Predicting Cheddar Cheese Yield in an Individual Plant: Van Slyke Revisited

Using aggregate daily data from two commercial Cheddar plants, individual plant-specific yield prediction formulas are derived. Statistical results show that the estimated formulas explain yield in the two plants more accurately than does the Van Slyke formula although prediction results are mixed. The formulas provide a new tool to be used along with the Van Slyke formula for monitoring a plant's performance and offer information that may be helpful in management decisions, but they do not replace the Van Slyke formula as the appropriate standard for comparing yield across plants.