Do
- Drain chhena in a clean muslin and cool it quickly; do not leave it hanging in a warm room for hours.
- Once drained, transfer it to a covered food-grade container and chill straight away.
- Plan production so chhena is made close to when it will be kneaded and shaped.
- Keep chhena on its own shelf, away from raw foods and strongly flavoured items.
- If you test freezing chhena, do so in small batches first and check how it kneads and holds shape before relying on it.
- Label every container with the time the chhena was made, so the oldest batch is always used first on the shaping table.
Avoid
- Do not leave chhena uncovered in a fridge; it dries on the surface and absorbs odours.
- Do not mix chhena from different days in one batch.
- Do not use chhena that smells sour or yeasty, feels slimy, or shows any discolouration.
- Do not store it in large deep containers that cool slowly in the centre.
In Indian conditions
In eastern India, sweet shops often produce chhena at scale every morning. In humid summer and monsoon months, chhena can sour within hours at room temperature. A dedicated reach-in or undercounter fridge in the production area lets staff move freshly drained chhena into cold storage quickly. Follow FSSAI hygiene expectations for milk products: clean utensils, potable water, and licensed milk sources. During power cuts, prioritise the chhena and finished milk sweets in whatever cold space is still working.
General good practice for commercial kitchens and shops. Where your FSSAI licence conditions or food-safety plan set stricter limits, follow those.