268 Chapter 11
milk and other dairy products show negative
phosphatase tests and are considered safe
from a public health standpoint. If pasteur-
ized milk is used for cheese making, it must
be heat treated at a minimum of 62.8 ° C
(145 ° F) for 30 minutes or 71.7 ° C (161 ° F) for
15 seconds. Zero activity of alkaline phos-
phatase indicates proper and legal pasteuriza-
tion. However, for cheese made with legally
pasteurized milk, positive residual phospha-
tase activity is observed, depending on the
type of cheese. Most cheese varieties show
positive phosphatase activity measured as μ g
of phenol equivalent/g of cheese. This activ-
ity is ascribed to phosphatase activity gener-
ated by the culture used and ripening
organisms. The Food and Drug Administration
has recognized this residual activity. If the
phosphatase test shows the phenol equivalent
value of more than 12 μ g/g of cheese, it is
considered as violative. Additional details for
all of the ingredients used in cheese making,
including their functional properties, are dis-
cussed in Chapter 10.
Starters comprised of harmless cultures
are used for acid and fl avor production during
cheese making and curing. They are dis-
cussed here in relation to specifi c cheese
processes.
Coagulants, or clotting enzymes, include
rennet and/or other clotting enzymes of
animal, plant, or microbial origin.
Coagulation aids , i.e., calcium chloride
in an amount not more than 0.02% (calcu-
lated as anhydrous calcium chloride) of the
weight of the dairy ingredients, can be used.
Ripening aids, enzymes of animal, plant,
or microbial origin, aid in curing or fl avor
development. The level of such enzymes
cannot exceed 0.1% of weight of the milk
used.
Cheese colors may be used to give char-
acteristic color to certain cheeses and to give
light cream color to cheeses made from
winter milk.
Antimycotic agents are optional mold -
inhibiting ingredients consisting of sorbic
acid, potassium sorbate, sodium sorbate, or
any combination of two or more of these, in
an amount not to exceed 0.3% by weight,
calculated as sorbic acid. They are present in
slices or cuts of most cheeses in consumer -
sized packages.
Hydrogen peroxide may be used in lieu
of heat treatment, followed by a suffi cient
quantity of catalase preparation to eliminate
the hydrogen peroxide. The weight of the
hydrogen peroxide shall not exceed 0.05% of
the weight of the dairy ingredients and the
weight of the catalase shall not exceed 20 ppm
of the weight of dairy ingredients treated.
Other ingredients specifi c for some cheese
varieties are discussed in the production
methodologies. For a discussion of the role
and function of various ingredients involved
in cheese making, see Chapter 10.American Cheese Group
The American cheese group includes ched-
dar, colby, and washed/granular/stirred curd
cheese and Monterrey Jack cheese. Table
11.1 shows the proximate composition of
American types of cheese.Cheddar Cheese
Cheddar cheese is a fi rm and hard cheese.
The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations
requires cheddar cheese to contain a minimum
milk fat content of 50% by weight of the
solids, and the maximum moisture content is
specifi ed at 39% by weight (CFR, 2009a ).
Cheddar cheese for manufacturing is
another variant of cheddar cheese. It con-
forms to the defi nition and standard of
identity for Cheddar cheese except that the
milk is not pasteurized and ripening is not
required. This product is made for manu-
facturing pasteurized process cheese and
allied products. Low - sodium cheddar cheese
contains not more than 96 mg sodium/lb
of fi nished product. Reduced - fat cheddar
cheese contains 19.2% to 22.9% fat and 49%
moisture.