11b Cheese, Nutrition Updated August 2016 & Health Generalities 1. What is cheese? What is cheese? 1. In France the term “cheese” is governed by a decree 2. What are the main types? (from November 2007 updated in November 2013). It is a product made exclusively from specific dairy ingre- Nutrient composition dients (milk; cream, fat, buttermilk) used alone or in 3. What are its nutritional benefits? a mixture and coagulated (in whole or in part). The 4. What about its proteins? coagulation of milk gives a solid phase (curds) and a 5. Its vitamins? liquid phase (whey). Coagulum – which will turn into 6. Its calcium? cheese – may be strained, molded, salted, fermented 7. Its other minerals and trace elements? and/or ripened for more or less time. Minimum dry matter 8. Its lipids? content of a cheese of 23 g/100 g**. 9. Its other constituents? In France alone, there are 1000 different cheeses clas- sified by types. Cheese & Health What is the connection between cheese and: It is worth noting that speciality cheeses, in the strict 10. Bone health and oral health? sense of the term do not fall under the “cheeses” 11. Cardiovascular diseases? category. They can contain raw materials from milk, 12. Intolerances and allergies? other than those used to make cheeses (such as serum 13. Other pathologies? proteins in high concentrations for example). Their mini- 14. What to conclude? mum dry matter content is 20 g/100 g of end product for ripened specialty cheeses and 10 g/100 g for unrip- Where does cheese stand in the ened cheeses. diet of the French * Full cream milk, semi-skimmed or totally-skimmed milk. Mostly cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk but also buffalo’s milk in some countries (for example 15. Where does cheese stand in our diet? Italy). 16. For covering dietary requirements? ** By way of derogation, for “cottage” cheeses or “cream” cheeses this 17. Who to recommend it to and why? content may be decreased to 15 g or even 10 g for 100 g. Appendices 2. What are its main types? A Technology & Nutritional composition Cheeses are usually grouped into major types depending At the heart of the French paradox on the technologies used for manufacturing them. B Questions for the general public • Fresh (or cottage): just curds ; • Surface-ripened cheeses (camembert, brie…): the coagulum is drained, molded, inoculated with mold (penicillium candidum) and ripened; or washed rind cheeses (pont- l’évêque, munster, livarot…): after unmolding, the rind is washed and brushed regularly; • Blue-veined cheeses (fourme d’Ambert, bleu de Written by: Yvette Soustre (PhD Nutrition, Cniel) Proof reading: André Ayerbe (PhD Nutrition) Bresse…): inoculated with penicillium glaucum prior to being molded; Direction des Affaires Scientifiques et Techniques • Pressed uncooked cheeses (cantal, tomme, reblochon, 42 rue de Châteaudun St nectaire…): the coagulum is pressed and drained 75314 PARIS CEDEX 09 well ; or cooked (emmental, comté…): the curd/whey [email protected] mixture is heated before the curd is pressed; • Goat’s cheese (chabichous, crottins…) ; (antimicrobial activity, immunostimulant…), the transport of minerals (iron, calcium) and • Fondus (crème de gruyère…): made from the digestive system. More than 360 peptides cheeses and other dairy products and melted were identified from cheeses, 50 of which were under heat. already described as bio-peptides**. *Where some soft cheeses are slightly lacking in sulphur- containing amino acids (methionine and cysteine) this is compensated by the habit of eating them with bread (wheat is rich in sulphur-containing amino acids)… **These biopeptides, fragments of hydrolysed proteins are obtained under the action of enzymes or microorganisms during Nutrient composition the transformation of milk or during its digestion. The activity of many of these has been described in cells and/or animal models and need to be confirmed in humans. 3. What are its main nutritional benefits? 5. What about its vitamins? The nutrient composition of cheeses depends Cheese fat soluble vitamin content (A and D essentially on that of the milk used and its manu- and incidentally E) depends on its fat content. facturing method. As to its water-soluble vitamin content (Group-B • The nutrient composition of the milk itself is vitamins), it varies significantly from one cheese largely linked to the breed of the animal and to another. In fact, it results from two opposite its genetics but also to the herding (livestock factors: the loss which occurs during straining feeding, milking period…). and the synthesis which occurs during the ripen- ing. Most cheeses provide appreciable quantities • To sum up the impact of technologies: drain- of folates (vitamin B9) and retinol (vitamin A). ing leads to a loss of proteins (with the whey) However, they are deficient in vitamin C. and lactose ; skimming leads to a loss of lipids *Thus, the group-B vitamins seem to be largely eliminated with hence of fat soluble vitamins (A and D) and the whey during straining (about 25% retained in the coagulum). In order to compensate this, the bacterial and fungal microflora fermentation and ripening lead to an enrich- synthesise it during the ripening (riboflavin, pantothenic acid, ment in group B vitamins (folic acid…). pyridoxine, folic acid… and sometimes also thiamine and vitamin B12). The table in Annexe A draws together technologies and nutrient compositions and highlights these differences based on the types of cheese. 6. What about its calcium? One should not generalise! However, most Cheeses are an excellent source of calcium. cheeses are distinguishable by their interesting However, the rate of calcium varies according protein, mineral and trace element (calcium, to their water content and their manufacturing zinc, potassium…) and vitamin content (vit A, method: less than 100 mg/100 g for cream B2, B9, B12, D…). cheeses to more than 1000 mg for some cooked cheeses*. Cheese calcium is particularly well The energy value of a cheese essentially depends absorbed and bioavailable**. In addition, some on its water and fat content*. It may vary from research studies have found that the interaction 50 kcal per 100 g of 0% fat cottage cheese to of high-in-calcium milk product with the other 300 kcal for 100 g pressed cheese. One should constituents (proteins, vitamins, fats, etc.) gives bear in mind that “hard” cheeses are to be eaten it specific health effects. in small quantities (30 g on average for more * The calcium content for 100 g of cheese: pressed cooked than 100 g for cream cheeses…). cheeses from 900 to 1000 mg; processed and blue-veined *Lipids (fat) provide 9 kcal/g. In 0% fat cheeses, the proteins cheese from 500 to 700 mg; soft cheese with washed rind from 400 to 800 mg; surface-ripened cheese from 100 to 300 mg; and carbohydrates provide energy (4 kcal/g). cream cheese from 60 to 100 mg. **Cheese’s absorption coefficient of calcium can be compared to that of milk (~33%). 4. What about its proteins? Its bioavailability is promoted by the simultaneous intake of phosphorous in good proportions and by the presence of The essential amino acid content in the proteins peptides. Phosphopeptides from enzymatic hydrolysis of caseins seem to facilitate the placing and keeping of the calcium in found in cheese gives them an extremely high* solution (a large number of these peptides (+ than 45) have been biological value and their digestibility nears identified as transporters of calcium). 95%. In other words, proteins are nearly fully absorbed by the intestine and provide the amino What about other minerals and trace acids needed for the development of the organ- 7. ism. Apart from this “nutritive” role, proteins elements? – under their native form or in their biopeptide Cheeses are also an interesting source of zinc state - could have physiological functions of their (from 2 to 10 mg/100 g), iodine and selenium. own. These would relate to the cardiovascular Some provide significant quantities of potassium system (anti-thrombotic and anti-hypertensive (between 100 and 200 mg/100 g). Phosphorous activity), the nervous system (activity opioids, content usually follows that of calcium in a anti-stress…), the body’s natural defenses Ca/P ratio (near 1.3) particularly internal use. Most cheeses are low in magnesium (10 to cheeses, seem to have effects on the micro- 50 mg/100 g). As for sodium* its content varies biota (intestinal microbial ecosystem) and the from 30 mg/100 g to 1600 mg. associated metabolic activities, but also on the modulation of carcinogenesis and intestinal Worth noting: the salting methods (method, inflammation. duration, temperature, substance for salting) are defined in tendering specifications for cheeses *Ripened cheeses do not usually contain lactose; the small quantity remaining in the coagulum at the end of straining is covered by a PDO (Roquefort, bleu d’Auvergne transformed into lactic acid during the ripening. Hardly strained for example). and hardly fermented cream cheeses and processed cheeses contain from 3 to 6 g/100 g. * (Unsalted) cream cheeses have very little sodium (from 30 mg ** The formation of biogenic amines may be more important in à 60 mg/100 g). Ripened cheeses have more (from 400 à 1600 cheeses which have a long ripening period or preservation (blue- mg/100 g). In fact, salting is essential for making all types veined cheeses as well as soft cheeses, cooked cheeses, etc.) of ripened cheese due to its triple action: formation of a rind, *** According to the WHO, bacteria are: “live micro-organisms maintaining the moisture and action on the microbial growth. which when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health Furthermore, salt is a flavour enhancer and contributes to benefit on the host.” cheese’s organoleptic qualities. 8.