133.179 Pasteurized process cheese spread.

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[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: 21CFR133.179]

[Page 346-348]
 
                        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.  133.179  Pasteurized process cheese spread.

    (a)(1) Pasteurized process cheese spread is the food prepared by 
comminuting and mixing, with the aid of heat, one or more of the 
optional cheese ingredients prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section, 
with or without one or more of the optional dairy ingredients prescribed 
in paragraph (d) of this section, with one or more of the emulsifying 
agents prescribed in paragraph (e) of this section, and with or without 
one or more of the optional ingredients prescribed by paragraph (f) of 
this section, into a homogeneous plastic mass, which is spreadable at 70 
[deg]F.
    (2) During its preparation, a pasteurized process cheese spread is 
heated for not less than 30 seconds at a temperature of not less than 
150 [deg]F. When tested for phosphatase by the method prescribed in 
Sec.  133.5(c), the phenol equivalent of 0.25 gram of pasteurized 
process cheese spread is not more than 3 micrograms.
    (3) The moisture content of a pasteurized process cheese spread is 
more than 44 percent but not more than 60 percent, and the milk fat 
content is not less than 20 percent.
    (4) Moisture and fat are determined by the methods prescribed in 
Sec.  133.5(a) and (b), except that in determining moisture the loss in 
weight which occurs in drying for 5 hours, under the conditions 
prescribed in such method, is taken as the weight of the moisture.
    (5) The weight of the cheese ingredient referred to in paragraph 
(a)(1) of this section constitutes not less than 51 percent of the 
weight of the pasteurized process cheese spread.
    (6) The weight of each variety of cheese in a pasteurized process 
cheese spread made with 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, gorgonzola cheese, or 
limburger cheese is not less than 10 percent of the total weight of 
both. The weight of each variety of cheese in a

[[Page 347]]

pasteurized process cheese spread made with 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, 
gorgonzola cheese, or limburger cheese is not less than 5 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 (i)(5) of this section. Such mixtures are considered as one 
variety of cheese for the purposes of this paragraph (a)(6).
    (7) For the purposes of this section, cheddar cheese for 
manufacturing, washed curd cheese for manufacturing, colby cheese for 
manufacturing, granular cheese for manufacturing, brick cheese for 
manufacturing, muenster cheese for manufacturing, and swiss cheese for 
manufacturing are considered as cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, 
colby cheese, granular cheese, brick cheese, muenster cheese, and swiss 
cheese, respectively.
    (b) Pasteurized process cheese spread 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 cheese ingredients referred to in paragraph (a) of 
this section are one or more cheeses of the same or two or more 
varieties, except that skim-milk cheese for manufacturing may not be 
used, and except that cream cheese, neufchatel cheese, cottage cheese, 
creamed cottage cheese, cook cheese, hard grating cheese, semisoft part-
skim cheese, and part-skim spiced cheese are not used, alone or in 
combination with each other, as the cheese ingredient.
    (d) The optional dairy ingredients referred to in paragraph (a) of 
this section are cream, milk, skim milk, buttermilk, cheese whey, any of 
the foregoing from which part of the water has been removed, anhydrous 
milkfat, dehydrated cream, albumin from cheese whey, and skim milk 
cheese for manufacturing.
    (e) The emulsifying agents prescribed in paragraph (a) of this 
section are one or any mixture of two or more of the following: 
Monosodium phosphate, disodium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, 
trisodium phosphate, sodium metaphosphate (sodium hexa meta phos phate), 
sodium acid pyro phos phate, tetra sodium pyro phos phate, sodium 
aluminum phosphate, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate, 
sodium tartrate, and sodium potassium tartrate, in such quantity that 
the weight of the solids of such emulsifying agent is not more than 3 
percent of the weight of the pasteurized process cheese spread.
    (f) The other optional ingredients referred to in paragraph (a) of 
this section are:
    (1)(i) One or any mixture of two or more of the following: Carob 
bean gum, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, guar gum, gelatin, sodium carb oxy 
methyl cellulose (cellulose gum), car ra geenan, oat gum, algin (sodium 
alginate), pro pylene glycol alginate, or xanthan gum. The total weight 
of such substances is not more than 0.8 percent of the weight of the 
finished food.
    (ii) When one or more of the optional ingredients in paragraph 
(f)(1)(i) of this section are used, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate 
complying with the requirements of Sec.  172.810 of this chapter may be 
used in a quantity not in excess of 0.5 percent by weight of such 
ingredients.
    (2) 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 pasteurized 
process cheese spread is not below 4.0.
    (3) A sweetening agent consisting of one or any mixture of two or 
more of the following: Sugar, dextrose, corn sugar, corn sirup, corn 
sirup solids, glucose sirup, glucose sirup solids, maltose, malt sirup, 
and hydrolyzed lactose, in a quantity necessary for seasoning.
    (4) Water.
    (5) Salt.
    (6) Harmless artificial coloring.
    (7) Spices or flavorings other than any which singly or in 
combination with other ingredients simulates the flavor of a cheese of 
any age or variety.

[[Page 348]]

    (8) Pasteurized process cheese spread 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 0.2 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.
    (9) Pasteurized process cheese spread in consumer-sized packages may 
contain lecithin as an optional anti-sticking agent in an amount not to 
exceed 0.03 percent by weight of the finished product.
    (10) Safe and suitable enzyme modified cheese.
    (11) Nisin preparation in an amount which results in not more than 
250 parts per million nisin in the food.
    (g) The name of the food is ``pasteurized process cheese spread''. 
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 (i) 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.
    (h) 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.
    (i) 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''.

[42 FR 14366, Mar. 15, 1977, as amended at 49 FR 10095, Mar. 19, 1984; 
54 FR 6121, Feb. 8, 1989; 54 FR 22741, May 26, 1989; 58 FR 2895, Jan. 6, 
1993]
Additives that reference this regulation:
Source: U.S. Code of Federal Regulations - CFR Title 21, Part 133, Section 179
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