According to DairyReporter, the patented formulation of the product surpasses the limitations of traditional beeswax-based coatings by incorporating other natural materials into the mix, and some of the largest dairy factories in Europe have already tested the product.

A natural product

ProCera Natural has all the familiar characteristics of traditional cheese waxes, which contain fossil-based raw materials such as paraffin (a solid petroleum-based substance), microcrystalline waxes (a byproduct of petroleum refining), and colorants.

Meanwhile, Procudan's formula includes beeswax and other natural materials. While beeswax has been used for centuries to wax cheeses, it has limitations as it can become brittle and crack, making paraffin-based wax a more flexible and reliable option.

However, the latest Procudan product is said to overcome these limitations by adding other undisclosed natural materials - for commercial reasons - that provide the necessary level of flexibility and strength.

Six years in the making

ProCera Natural was developed by the Danish company in collaboration with some of the largest dairy factories in Europe. The entire project took six years to complete, starting in 2017. The Danish Technological Institute acted as a scientific partner, and there was also support from the European innovation program Eurostars and the InnoBooster program for the Danish Innovation Fund.

Experts from several universities were also involved, both in the direct development of natural cheese wax and in the development of new technical methods for analysis and testing of cheese wax.

The patented formulation contains beeswax among other natural ingredients, we were told. The product can fulfill all the traditional functions of cheese wax - it can be used for cheese maturation, to protect cheese during transport, and as retail packaging.

Extensively tested

All these functions have been extensively tested by the manufacturer, and the product has already been used in several large Scandinavian factories.

The newly developed cheese wax is suitable for use in fully automated production lines as well as for manual handling.

"Until now, there have been no options that do not involve packaging cheese in various materials such as plastics and fossil-based wax," the company said. "Because ProCera Natural is a natural product associated with beehives, packaging features can now be actively used as a way to market the cheese."

Sustainable solutions

When asked about the demand for such a product in the market, a Procudan spokesperson told us:

"The sustainability megatrend had already taken shape in 2017 when we initiated this project. We already knew back then that dairy factories were looking for more sustainable packaging solutions, and that's why we decided to develop this product."

Cooperation with customers was essential, especially in the final stages of the project, as various wax variants were being prepared for the market. CEO Tommy H. Pedersen said:

"It was natural for us to involve customers in the project; partly to test the wax variants in real production runs, but also because that's how we work anyway. It's pointless to develop something for ourselves. It has to work in the factories."

The Procudan development team said they tested over 5,000 different formulations before creating prototypes and variants that cover every customer requirement. Procudan said the product is now available for manufacturing and supply globally.