Analytical Report - Cheese products

Cheese has been a family staple for generations.  It is a high protein but (usually) high fat food, and is high in minerals, especially calcium.  Product innovation in recent years has seen added ingredients such fruit, vegetables and herbs being added to produce twists on established cheeses, for example Wensleydale cheese with cranberries and cheddar cheese with onion and chives.

The composition of cheese was, until 1996, controlled by The Cheese and Cream Regulations 1995, and its predecessors.  Since then, compositional standards have been controlled by The Food Labelling Regulations, which sets the maximum water content of 12 named cheeses.

• Blue Stilton
• Caerphilly
• Cheddar
• Cheshire   
• Derby  
• Dunlop
• Double Gloucester
• Gloucester 
• Lancashire
• Leicester 
• Wensleydale  
• White Stilton 

The standard only applies to cheese when sold as cheese, not when ingredients such as those mentioned have been added. There are no standards for fat, fat in dry matter, or salt. 

This mini-survey of 20 samples looked mainly at ‘compound cheeses’ i.e. those containing other ingredients. Where possible, the “compound” cheeses were separated into their components, and only the cheese was analysed.  They were examined for moisture, fat and sodium.  From these, the amount of fat in the dry matter, and the salt content, could be calculated.  The moisture content was compared where possible with the limits laid down in the Regulations.

Some cheeses have protected designation of origin under the law. In the UK this includes Stilton Only six dairies, situated in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, are permitted to produce Stilton cheese. 

Summary of results

Four of the samples were reported as being unsatisfactory.  One had an unusually high moisture content, two had incomplete labelling information and on one the labelling was illegible.

The sample with an unusually high moisture content (55.6%) was a Wensleydale with cranberries. The limit for Wensleydale in the regulations is 46%.  It is possible that the cranberries with which it was originally mixed contributed to this, although the same effect was not seen in the six other similar samples. Further sampling and investigation will be required.

The salt content of the cheeses varied widely, even for cheeses of the same type:

• Stilton varied from 1.48 to 2.58% salt
• Wensleydale with cranberries varied from 0.82 to 2.17% salt
• Mexicana cheese (cheese with green and red peppers) varied from 1.64 to 2.02%. 

These variations probably reflect the way of making cheese, where salt is often added by hand, and the amount depends on the skill of the cheesemaker.

Report Date: May 2007