New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 1 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS › Chapter I - Milk Control › Subchapter B - Milk Control Orders › Part 34 - Grades For Cheddar Cheese, Washed Curd Cheese And Colby Cheese › Section 34.4 - Specifications for grades

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
The general specifications for the grades of cheese,
					 according to the degree of curing, are as follows:
(a) "New York State Brand" cheese shall
				  conform to the following requirements and specifications:
(1) Flavor. Shall possess desirable and
				  pleasing flavor and odor characteristics. Commensurate with its age and degree
				  of cure, it may possess feed, acid, bitter, fruity and sulfide types of flavors
				  to a degree detectable only upon critical examination. Fresh or uncured cheese
				  of this grade shall not possess bitter, fruity, sulfide, utensil, yeasty or
				  foreign flavors to any degree.
(2)
				  Body and texture. Cheddar cheese of this grade shall be reasonably firm bodied
				  and smooth textured. A plug drawn with a number 6 trier shall be reasonably
				  close, with no large, connecting or ragged openings, and shall be practically
				  free of gas holes or slits.
(i) Commensurate
				  with its age and degree of cure, when cheese of this grade is worked, it shall
				  break down to a cohesive, waxy or semiglossy consistency and shall be free of
				  pronounced rough, grainlike or mealy appearance which is associated with
				  excessive acid.
(ii) Washed curd
				  cheese of this grade shall conform to subparagraph (i) of this paragraph except
				  that it may be definitely open and less firm bodied.
(iii) Colby cheese of this grade shall
				  conform to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph except that it shall have
				  numerous small mechanical openings distributed throughout the cheese.
(iv) The withdrawal with regularity of full
				  and unbroken trier plugs shall be possible from cheese of this grade.
(3) Color. May be colored or
				  uncolored, but if colored, it shall be uniform throughout. May possess numerous
				  tiny white specks, associated with aged cheese. May possess seaminess and
				  waviness to a slight degree.
(4)
				  Finish and appearance.
(i) Bandaged and
				  paraffin-dipped. The rind shall be sound, firm and smooth, providing a good
				  protection to the cheese. The bandage may be slightly uneven, overlapped or
				  wrinkled, but not burst or torn. The surface shall be practically smooth,
				  bright and have a good coating of paraffin or wax that adheres firmly to all
				  surfaces of the cheese, with certain allowable tolerances for mold and other
				  defects according to the degree of curing. There shall be no indication that
				  mold has entered the cheese. Shall be free from huffing, but may have slightly
				  high edges and be slightly lopsided.
(ii) Rindless. The wrapper or covering shall
				  adequately and securely envelop the cheese, be neat, unbroken and fully protect
				  the surface but may be slightly wrinkled. The cheese shall be free from huffing
				  but may be slightly lopsided and may have very slight mold under the wrapper or
				  covering in medium and cured classifications. There shall be no indication that
				  mold has entered the cheese.