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Home , American cheese, Blue cheese, Brie, Camembert, Cheddar cheese, Cheese

Cheese’s immense popularity stems from its , versatility, many varieties and nutritional package.

WHAT IS CHEESE? VARIETIES All cheese is made from , but More than 400 different varieties different manufacturing and aging of cheese are available. processes are used to produce the are categorized in several ways: array of cheeses available today. natural versus process cheeses, Cheese is made by coagulating unripened versus ripened and soft or milk, stirring and versus hard. Many cheeses are heating the , draining off the named for their place of origin, (the watery part of milk), such as , which collecting and pressing the curd, originated in Cheddar, . and in some cases, ripening. ■ Natural Cheeses. These Cheese can be made from whole, cheeses can be unripened or 2% lowfat, 1% lowfat or -free ripened. Unripened cheeses milk, or combinations of these are made by coagulating milk Very Hard Cheese: . About one-third of all milk () with . Parmesan, Romano produced each year in the U.S. is Examples include soft cheeses used to make cheese. In 1998, like cheese, ■ Process Chesses. These 9.7 billion pounds of natural and and Neufchatel. Ripened cheeses are made by blending one processed cheeses were produced. cheeses are made by coagulating or more natural cheeses, heating milk proteins with and adding emulsifying . () and culture . Process cheeses contain more These cheeses are then ripened moisture than natural cheeses. (aged) by or . Pasteurized process cheeses Cheddar, Swiss, Colby, brick and include , cheese Parmesan are some examples spreads and cheese . of bacteria-ripened cheeses. Cold-pack cheese is a blend Blue, , of natural cheeses processed and are examples of without heat. Flavoring and mold-ripened cheeses. seasonings are often added. Natural cheeses are often categorized according to their moisture or degree of softness or hardness: Soft Cheeses: Brie, Camembert, , cottage Semi-Soft Cheeses: Blue, brick, , , , , Meunster, Hard Cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, Edam, Gouda, Swiss

Copyright © 2000, NATIONAL COUNCIL,® Rosemont, IL 60018-5616. CHEESE

NUTRITIONAL UNIQUE HEALTH For best results: ■ Freeze pieces of cheese in sizes INFORMATION BENEFITS of 1/2 pound or less. Cheese is a concentrated source Consuming cheese immediately ■ Package in moisture-proof, of many of milk’s . after meals or as a between-meal airtight wrapping. Considering that it takes about helps to reduce the risk of ■ Freeze quickly and store at 0°F 10 pounds (5 quarts) of milk to tooth decay. Certain cheeses— or lower. make 1 pound of whole milk aged Cheddar, Swiss, blue, ■ Thaw in the refrigerator. cheese, cheese is a -dense Monterey Jack, Brie, Gouda and ■ Use as soon as possible after . Cheese provides calories; processed American cheese— thawing. high-quality ; have been shown to help prevent ■ Cooking. Why is it difficult to such as A, (B2 ) and B12; tooth decay. , melt some cheeses? If cheese is and minerals such as calcium, and other components in cheese heated at too high a temperature phosphorus and zinc. may contribute to this beneficial or for too long, it may become The chart below gives the effect. tough, rubbery or stringy, and nutritional profile of some popular refuse to melt. To melt cheese, cheeses in common servings. STORING AND use a low temperature for a short The Nutrition Facts label on HANDLING CHEESE time. Some cheeses like process cheese products also provides American readily melt. Dry ■ Storing. Cheese should be nutritional information. cheeses like Parmesan, if finely refrigerated at 40°F or below in grated, melt better than higher For individuals wishing the original wrapper or container, moisture cheeses. Generally, to lower their calorie or transparent , aluminum lowfat cheeses are more suitable fat intake, a variety foil or wrap. Generally, for serving cold than using in of lowfat cheeses harder (lower moisture) cheeses cooked dishes. is available. keep longer than softer (higher These include: moisture) cheeses. Tips to help melt cheese include: ■ Lowfat Cheese: ■ Freezing. Cheese can be Shred, grate or cut cheese into 3 grams (g) or less of fat per frozen, but it may become mealy small pieces. reference amount (1 oz for most and crumbly when thawed. ■ Add cheese topping to food at cheeses, 4 oz for cottage cheese) Thawed cheese is best used the end of or broiling, or crumbled or shredded in , just heat long enough to melt. Reduced-Fat Cheese: ■ as toppings or in cooked dishes. When making a sauce, add 25% less fat per reference amount Some cheeses are better frozen cheese as the last ingredient and than its full fat counterpart than others. Because heat just until melted. Fat-Free Cheese: varieties like Roquefort and ■ To soften cheese in the less than 0.5 gram (g) of fat per are generally used microwave oven, remove reference amount crumbled, further change in their wrapper and place cheese on a texture is of little consequence. microwave-safe plate. Timing will Because other cheeses like vary according to desired softness Parmesan and Romano can and microwave conditions. be stored in the refrigerator for For accurate measurement, prolonged periods, freezing use the following: is unnecessary. ■ 4 oz = 1 cup shredded ■ 3 oz = 1 cup grated (Parmesan or Romano) A NUTRITIONAL LOOK AT CHEESE

Calories Fat Calcium Serving size Kcal g mg American, Pasteurized Process, 1 106 8.4 174 Cheddar, 1 ounce 114 8.9 204 Cottage, 1/2 cup 81 1.1 68 , 1 ounce 98 9.3 22 Mozzarella, part-skim (low moisture), 1 ounce 79 4.6 207 Source: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. NATIONAL DAIRY COUNCIL® CHEESE

COMMONLY ASKED Should Cheese with Mold Be Discarded? QUESTIONS ABOUT Although most on cheese CHEESE are harmless, some may produce Isn’t Cheese Fattening? toxins that can diffuse into the Many lowfat, low-calorie cheeses cheese. Many packages of natural are available. Check out the and process cheeses contain mold Nutrition Facts panel on product inhibitors, such as sorbic acid, labels. For example, a serving that increase the of these (4 oz) of lowfat cottage cheese products. Properly wrapping (1% milk fat) provides just cheese can help prevent the 82 calories and 1g fat, along development of undesirable mold. with high-quality protein, If mold develops, remove the visible mold as well as an riboflavin, calcium and other 1 essential nutrients. additional /2 inch of cheese on all sides of the mold to be If I’m Intolerant, safe (except with mold-ripened Shouldn’t I Avoid Cheese? cheeses such as Roquefort No. Many aged cheeses like and blue). Cheddar and Swiss contain little, if any, lactose (milk’s ). Why Does Cottage Cheese Most of the lactose is removed Have Less Calcium Than when these cheeses are made. Many Other Cheeses? Aged (ripened) cheeses like Compared to most other cheeses, Cheddar generally have less cottage cheese is a modest source lactose than unripened (fresh) of calcium. In the manufacturing cheeses like cream cheese. of cottage cheese, 50 to 75% of Due to the mixture milk’s calcium is removed when used, creamed cottage cheese the whey is drained. Cottage has slightly more lactose than cheeses with extra calcium are dry curd cottage cheese. available. Check product labels. Although cottage cheese may Is Cheese Made from provide less calcium than some Unpasteurized Milk Safe? other cheeses, cottage cheese is Most cheeses made in the U.S. high in protein, generally low in are from pasteurized milk. If fat and a good source of riboflavin. unpasteurized milk is used, government regulations require that the cheese be aged for at least 60 days before it is sold. Regulatory agencies recognize aging of cheese as equal to for eliminating pathogenic bacteria. Safe handling and storage of cheese are key to ensuring its safety and quality.

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