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
Universal Citation: 1 NY Comp Codes Rules and Regs ยง 34.4
Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 12, March 20, 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.
(b) "New York Standard" cheese shall conform to the following requirements and specifications:
(1) Flavor. Shall possess agreeable flavor
and odor characteristics. Commensurate with its age and degree of cure, it may
possess flavors to a definite but not pronounced degree as follows: feed, acid,
bitter, fruity, sulfide, whey-taint, old milk and lipase. Other flavors not
foreign to cheese may be permitted to a slight degree.
(2) Body and texture. Commensurate with its
degree of cure, cheese of this grade may show a slightly weak, corky, or curdy
body, slight pastiness, open characteristic and may possess some gas holes or
slits, but pinny gas shall not be permitted. The cheese may have an acid, short
or crumbly body, but only to the extent that a full and unbroken trier plug can
be drawn from the cheese with regularity.
(i)
Washed curd cheese of this grade shall conform to paragraph (2) of this
subdivision except that it may be definitely open and less firm
bodied.
(ii) Colby cheese of this
grade shall conform to subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, except that it shall
have numerous small mechanical openings distributed throughout the
cheese.
(3) Color. May
be colored or uncolored, but if colored, it shall be reasonably uniform
throughout. May possess numerous tiny white specks, associated with aged
cheese. May possess seaminess, acid cut and waviness to a definite
degree.
(4) Finish and appearance.
(i) Bandaged and paraffin-dipped. The rind
shall be sound, may be slightly weak, but free from soft spots, rind rot,
cracks and openings of any kind. The bandage may be uneven and wrinkled but not
burst or torn. The surface may be rough and unattractive, but shall possess a
fairly good coating of paraffin or wax. The paraffin may be scaly or blistered
with mold and certain other characteristics permitted in accordance with the
degree of curing but there shall be no indication that mold has entered the
cheese. May be huffed, lopsided, and have high edges.
(ii) Rindless. The covering or wrapper shall
adequately and securely envelop the cheese, be fairly neat, unbroken and
protect the surface but may be wrinkled. The cheese may be huffed, lopsided and
have slight mold under the wrapper or covering in medium and cured
classifications. There shall be no indication that mold has entered the
cheese.
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