Spreadable tubs, sliceable blocks, oven kashkaval — every processed cheese depends on one quiet ingredient: the emulsifying salt. Without it, re-melted cheese splits into oil and rubbery strings. With the right salt, the same cheese turns smooth, stable and shelf-stable. This guide explains what emulsifying salts really do, how phosphate salts differ from citrate salts, and how to choose the right blend for spreadable cheese, sliceable cheese and kashkaval.
What an emulsifying salt actually does
Processed cheese is made by re-melting natural cheese — kashkaval, white cheese, cheddar, or fresh acid-set curd — together with water and heat. In natural cheese, the protein (casein) is held in a tight network by calcium. That calcium is exactly why aged cheese, melted on its own, breaks into a greasy, stringy mass.
Despite the name, emulsifying salts are not emulsifiers in the everyday sense. They are calcium sequestrants and pH buffers. They pull calcium out of the casein network, freeing the protein to wrap around fat and water and form a stable, uniform emulsion. At the same time they hold the mass in the pH window (roughly 5.6–6.0) where casein hydrates best. The result is a homogeneous cheese that stays smooth hot and cold, batch after batch.
Phosphate salts vs citrate salts
Almost every emulsifying salt is built from three families. Their proportions decide whether your cheese ends up soft and spreadable or firm and sliceable.
Citrates
The gentle option. Mild calcium sequestration, excellent melt and remelt, minimal firming. Favoured for spreadable and soft processed cheese and for clean oven flow. In Serbian and regional industry language this is the well-known natrijum citrat.
Phosphates & polyphosphates
The structural workhorses. Strong ion-exchange and high firming power — they build body and clean sliceability. Sodium phosphate (E339), triphosphate (E451) and polyphosphate (E452) give block and sliceable cheese their structure.
Diphosphates
Fast, powerful calcium binders used in small amounts for quick, strong emulsification and creaming. Often paired with citrate in spreadable-cheese blends to build a smooth, plastic mass.
One salt does not fit every cheese
The salt that makes a perfect spreadable cheese will make a poor sliceable block, and vice versa. Match the salt character to what the finished cheese has to do:
| Cheese type | What you need | Salt character | Technofood salt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadable processed cheese | Smooth, creamy, stays soft | Strong creaming, gentle ion-exchange, calcium-safe | MS 91 |
| Sliceable / block cheese · table kashkaval | Firm body, clean slicing | High-phosphate, strong ion-exchange | MS 31 |
| Pizza / oven kashkaval | Remelt & stretch | Citrate-forward | MS 85 |
| Dual-purpose kashkaval | Firmness and melt | Phosphate + citrate blend | MS 31 + MS 85 |
A starting map, not a fixed recipe — the exact ratio is dialled in during production trials for your curd and equipment.
Getting the application right
Emulsifying salt is only half the job; how you use it decides the result. A few principles hold across almost every line:
Dosage: around 1% of the cheese/curd mass (typically 0.9–1.1%), whether you use a single salt or a blend. Reduced-fat products need more, because the higher relative protein load demands more emulsification.
Fix the pH first: nail the curd pH before you fine-tune dosage — most faults trace back to acidity, not to the salt.
Heat & shear: cook to roughly 85–95 °C in a steam-heated twin-screw cooker, adding the salt early and mixing to full hydration.
Common faults: too little salt (or pH too low) → the mass won't take up water and splits; too much → the structure breaks, and well over target the product turns too fluid to work on the line.
Which Technofood salt for your line
NextTrade supplies the Technofood range of emulsifying salts (soli za topljenje sira) by the tonne to cheese producers across the Balkans, from Skopje stock. Three blends cover the great majority of processed-cheese and kashkaval production:
Technofood MS 91
Phosphate-citrate creaming blend for smooth, spreadable processed cheese — strong creaming without stripping the protein. See how to make spreadable processed cheese with MS 91.
Technofood MS 31
High-phosphate salt for firm, cleanly sliceable block kashkaval and table cheese.
Technofood MS 85
Citrate-phosphate blend for superior remelt — pizza cheese, and a melting partner to MS 31. See how to make kashkaval with MS 31 and MS 85.
Frequently asked questions
Are emulsifying salts safe and EU-approved?
Yes. Citrate and phosphate emulsifying salts (E331, E339, E450, E451, E452) are approved food additives in the EU and used within the limits set for processed cheese. NextTrade supplies each blend with its specification and compliance documentation.
Are they animal-derived?
No — these are mineral salts, not animal-derived ingredients. For halal, kosher or other certification requirements, ask us for the relevant documentation for the specific blend.
"Emulsifying salt", "melting salt", "natrijum citrat" — what's the difference?
They overlap. "Melting salts" (soli za topljenje sira) is the everyday industry term for the whole family; "emulsifying salt" is the technical name. Trisodium citrate — natrijum citrat (E331) — is simply one of the most widely used members of that family.
How should they be stored?
Cool, dry and sealed. Kept that way, the blends have a long, stable shelf life. Full storage guidance ships with each delivery.
Choosing a blend for a new product? Browse the full phosphate & citrate emulsifying salts range, or tell us your cheese type and process and our technical team will recommend a starting salt and dosage. Request a quote — priced and shipped by the tonne.