Emmi AG
 

Media release
 

 

KALTBACH innovation
 

The ibex in the cave

 
 

Lucerne, 21. September 2018 – Every region of Switzerland has its peculiarities and culinary specialities. In south-east Switzerland, people are particularly proud of their tangy mountain cheese. A true “ibex” has now moved into the Kaltbach cave in the form of Engadiner Bergkäse.

 
 

The KALTBACH range comprises a small but fine collection of selected cheese specialities, each of which has its own distinct character. The flavour of the cheese from the south-east Swiss mountain and Alpine areas comes from the relatively sparse yet diverse flora found at high altitude, which is fodder for the dairy cows. The unique climate in the Kaltbach cave also brings the best out in this cheese.

 

 

The long journey to Kaltbach

 

The origin of KALTBACH Engadiner Bergkäse lies in the succulent herbs of the Engadin’s pastures. Thirty farmers from across the region supply their milk to Lataria Engiadinaisa (LESA) in Bever – one of the highest dairies in Europe at 1,706 metres above sea level. There, the milk is made into mountain cheese according to a tried-and-tested recipe and stored for 70 days. “This means that a key part of the value chain is in the Engadin”, says Beat Klöti, Operations Manager at LESA.

 

Afterwards, the “ibex” – a reference to the symbolic animal of the canton of Graubünden – begins its journey into the valley. It stops off along the way at the mountain cheese warehouse in Landquart to be aged for another 60 days. Werner Sutter, Site Manager at Landquart, explains: “We age the cheese differently than in Bever. It is less humid and the cheese is treated only with brine. In Bever, the rind is also treated with cultures. These different methods of ageing help maximise the flavour of the cheese.”

 

Engadiner Bergkäse then receives its finishing touches for 60 days in the natural sandstone cave in Kaltbach. “Here, it develops its typical KALTBACH character thanks to our special ageing process”, says Site Manager Roland Ziswiler. “The texture is pleasantly creamy, while the flavour of the cheese becomes tangier as a result of being aged in the cave.”

 

 

Launch in Swiss retailers

 

KALTBACH Engadiner Bergkäse is now available from Coop, both at the cheese counter and as a portion.

 
 

 

Contact

 

Emmi Corporate Communications & IR, Sibylle Umiker, +41 (0)58 227 50 66, media@emmi.com
 

Further information and images

 
Shortfilm "The path of the KALTBACH Engadiner Bergkäse"
A picture gallery about the origin of the KALTBACH Engadiner Bergkäse
KALTBACH website
 

 

 

About Emmi

 

Emmi is the leading Swiss milk processor and one of the most innovative premium dairies in Europe. In Switzerland, the Emmi Group includes around 25 production sites of every size. Abroad, Emmi and its subsidiaries have a presence in 14 countries, seven of which have production facilities. Emmi exports products from Switzerland to around 60 countries.

In 2017, Emmi posted net sales of CHF 3,364 million and a net profit of CHF 162 million. In the first half of 2018, it generated sales of CHF 1,675 million and an adjusted net profit of CHF 72.1 million. The company employs nearly 6,150 staff (full-time equivalents), of which around 2,950 in Switzerland.

 

 

About the Kaltbach cave

 

Kaltbach is a small hamlet in the canton of Lucerne under the administration of the municipality of Mauensee. Until the 1950s, the natural sandstone cave in Sandtenberg was used as a storage and equipment shelter. The first cheese was stored there in 1953, with the special climate in the cave proving to be very well suited to the ageing process. This is due to its consistently high humidity of 94 %, its permanent temperature of 11 to 12°C and its mineral-rich air. The cave system was subsequently expanded in 1956 to a length of 150 metres. In the 1970s, the cave ageing of Emmentaler AOP became professionalised and the cave was expanded further to a length of 500 metres. Twenty years later, this was increased to one kilometre. Shortly thereafter – in 1993 – Emmi acquired Refa Weichkäserei AG in Kaltbach and its associated cave. In order to increase storage capacity, the height of the passages was increased from three to five metres, thereby allowing Le Gruyère AOP to be aged in Kaltbach alongside Emmentaler AOP. Since 2005, both cheeses have been marketed under the KALTBACH brand. Thanks to the success of KALTBACH, Emmi invested in the expansion of the cave to a total length of 2,130 metres, with the complex construction work beginning in 2008. Today, the Kaltbach cave can accommodate around 50,000 cheese wheels. The KALTBACH range includes seven speciality cheeses, of which KALTBACH Le Gruyère AOP is the most popular.