CODEX: Cheese type

CODEX extract

CHEESE TYPE
extracted from Codex General Standard for Cheese

Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme
Codex Alimentarius Commission
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
World Health Organization

Volume 12: Milk and milk products

Codex General Standard for Cheese (CODEX STAN A-6-1978)

CHEESE TYPES

Classification of cheese according to firmness, fat content and principal curing characteristics

	Term I		Term II	Term III
If the MFFB* is %	The 1st phrase in the designation shall be	If the FDB** is %	The 2nd phrase in the designation shall be	Designation according to principal curing characteristics
<51	Extra hard	>60	High fat	1. Cured or ripened
49-56	Hard	45-60	Full fat	a. mainly surface
54-63	Semi-hard	25-45	Medium fat	b. mainly interior
61-69	Semi-soft	10-25	Low fat	2. Mould cured or ripened
>67	Soft	<10	Skim	a. mainly surface
				b. mainly interior
				3. Uncured or unripened

* MFFB equals percentage moisture on a fat-free basis, i.e. Weight of moisture in the cheese/Total weight of cheese - weight of fat in the cheese x 100

** FDB equals percentage fat on the dry basis, i.e. Fat content of the cheese/Total weight of cheese - weight of moisture in the cheese x 100

Ian Unwin
Posted: 20 January 2000