CHEESE STANDARDS

Standards and specifications of Cheese

The objective of specifications and standards in any country is to protect and safeguard the interests of the consumers, to produce a quality product and to precisely describe individual cheeses in order to help ensure free and fair practices in international trade. The FAO / WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission consisting of 122 member counties has been set up to establish standards for important milk products including cheese. The reports published by the body details the standards and specifications for 35 cheese varieties.

The International Dairy Federation provides details about 510 cheese varieties manufactured throughout the world. In general, the composition of individual varieties of cheese produced in different countries remains similar although minor differences occur between different countries. For e.g. the moisture content of cheddar cheese varies widely with the moisture content ranging from 37 to 39%.

Consumption of cheese

The consumption of cheese differs widely between different countries. It is the highest in developed countries (more than 10 per kg per head) such as US and states of European Union where as it is lower in developing countries (less than 10 per kg per head) or almost nil in some of the impoverished states where the human development index is low.

The consumption pattern of cheese varies and is influenced by many factors including food habits and when the habit is once established, it is very difficult to break. A positive correlation exist between cheese and wine consumption where as no such thing exist between cheese and milk consumption.