Frozen Mozzarella: Shredded vs Block for Bulk Buyers
By Elaff Trade Co.Published 6 min read
Wholesale mozzarella cheese comes shredded or in blocks. Shredded saves labour and is ready for the oven, while block gives you more control and usually keeps longer. Choose by how you use the cheese, how much you handle in-house and how well you can store it frozen.
Two forms of the same cheese
Pizzerias, restaurants, caterers and food manufacturers mostly use low-moisture mozzarella, which melts, stretches and browns well. It is sold in two forms:
- Shredded: the cheese is already cut into strands, packed loose in bags, and ready to spread on a pizza or fold into a recipe.
- Block: the cheese stays whole, in a block or log, and you shred, slice or dice it yourself.
Fresh mozzarella in brine is a different product with a very short life, so it is not what wholesale frozen buyers usually mean. Both of our mozzarella listings describe Italian mozzarella that is sold frozen.
Shredded or block: a quick comparison
| Shredded | Block | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | None, ready to use | You need a shredder and staff time |
| Waste | Very little | Trim and loss when cutting |
| Control | Fixed cut | You choose shreds, slices or dice |
| Shelf life | Shorter, more surface exposed | Usually longer |
| Additives | Often coated to stop clumping | Normally none |
| Best for | Fast kitchens and retail packs | Large kitchens and processors |
What to specify
Cheese quality changes with the recipe, so write down what you want:
- Type and fat: part-skim or whole-milk mozzarella, and the fat level. Whole milk melts richer and part-skim is a little firmer.
- Moisture: low-moisture cheese is the pizza standard because it bakes without making the base soggy.
- Anti-caking agent: shredded cheese is usually coated with a fine powder such as starch or cellulose so the strands do not stick together. Ask what is used, particularly for labelling.
- Cut size: the shred width for shredded cheese.
- Packing: net weight per bag or block, bags per carton and your label.
- Shelf life and storage: the date on the carton and the storage temperature.
Halal mozzarella
Cheese is made with rennet, which can come from animal, microbial or other sources. If you sell halal cheese, ask what rennet is used and ask for the halal certificate for the product you buy. Our product pages list Halal certification, and for export orders we offer Halal and HACCP certification support. Our guide to halal and HACCP certification shows what to check.
Packing and labelling
Ask for the net weight of each bag or block, the number of bags per carton and the number of cartons per pallet, because these decide how many pallets fit in a container and what each kilo costs to ship. Check the label too. It should list the ingredients, including the milk, salt, cultures and rennet used, and it should declare milk as an allergen where your market requires it. If you repack under your own brand, ask for the label in your language.
Compare the cost of usable cheese
A lower price per kilo does not always mean a lower cost per portion. To compare shredded and block fairly, work out the cost of usable cheese:
- Start with the price per kilo of each form.
- For block, add the labour and the cheese you lose in trimming and shredding.
- For shredded, check the net weight, because the bag may include a small amount of anti-caking powder.
- Divide the total cost by the weight of cheese you actually put on the product.
A busy kitchen with little spare labour often finds that shredded wins, and a large kitchen that already owns a shredder often finds that block does.
Beyond pizza
Low-moisture mozzarella is used in far more than pizza. Buyers also use it in baked pasta, lasagne, calzones, sandwiches, burgers, ready meals and breakfast dishes. If your menu has several of these, a single form that works across them keeps your stock simple.
Checking a delivery
Open a few cartons when the cheese arrives. The cheese should be a creamy white, without mould, yellow patches or a sour smell. Shredded cheese should be loose, not frozen into hard clumps, and block cheese should be sealed in intact wrapping without dry, cracked edges. Check the dates and the temperature record in the same way as for any other frozen goods.
Storing and thawing
Keep frozen mozzarella at -18 °C or colder. Thaw it slowly in a refrigerator, not at room temperature, and use it soon after it thaws. Freezing can make mozzarella slightly more crumbly, which is why low-moisture cheese is the one that suits freezing. Do not refreeze cheese that has fully thawed.
Frozen cheese must also stay cold on the way to you. Our guide to shipping frozen food internationally explains reefer containers and temperature records.
Which one should you buy?
- Choose shredded if you run a busy pizza kitchen, sell to retailers or want the lowest labour cost.
- Choose block if you shred in large volumes, want to cut different shapes, or need the longest storage life.
- If you are unsure, order a sample of each and test them in your own oven.
Our Frozen Mozzarella Cheese Sherded and Frozen Mozzarella Cheese Block listings cover both forms. The block listing also says on-demand packaging is acceptable.
How to order from Elaff Trade Co.
Choose a trade term with our guide to EXW, FOB and CNF, browse the frozen foods collection, and then send us an inquiry with the form, the quantity, the packing and your destination port. Supermarket and food-service buyers in the Gulf, the UK, the USA and South Africa can order from us. Dairy import rules are strict and differ by country, so tell us your destination before you choose the form.
