Quark

Quark

Quark cheese in a wooden bowl and spoon

Quark or Quarg is a type of fresh cultured soft cheese made from soured skim milk. Originating in central Europe in the 14th century, it is available globally today and is popular for being high protein; low in sugar, salt and carbohydrates; and is a probiotic.

Quark is similar to cream cheese, but may be creamier and more tart because it’s made from soured milk fermented with lactic acid bacterial cultures. Consequently it is slightly acidic, with pH about 4.6. Quark is extremely high in viscosity, similar to thick Greek yogurt, and must be transferred using hygienic positive displacement pumps. These pumps feature large cavities which gently transport the quark through the pump and downstream piping with minimal shear. The pumps’ hygienic design ensures easy, rapid cleanability to maintain facility hygiene.

     

    Viking in the Process

    Viking hygienic pumps are used to transfer incoming raw milk from tanker truck to storage, separation and pasteurization, then to fermentation vessels where bacterial cultures and often enzymes like rennet are added. When the cheese has curdled out from the remaining liquid it is separated and the quark is pumped to cooling and packaging. In some “dessert quarks” fruit and sugar are blended with quark prior to packaging.

      Applications

      • Milk transfer
      • Quark transfer

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