Mozzarella: export from Canada to ASEAN

Pizza mozzarella is bought on functional performance under heat rather than on eating quality cold, and that is the frame for the whole specification: melt, stretch, browning behaviour, oil release and blister formation.

Moisture and fat content drive those properties, and low-moisture part-skim is the standard pizza product for exactly that reason. A buyer specifying only mozzarella may receive fresh high-moisture cheese, which is a different product entirely and will not perform on a pizza.

Age matters too: mozzarella needs a short maturation before it melts correctly, and cheese that is too fresh behaves poorly.

The formats are blocks, shreds and diced. Shredded product carries anti-caking agents requiring destination clearance. Cold chain integrity is the operational risk, and frozen mozzarella is a viable route for long supply lines though it changes the texture slightly.

Mozzarella may classify differently from cheddar and other hard cheeses, and fresh versus low-moisture forms can be distinguished. Confirm the line for the exact product rather than pricing against a general cheese position.