Cheesemaking is a process in which the milk components, particularly the fat and protein contents, are concentrated - these are 2 of the determinant factors of cheese yield, influencing the efficiency and profitability of cheesemaking.
Cheese yield is influence by many factors including milk composition, milk pre-treatments, coagulant type, cheese vat design and cutting program.
Other characteristics of milk can alter the rennet process or affect curd and hereby more or less influence the yield.
Milk preservation parameters [time, temperature] or technological failure can result in fat and protein losses during the cheesemaking process, again influencing the cheese yield.
** Refer to the article attached for more information on the relationship between milk fat and protein contents and cheese yield.