Cheeses

Cheese Facts

Natural Cheese – is made by separating milk solids (curds) from the liquid portion (whey) through the action of rennet and a starter organism.

The characteristic of differing cheese varieties develop according to the type of starter organism used, the time the cheese is allowed to cure (age) and the temperature during curing. Natural cheese is a living food and continues to change in flavor and texture as it ripens/ages.

Pasteurized Process Cheese – is a blend of selected natural cheeses, mixed with an emulsifier and pasteurized (heated) to prevent further ripening. The cheese is uniform in flavor, body and texture.

• Moisture up to 40%, fat must be 30%, implied cheese minimum is 81.5%. Fat and moisture of cheese must be equal to that of the natural cheese from which it is made.

Pasteurized Process Cheese – is made like process cheese; it is slightly higher in moisture and lower in milkfat than process cheese. Additional flavoring ingredients such as vegetables, meats, and seasonings are often added. Also one or more of the following optional dairy ingredients can be added: cream, milk, skim milk, buttermilk, nonfat dry milk solids or whey.

• Moisture up to 44%, fat must be 23%, cheese must at least 51%.

Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread – is made like process cheese food except an edible stabilizer can be added. It is slightly higher in moisture and lower in milkfat than cheese food.

• Moisture range from 44-60%, fat must be 20%, cheese ingredients must be 51%.

Substitute – government standards of identity for these products are still being determined. In most products, the milkfat has been replaced by vegetable oil and the cheese content is very low or there is no cheese in the product. A product called substitute is nutritionally equivalent to its counterpart process cheese.

Imitation – vegetable oil product similar to substitute but is not nutritionally equivalent to its counterpart process cheese.