foods Inc. is headquartered in Plymouth, Wisconsin, and employs about 1,300 people in
its four production facilities. It generates net sales of approximately $900 million from its consumer products division, its food service division
that supplies restaurants, and its food ingredients division that supplies food manufacturers.
