Unified Tariff and Qualification Directory of Work and Professions of Workers (UTKS). Issue #49
Approved by Resolution of the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation dated March 5, 2004 N 33

Master cheesemaker

§ 61. Cheesemaker-master of the 5th category

Characteristics of work. Management of the cheese production process when producing cheese up to 300 tons per year in baths (boilers) and cheese makers. Accounting for incoming raw materials. Sorting milk by quality and determining its suitability for cheese production based on laboratory tests and organoleptics. Calculation of milk normalization based on fat and protein content and determination of the required amount of bacterial starter, chemicals, and coagulating enzyme. If necessary, make a bacterial starter culture. Control over the processing of curds and cheese grains in baths and cheese manufacturers. Determining the readiness of the cheese grain before molding. Control over the process of molding and pressing cheese. Periodic checking of the active acidity of cheese using the indicator method. Weighing and transferring cheese to the salting department. Quality control of washing equipment, forms, inventory. Maintaining records and reporting. Participation in assessing the quality of cheeses.

Must know: composition and physicochemical properties of milk and cheese; cheese production technology; possible defects of cheese and methods for their prevention; requirements for the quality of raw materials and cheese used; consumption standards for raw materials used; rules for keeping records and reporting.

Evgeniy Zolotarev: “The real cheese-making boom broke out just a couple of years ago!”

Cheese technologist Evgeniy Zolotarev spoke about what gourmet and table cheese is, about his activities in “cheese consulting”, and the peculiarities of working in a restaurant with a cheese factory.

- Egeniy, what is special about working at a cheese factory?

The main feature of working at a cheese factory is still the love for your profession. Most people who try themselves as a cheese maker have the wrong idea about this profession. If we draw a parallel, then the incorrect (romantic) idea about the profession of a cheese maker on the part of the average person is very similar to the erroneous idea of ​​housewives who sometimes like to cook and try to talk about the work of a professional chef in the kitchen of a high-class restaurant.

The work of a cheesemaker requires a lot of discipline and dedication, and I am ready to explain why.

For example, if something didn’t work out, then it can’t be redone! You can only dispose of the milk, or try to make something simpler from it, for example, cottage cheese.

Milk is a living product that behaves a little differently each time than yesterday. And every day the master cheesemaker adjusts his actions according to how the cheese making process proceeds. In other words, there is no cooking recipe as such, there is an end result to which all current processes must be adjusted. And every day is a little different from what it was yesterday.

All cheese making processes take place one after another and require the personal participation of a master cheesemaker. The whole day is literally planned down to the minute; discipline and precision are required. At the same time, in small artisan cheese factories, most of the work is manual labor, starting from unloading 40-50 liter cans of milk. There are many types of cheese that are interesting only when made by hand, and when the processes are mechanized, they lose their “zest”, become boring and uninteresting - they move from the category of “delicacies” to the category of “table cheeses” simply to satisfy hunger.

“The main skill of a master cheesemaker is to maintain cleanliness: everything must be constantly washed and disinfected.”

In proper cheese factories, the processes of washing equipment and inventory occur so often and thoroughly that water literally flows like a river onto the floor. Typically, a special storm drain is provided in the floor to drain water - a drain, where hundreds of liters of water and cleaning solutions are washed off per shift. The volume of water consumed for the needs of a cheese factory can be three times greater than the volume of milk processed.

Cheese maker is the oldest profession. In Russia, do they make cheese using old methods or new ones? What equipment is used?

In Russia, cheeses are cooked in different ways, and they have been brewed for quite a long time. But the real cheese-making boom broke out just a couple of years ago. If we talk about small artisan cheese factories, then each production has its own preferences and its own secrets. There are cheese factories that work according to traditional ancient recipes, and there are those that, having studied the experience of producing traditional cheeses, found and developed their own original recipes, which are in no way inferior to foreign recipes. And there are undeservedly forgotten recipes, for example, “Russian” cheese, which has not been on sale for quite some time. And what is presented in retail chains under this name has nothing to do with the traditional recipe corresponding to GOST of the USSR and the technology developed specifically for this cheese within the walls of the All-Russian Research Institute of Butter and Cheese Making (VNIIMS, Uglich).

There are no problems with equipment now; there is imported and domestic equipment to choose from, from 25 liters to 3000 liters and even more.

- What can you say about cheese making in general: at what level of development is Russia in this regard?

It is not entirely appropriate to talk about the level of development of cheese dairies in Russia and try to compare them with other countries. On the one hand, Russia is only at the beginning of the development of this industry, and in comparison with other countries traditionally considered the custodians of cheese-making traditions, we are seriously inferior. On the other hand, I often hear from people who travel abroad that interest in handmade cheese production is fading there, and real artisan cheese is becoming more and more difficult to find. In Russia, on the contrary, there is now a huge interest and a large flow of people who want to master this profession. For example, traditional Italian mozzarella can only be made by the hands of a master cheesemaker, working with melted cheese mass at a temperature of 85-87 degrees! What the modern food industry offers us is a cheese similar to mozzarella - there are big differences in the technology and structure of the mozzarella ball itself. And at first glance it seemed that this was a fairly simple cheese. It’s the same with other cheeses from Swiss, French, Dutch and other groups. A machine cannot replace the hands of a master - it’s like trying to compare the results of the work of a good kebab maker and a kebab factory. Although, of course, no one has canceled table cheeses, they are certainly needed and automation of their production makes them more accessible to consumers.

Tell us a little about yourself - how did you come to this profession, where did you study?

I came to the profession relatively recently, I started by working at the opening of the Syrovarnya restaurant in Moscow. It was great and interesting, but when work became slow, I realized that I wanted to open a cheese factory. The scale of one small production within a restaurant no longer suited me. At the moment, I am working on creating a craft cheese factory for another cheese restaurant, this is a gourmet's cheese paradise, where you can already try cheese with something, something with cheese, and for the most sophisticated - there are dishes without cheese at all.

Next in line, I plan to develop a real village cheese factory, with a full production cycle from the cow to the finished product in the form of original farm cheeses, young and aged. But I’ll tell you about this later, now everything is in the planning stage and the start of construction work on the farm.

I first learned the cheese business myself at home, carried out experiments at the dacha, and found something in literature and on the Internet. The technical education I received and my love for chemistry came in handy. When I made some progress in simple cheeses, I realized that I lacked knowledge and went to study cheese making in Uglich. There, of course, they did not teach me all the secrets of traditional European cheese making, but they gave me an excellent basis on the physical and chemical processes occurring in milk and an understanding of the basic principles of cheese making. I was lucky to work with foreign masters who revealed some of their secrets to me. My MBA business education received in Moscow and management experience at my previous job allows me to organize and create a business for a customer.

“I am engaged in “cheese consulting”, but not only on paper, but with the launch of specific projects and the development of a product line for them”

- What are the features of working in a restaurant with a cheese factory?

There are many peculiarities of working in a restaurant with a cheese factory; you could even write a short book about it. If I try to tell briefly, then first of all the most important thing is the selection and training of personnel. This is the most painful issue, it is difficult to find and train employees who are willing to work 12 hours a day; at the moment we are preparing people for dynamic work with short technological breaks. The shortage of space and the daily changing volume of demand for the product dictate their own production rules. Supplying small production with high-quality milk is also not an easy task. Agreeing on the supply of 250-300 liters of milk per day is much more difficult than agreeing on the supply of 2500-3000 liters. Suppliers are practically not interested in small buyers. But the most important thing is people, because the restaurant business is a highly competitive environment, and, accordingly, there is an additional burden on staff compared to ordinary production, higher quality standards and the high cost of mistakes.

5th category

Characteristics of the work. Management of the cheese ripening process when producing cheese up to 300 tons per year. Management of the process of salting and storing cheese. Quality control of cheese entering the salting department after pressing. Cheese quality assessment. Preparing a batch of cheeses for shipment, completing the necessary documents. Determination of loss of cheeses during ripening according to current standards. Maintaining records and reporting.

Must know: composition and physicochemical properties of milk and cheese; technology for the production and maturation of various cheeses; possible defects of cheese and methods for their prevention and elimination during production and ripening; requirements for the quality of cheeses; rates of loss of cheeses during ripening; rules for keeping records and reporting.

When producing cheese over 300 tons per year - 6th category.

Secondary vocational education required.

§ 63. Cheese maker for ripening cheeses

4th category

Characteristics of the work. Managing the cheese ripening process. Acceptance of cheeses after pressing, checking the quality of pressing. Monitoring the cheese salting process, maintaining the necessary salting technological regimes. Supervision of work on laying, washing, wiping, turning, waxing cheeses, and packaging them in film. Control of ripening in chambers with different temperature and humidity conditions. Regulating the ripening regime of cheeses in accordance with the readings of control and measuring instruments. Participation in assessing the quality of cheeses. Supervise the packing of cheeses into boxes prior to shipment.

Must know: arrangement of serviced equipment; composition and basic properties of cheese; technology for the production of cheeses and their care; possible defects of cheese that arise during its ripening, and methods for their prevention; rates of loss of cheeses during ripening; requirements for the quality of cheese.

§ 64. Cheese salt

3rd category

Characteristics of the work. Conducting the salting process of small rennet cheeses. Acceptance of cheeses after pressing, checking the quality of cheeses. Placing cheeses in brine pools, in containers or without containers. Compliance with technological salting regimes. Preparation of brine, pasteurization, cooling, clarification, maintaining the required temperature, concentration and acidity of the brine, circulating or mixing it, filtering the brine. When salting in brine without containers - placing cheeses in one, two, three rows, covering the surface of the cheese protruding from the brine with a sickle moistened with brine.

Must know: technology for the production and salting of small cheeses; composition and physicochemical properties of cheeses; possible defects depending on the quality of salting, methods for their prevention and elimination; rules for preparing brine; norms of loss of cheeses during salting; basics of accounting.

§ 65. Cheese salt

4th category

Characteristics of the work. Conducting the salting process of large rennet cheeses. Sprinkling salt on the top sheets of cheese covered with a serpyanka, periodically turning the heads of cheese. Washing certain types of large cheeses with saline solution, turning them over, placing them on clean circles after salting the cheeses in pools and drying them. Salting of cheeses during the ripening process, treatment with brushes for salting. Maintaining the required brine parameters and updating it.

Must know: technology for the production and salting of large cheeses; composition and physicochemical properties of cheeses; possible defects of cheese, depending on the quality of its salting and further ripening, methods for their prevention and elimination; requirements for technological parameters of brine; rates of loss of cheeses during salting and ripening; rules for keeping records and reporting.

We bring to your attention a typical example of a job description for a master cheesemaker, sample 2019/2020. A person with secondary vocational education and work experience can be appointed to this position. Don’t forget, each master cheesemaker’s instructions are handed out against a signature.

The following provides typical information about the knowledge that a master cheese maker should have. About duties, rights and responsibilities.

This material is part of the huge library of our website, which is updated daily.

1. General Provisions

1. The master cheese maker belongs to the category of workers.

2. A person with secondary vocational education and ________ years of work experience is hired for the position of master cheese maker.

3. The master cheese maker is hired and dismissed by the director of the organization on the recommendation of the head of production (site, workshop)

4. A master cheese maker must know:

a) special (professional) knowledge for the position:

— arrangement of serviced equipment;

— consumption rates of raw materials and materials used;

— rules for maintaining records and reporting;

— requirements for oil quality;

b) general knowledge of an employee of the organization:

— rules and regulations of labor protection, safety precautions, industrial sanitation and fire protection,

— rules for using personal protective equipment;

— requirements for the quality of work (services) performed and for the rational organization of labor in the workplace;

— types of defects and ways to prevent and eliminate them;

— production alarm.

5. In his activities, the master cheese maker is guided by:

- legislation of the Russian Federation,

- Charter of the organization,

- orders and instructions of the director of the organization,

- this job description,

— Internal labor regulations of the organization,

— __________________________________________________.

6. The master cheesemaker reports directly to a worker with a higher qualification, the head of production (site, workshop) and the director of the organization.

7. During the absence of a cheesemaker-master (business trip, vacation, illness, etc.), his duties are performed by a person appointed by the director of the organization on the proposal of the head of production (site, workshop) in the prescribed manner, who acquires the corresponding rights, duties and is responsible for the execution duties assigned to him.

2. Job responsibilities of a master cheesemaker

The job responsibilities of the master cheese maker are:

a) Special (professional) job responsibilities:

— Management of the cheese production process when producing cheese up to 300 tons per year in baths (boilers) and cheese manufacturers.

— Accounting for incoming raw materials.

— Sorting milk by quality and determining its suitability for cheese production based on laboratory tests and organoleptics.

— Calculation of milk normalization based on fat and protein content and determination of the required amount of bacterial starter, chemicals, and coagulating enzyme.

— If necessary, making a bacterial starter culture.

— Control over the processing of curds and cheese grains in baths and cheese manufacturers.

— Determination of the readiness of the cheese grain before molding.

— Control over the process of molding and pressing cheese.

— Periodic checking of the active acidity of cheese using the indicator method.

— Weighing and transferring cheese to the salting department.

— Quality control of washing equipment, forms, inventory.

— Maintaining records and reporting.

— Participation in assessing the quality of cheeses.

b) General job responsibilities of an employee of the organization:

— Compliance with the internal labor regulations and other local regulations of the organization,

— internal rules and standards of labor protection, safety precautions, industrial sanitation and fire protection.

— Fulfillment, within the framework of the employment contract, of the orders of the employees to whom it was repaired in accordance with these instructions.

— Performing work on acceptance and delivery of shifts, cleaning and washing, disinfection of serviced equipment and communications, cleaning of the workplace, devices, tools, as well as maintaining them in proper condition;

— Maintaining established technical documentation

3. Rights of the master cheesemaker

The master cheese maker has the right:

1. Submit proposals for management’s consideration:

— to improve work related to the responsibilities provided for in this instruction,

— on bringing to material and disciplinary liability workers who violated production and labor discipline.

2. Request from structural divisions and employees of the organization the information necessary for him to perform his job duties.

3. Get acquainted with the documents defining his rights and responsibilities for his position, criteria for assessing the quality of performance of official duties.

4. Get acquainted with the draft decisions of the organization’s management relating to its activities.

5. Require the management of the organization to provide assistance, including ensuring organizational and technical conditions and execution of the established documents necessary for the performance of official duties.

6. Other rights established by current labor legislation.

4. Responsibility of the master cheesemaker

The master cheesemaker is responsible in the following cases:

1. For improper performance or failure to fulfill one’s job duties provided for in this job description - within the limits established by the labor legislation of the Russian Federation.

2. For offenses committed in the course of their activities - within the limits established by the current administrative, criminal and civil legislation of the Russian Federation.

3. For causing material damage to the organization - within the limits established by the current labor and civil legislation of the Russian Federation.

Job description of a master cheese maker - sample 2019/2020. Job responsibilities of a master cheesemaker, rights of a master cheesemaker, responsibility of a master cheesemaker.