Company Overview

Four Star Pizza Wilton (ZZ Ltd) is an independently owned franchise part of Four Star Pizza Ireland which is a wholly owned Irish company. Four Star Pizza has been operating in Ireland for nearly 30 years. Four Star Pizza specialises in the home delivery and carry-out service of a special recipe pizza.

Engagement with CAPPA

Four Star Pizza wanted to develop a quality control test for mozzarella cheese to determine its maturity. There was no access to any quality control maturity tests for mozzarella cheese for a commercial business. Mozzarella is a principal ingredient of Four Star’s pizzas and accounts for a high percentage of their running costs. When the ingredients of the mozzarella vary due to seasonal changes or other supply chain issues, this can lead to problems with burning of the mozzarella during preparation, as well as taste issues.

How CAPPA Delivered Solution for Industry

CAPPA worked with Four Star Pizza over a number of months to monitor changes as the mozzarella cheese matured using FTIR and Raman spectrometry. A maturity model was developed from the obtained spectra using multivariate analysis. A number of models were developed for different mozzarella fat content cheeses used by Four Star Pizza. By developing this quality control standard, the company will be able to ensure customer satisfaction and minimise loss during the production process. As mozzarella is central to their business, maintaining such high standards will ensure the continuing success of the business. Having the opportunity to work with the CAPPA Gateway has given Four Star Pizza access to expertise and equipment not readily available for an SME.