Randy Chandler
Pizza Hut is a popular pizza chain with over 1,000 stores that went public in 1972. The cheese used on Pizza Hut pizzas has been a topic of discussion and speculation among customers. While the exact type of cheese used may vary by location, it is known that Pizza Hut sources its cheese from Leprino Foods, a company that supplies mozzarella to multiple pizza chains. Leprino Foods provides Pizza Hut with frozen, pre-sliced blocks of low-moisture mozzarella, which are convenient for pizza assembly. This type of mozzarella is drier and has a longer shelf life than fresh mozzarella, making it suitable for American-style pizzas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Cheese | Mozzarella |
| Type of Mozzarella | Low-moisture, skim milk |
| Supplier | Leprino Foods |
| Texture | Stretchy |
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What You'll Learn
Pizza Hut uses skim milk mozzarella in the USA
Pizza Hut is one of the world's largest pizza chains, and it uses skim milk mozzarella on its pizzas in the USA. This variety of mozzarella is produced by Leprino Foods, which supplies more than a billion pounds of cheese per year to Pizza Hut and other large pizza chains, including Domino's, Papa John's, and Little Caesars.
Leprino Foods' mozzarella is low-moisture, containing between 45% and 52% water, which is significantly drier than the "fresh mozzarella" that is commonly used in Europe for pizza. This high moisture content in European mozzarella, often coming in the form of soft cheese balls, is not ideal for American-style pizza as it can result in a soggy mess when cooked. In contrast, low-moisture mozzarella has a longer shelf life and produces a stretchy, melted cheese texture that is characteristic of American-style pizza.
Pizza Hut's use of skim milk mozzarella is a strategic choice, as this type of cheese is more affordable than full-fat mozzarella. While skim milk mozzarella may sacrifice some flavour, it still delivers the desired stretchiness and texture that customers expect from a Pizza Hut pizza. This decision aligns with the company's focus on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, as they aim to provide a consistent product across their franchises.
The use of low-moisture mozzarella also allows Pizza Hut to utilise a preservative mist, which not only extends the shelf life of the cheese but also enables the addition of various flavours. This innovation has further expanded the possibilities for Pizza Hut's pizza creations, enhancing their popularity among customers seeking diverse and flavourful options.
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This is a low-moisture mozzarella
In the US, most mozzarella is "low-moisture" (45-52% water). This type of mozzarella is dried, aged, and sold in blocks instead of balls, with a much longer shelf life than "fresh" mozzarella. It is the ideal cheese for making pizza as it helps to avoid a soggy mess, which can occur when the water leaks out of the cheese as it melts.
Pizza Hut uses low-moisture mozzarella on its pizzas. The mozzarella is supplied by Leprino Foods, which also supplies cheese to Domino's and Papa John's. Leprino Foods' first major breakthrough was a preservative mist, which allowed them to add flavours such as salted caramel and jalapeño. They also developed a reduced-fat "cheddar" by using a mozzarella base and then misting on cheddar flavour and orange food colouring.
Leprino Foods' mozzarella is sold frozen and pre-sliced, which helps to cut costs and standardise portions. This means that pizza-makers can simply layer a few slices onto each pie, rather than having to shred the cheese themselves. The company produces over a billion pounds of cheese per year, with sales of $3 billion.
While low-moisture mozzarella is perfect for American-style pizza, it is not suitable for making pizza in the old country. Full-fat mozzarella is considered to be more appropriate for this style of pizza.
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Leprino Foods is the mozzarella supplier
Leprino Foods' relationship with Pizza Hut began in 1968 when the pizza chain was looking for a supplier to help it cut costs while standardizing portions. Pizza Hut franchises were shredding 5-pound cheese blocks, which was time-consuming and inconsistent. Leprino Foods started selling frozen, pre-sliced blocks, allowing pizza-makers to simply layer a few slices onto each pie.
Leprino Foods' focus on efficiency and standardization helped them secure the contract with Pizza Hut, which had around 1,000 stores when it went public in 1972. At its peak in the 1990s, Pizza Hut accounted for 90% of Leprino Foods' sales. However, Pizza Hut franchises reported issues with the pre-sliced mozzarella, as it would sometimes crumble during the thawing process.
Leprino Foods responded to this challenge by developing a preservative mist, which not only improved the shelf life of the cheese but also allowed for the addition of flavors such as salted caramel and jalapeño. This innovation led to a sixteen-fold increase in production, with Leprino Foods producing 2 million pounds of cheese per week.
Leprino Foods' success in the pizza cheese market can be attributed to its focus on large pizza chains and its ability to standardize and innovate its products to meet the specific needs of its customers. By supplying to multiple competing pizza chains, Leprino Foods has established itself as a key player in the pizza industry, with its cheese being a staple on pizzas around the world.
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Pizza Hut uses frozen, pre-sliced blocks of mozzarella
Leprino Foods is now the world's top producer of pizza cheese, selling more than a billion pounds of cheese a year, to the tune of $3 billion in revenue. The company supplies cheese to Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa John's and Little Caesars.
Leprino Foods started selling frozen, pre-sliced blocks of mozzarella to Pizza Hut in 1968. This allowed pizza-makers to simply layer a few slices onto each pie, cutting down on time and standardising portions. The cheese is low-moisture mozzarella, which is dried, aged, and sold in blocks instead of balls, with a much longer shelf life than "fresh" mozzarella.
Mozzarella with a high moisture content is not suitable for American-style pizzas as the water leaks out of the cheese as it melts, creating a soggy mess.
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Leprino Foods adds flavours to the cheese
Leprino Foods, the mozzarella supplier to Pizza Hut, has been in the business for nearly 60 years. It is the top producer of pizza cheese, selling more than a billion pounds of cheese a year, to the tune of $3 billion in revenue. The company's first major breakthrough was a preservative mist that helped solve the problem of Pizza Hut franchises waiting too long to thaw the pre-sliced mozzarella, which caused the cheese to crumble.
This misting technique allowed Leprino Foods to add flavours to the cheese, such as salted caramel and jalapeño. They could even make a reduced-fat "cheddar" by using a mozzarella base and then misting on cheddar flavour and orange food colouring.
Leprino Foods' production rose sixteenfold, to 2 million pounds of cheese a week. The company's focus on efficiency and large pizza chains has allowed it to control as much as 85% of the market for pizza cheese.
Leprino Foods supplies cheese to Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa John's, and Little Caesars. The cheese supplied is a "pizza cheese", which is a generic pasta filata (spun paste) cheese, while mozzarella is a fresh, soft cheese. In the US, most mozzarella is "low-moisture" (45-52% water), dried, aged, and sold in blocks instead of balls, with a much longer shelf life than "fresh" mozzarella.
Leprino Foods' mozzarella is also used to make frozen foods, such as ham-and-cheddar Hot Pockets, Stouffer's lasagna, and Smart Ones baked ziti. The company also markets cheese cubes as snacks, such as pear flavour with nuts or Gorgonzola with pretzels.
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Frequently asked questions
Pizza Hut uses mozzarella cheese on its pizzas.
Pizza Hut sources its mozzarella cheese from Leprino Foods.
Leprino Foods provides frozen, pre-sliced blocks of mozzarella cheese to Pizza Hut. This helped the pizza-makers at Pizza Hut save time and ensure consistency in the amount of cheese used on each pizza.
For American-style pizza, it is important to use a very dry, low-moisture mozzarella cheese. This is because fresh mozzarella has a high moisture content, which can result in a soggy pizza.
