[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 21, Volume 2]
[Revised as of April 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 21CFR133.123]
[Page 316-318]
TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES (CONTINUED)
PART 133_CHEESES AND RELATED CHEESE PRODUCTS--Table of Contents
Subpart B_Requirements for Specific Standardized Cheese and Related
Products
Sec. 133.123 Cold-pack and club cheese.
(a)(1) Cold-pack cheese, club cheese, is the food prepared by
comminuting, without the aid of heat, one or more
[[Page 317]]
cheeses of the same or two or more varieties, except cream cheese,
neufchatel cheese, cottage cheese, lowfat cottage cheese, cottage cheese
dry curd, hard grating cheese, semisoft part-skim cheese, part-skim
spiced cheese and skim milk cheese for manufacturing, into a homogeneous
plastic mass. One or more of the optional ingredients designated in
paragraph (c) of this section may be used.
(2) All cheeses used in a cold-pack cheese are made from pasteurized
milk or are held for not less than 60 days at a temperature of not less
than 35 [deg]F before being comminuted.
(3)(i) The moisture content of a cold-pack cheese made from a single
variety of cheese is not more than the maximum moisture content
prescribed by the definition and standard of identity, if any there be,
for the variety of cheese used. If there is no applicable definition and
standard of identity, or if such standard contains no provision as to
maximum moisture content, no water is used in the preparation of the
cold-pack cheese.
(ii) The fat content of the solids of a cold-pack cheese made from a
single variety of cheese is not less than the minimum prescribed by the
definition and standard of identity, if any there be, for the variety of
cheese used, but in no case is less than 47 percent, except that the fat
content of the solids of cold-pack swiss cheese is not less than 43
percent, and the fat content of the solids of cold-pack gruyere cheese
is not less than 45 percent.
(4)(i) The moisture content of a cold-pack cheese made from two or
more varieties of cheese is not more than the arithmetical average of
the maximum moisture contents prescribed by the definitions and
standards of identity, if any there be, for the varieties of cheese
used, but in no case is the moisture content more than 42 percent,
except that the moisture content of a cold-pack cheese made from two or
more of the varieties cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, colby cheese,
and granular cheese is not more than 39 percent.
(ii) The fat content of the solids of a cold-pack cheese made from
two or more varieties of cheese is not less than the arithmetical
average of the minimum percent of fat prescribed by the definitions and
standards of identity, if any there be, for the varieties of cheese
used, but in no case is less than 47 percent, except that the fat
content of the solids of a cold-pack cheese made from swiss cheese and
gruyere cheese is not less than 45 percent.
(5) Moisture and fat are determined by the methods prescribed in
Sec. 133.5(a), (b), and (d).
(6) The weight of each variety of cheese in a cold-pack cheese made
from two varieties of cheese is not less than 25 percent of the total
weight of both, except that the weight of blue cheese, nuworld cheese,
roquefort cheese, or gorgonzola cheese is not less than 10 percent of
the total weight of both, and the weight of limburger cheese is not less
than 5 percent of the total weight of both. The weight of each variety
of cheese in a cold-pack cheese made from three or more varieties of
cheese is not less than 15 percent of the total weight of all, except
that the weight of blue cheese, nuworld cheese, roquefort cheese, or
gorgonzola cheese is not less than 5 percent of the total weight of all,
and the weight of limburger cheese is not less than 3 percent of the
total weight of all. These limits do not apply to the quantity of
cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, colby cheese, and granular cheese in
mixtures which are designated as ``American cheese'' as prescribed in
paragraph (d)(2) of this section. Such mixtures are considered as one
variety of cheese for the purpose of this paragraph (a)(6).
(b) Cold-pack cheese may be smoked, or the cheese or cheeses from
which it is made may be smoked, before comminuting and mixing, or it may
contain substances prepared by condensing or precipitating wood smoke.
(c) The optional ingredients referred to in paragraph (a) of this
section are:
(1) An acidifying agent consisting of one or any mixture of two or
more of the following: A vinegar, lactic acid, citric acid, acetic acid,
and phosphoric acid, in such quantity that the pH of the finished cold-
pack cheese is not below 4.5. For the purposes of this section vinegar
is considered to be acetic acid.
(2) Water.
(3) Salt.
(4) Harmless artificial coloring.
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(5) Spices or flavorings, other than any which singly or in
combination with other ingredients simulate the flavor of a cheese of
any age or variety.
(6) Cold-pack cheese in consumer-sized packages may contain an
optional mold-inhibiting ingredient consisting of sorbic acid, potassium
sorbate, sodium sorbate, or any combination of two or more of these, in
an amount not to exceed 0.3 percent by weight, calculated as sorbic acid
or consisting of not more than 0.3 percent by weight of sodium
propionate, calcium propionate, or a combination of sodium propionate
and calcium propionate.
(d)(1) The name of a cold-pack cheese for which a definition and
standard of identity is prescribed by this section is ``Cold-pack ------
cheese'', ``------ cold-pack cheese'' or ``------ club cheese'', the
blanks being filled in with the name or names of the varieties of cheese
used, in order of predominance by weight.
(2) If the cold-pack cheese is made of cheddar cheese, washed curd
cheese, colby cheese, or granular cheese or any mixture of two or more
of these, it may be designated ``Cold-pack American cheese''; or when
cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, colby cheese, granular cheese, or
any mixture of two or more of these is combined with other varieties of
cheese in the cheese ingredient any of such cheeses or such mixture may
be designated as ``American cheese''.
(3) The full name of the food shall appear on the principal display
panel of the label in type of uniform size, style, and color. Wherever
any word or statement emphasizing the name of any ingredient appears on
the label (other than in an ingredient statement as specified in
paragraph (f) of this section) so conspicuously as to be easily seen
under customary conditions of purchase, the full name of the food shall
immediately and conspicuously precede or follow such word or statement
in type of at least the same size as the type used in such word or
statement.
(e) The name of the food shall include a declaration of any
flavoring, including smoke and substances prepared by condensing or
precipitating wood smoke, that characterizes the product as specified in
Sec. 101.22 of this chapter and a declaration of any spice that
characterizes the product.
(f) Each of the ingredients used in the food shall be declared on
the label as required by the applicable sections of parts 101 and 130 of
this chapter, except that cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, colby
cheese, granular cheese, or any mixture of two or more of these, may be
designated as ``American cheese''.
(1) Artificial coloring need not be declared.
(2) If the cheese ingredient contains cheddar cheese, washed curd
cheese, colby cheese, granular cheese, or any mixture of two or more of
these, such cheese or such mixture may be designated as ``American
cheese''.
[42 FR 14366, Mar. 15, 1977, as amended at 49 FR 10093, Mar. 19, 1984;
58 FR 2892, Jan. 6, 1993]
Additives that reference this regulation: |
