Measure 16: The Voio Cooperative and the Agricultural University of Athens Develop Nutrient-Enriched Cheese

A new type of graviera cheese with unique nutritional properties is the outcome of a collaboration between the Dairy Laboratory of the Agricultural University of Athens and the Agricultural Livestock Cooperative of Voio in Kozani, under the coordination of GAIA EPICHEIREIN.

This new cheese, developed using propionic bacteria and potentially probiotics, was created under Measure 16 ‘Cooperation’, which supports partnerships between researchers and primary producers, funded by the European Union. As program manager Associate Professor Katerina Moschopoulou told YX: “This cheese was developed to enrich the product range of the Agricultural Livestock Cooperative of Voio, Kozani.” The new cheese features larger holes than usual and a sweeter flavor, made exclusively from sheep and goat milk.

In addition, early research indicates significant nutritional benefits, particularly antioxidant activity.

Voio graviera without propionic bacteria. “The addition of propionic bacteria enhanced the cheese’s iron-binding capacity, introducing an antioxidant effect into its composition”, the scientist explained. “Furthermore, because these bacteria help synthesize vitamin B12, it is likely that the cheese contains more B12 compared to conventional cheeses”, she added.

These properties will be further studied by the Dairy Laboratory of the Agricultural University. According to the Cooperative’s president, Grigoris Tsolopoulos, “For the trial, we used two tons of milk. We applied different temperatures and extended the maturation period for the cheeses. Then we sent them to the university in Athens for analysis, observing the product’s behavior in the first, second, and third months of aging.”

The creation of this new product allows the cooperative to expand its range and better utilize larger quantities of local sheep and goat milk.

Voio graviera with propionic bacteria. Upon the completion of the program, the university laboratory will deliver to the cooperative a detailed production protocol, offering a standardized recipe that can be used by all producers. Once the cooperative has conclusive results—particularly regarding the cheese’s nutritional value—it plans to introduce the product to the market. “Since the cheese is not PDO-certified, there is no restriction on the ratio of goat to sheep milk”, noted Mr Tsolopoulos, giving the cooperative greater flexibility.

The cooperative collects milk from many small-scale producers located in remote areas far from Kozani. Due to the distance and the small quantities produced, dairy companies are generally not interested in collecting this milk. However, the cooperative gathers and utilizes it in the production of the new cheese. As Mr Tsolopoulos explained, these farmers raise free-range animals of old Greek breeds, which produce milk of exceptional quality—higher in protein and fat. Still, these animals yield much less than stall-fed breeds and are thus seen as less profitable under modern production standards.