Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 39, September 25, 2024
(a) General. The determination of the Seal of
Quality grade of muenster, monterey jack and brick cheese, shall be on the
basis of rating (A) flavor, (B) body and texture, (C) color, (D) finish and
appearance. The rating of each quality factor shall be established on the basis
of characteristics present in cheese from any sample. The final grade shall be
established on the basis of the lowest rating of any one of the quality
characteristics. Muenster, monterey jack and brick labeled with the Seal of
Quality must meet the fat and moisture standards as set forth in 1 NYCRR Part
17, sections 17.51, 17.53 and 17.62. Seal of Quality muenster, monterey jack
and brick shall conform to the following requirements and standards:
(1) Flavor. Shall possess desirable and
pleasing flavor and odor characteristics. It may not possess bitter, whey
taint, sulfide, rancid and yeasty flavors to any degree. It may possess feed,
acid, unclean, fruity and foreign types of flavors to a degree detectable only
upon critical examination. Fresh cheese of this grade shall not possess any
detectable off flavors.
(2) Body
and texture. Cheese of this grade may be slightly weak bodied, but must have a
smooth texture. A sample drawn for inspection shall be reasonably close, with
no large, connecting or ragged openings, and shall be practically free of gas
holes or slits.
(i) When cheese of this grade
is worked, it shall breakdown to a cohesive, waxy or semi-glossy consistency
and shall be free of pronounced rough, grain-like or mealy
appearance.
(ii) Monterey jack
cheese of this grade shall conform to subparagraph (i) of this paragraph except
that it may be slightly open.
(iii)
Muenster and brick cheese of this grade shall conform to subparagraph (ii) of
this paragraph except that it may have numerous small mechanical openings
distributed throughout the cheese.
(iv) When triers are used to draw samples,
plugs shall be full and unbroken.
(3) Color. May be colored or uncolored, but
if colored, it shall be uniform throughout, with the exception of orange rind
muenster, which may possess seaminess and waviness to a slight
degree.
(4) Finish and appearance.
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.
There shall be no indications that mold has entered the cheese.
(b) Flavor.
(1) Slight. Detected only upon critical
examination.
(2) Definite. Not
intense but detectable.
(3)
Pronounced. So intense as to be easily identified.
(4) Feed. Feed flavors (such as alfalfa,
sweet clover, silage or similar feed) in milk carried through into the
cheese.
(5) Acid. Sharp and puckery
to the taste, characteristics of lactic acid.
(6) Bitter. Distasteful, similar to taste of
quinine. Most frequently found in aged cheese.
(7) Fruity. A sweet fruit-like flavoring
resembling apples; generally increasing in intensity as the cheese
ages.
(8) Whey-taint. A slightly
acid flavor and odor characteristic of fermented whey caused by too slow
expulsion of whey from the curd.
(9) Old milk. Lacks freshness.
(10) Lipase. A flavor suggestive of rancidity
or butyric acid, sometimes associated with a bitterness.
(11) Sulfide. An objectionable flavor of
hydrogen sulfide similar to the flavor of water with a high sulfur
content.
(12) Foreign. Flavors not
normally associated with cheese such as contaminants.
(c) Body and texture.
(1) Smooth. Feels silky; not dry and coarse
or rough.
(2) Reasonably firm.
Somewhat less firm but not to the extent of materially injuring the keeping
quality of the cheese.
(3) Open.
Mechanical openings that are irregular in shape and are caused by workmanship
and not gas fermentation.
(4) Sweet
holes. Spherical gas holes, glossy in appearance; usually about the size of BB
shots; also referred to as shot or Swiss holes.
(5) Weak. Requires little pressure to crush,
is soft but is not necessarily sticky like a pasty cheese.
(6) Pasty. Usually weak body and when the
cheese is rubbed between the thumb and fingers it becomes sticky and
smeary.
(7) Crumbly. Loosely knit
and tends to fall apart when rubbed between the thumb and fingers.
(8) Gassy. Gas holes of various sizes and may
be scattered.
(9) Pinny. Numerous
very small gas holes.
(10)
Practically free of gas. Limited gas or sweet holes are acceptable, provided
that the body and flavor meets the flavor requirements of these
specifications.
(11) Slits. Narrow
or elongated openings generally associated with cheese that is gassy or
yeasty.
(d) Color.
(1) Uncolored. Absence of artificial
coloring.
(2) Seamy. White
thread-like lines that form if the pieces of curd are not properly joined
together.
(3) Wavy. Unevenness of
color which appears as layers or waves.
(4) Acid cut. Bleached or faded appearance
which sometimes varies throughout the cheese, appearing most often around
mechanical openings.
(e)
Finish and appearance.
(1) Wrapper or
covering. Transparent or opaque material (plastic film type or foil) next to
the surface of the cheese, used as an enclosure or covering of the
cheese.
(2) Adequately and securely
enveloped. Wrapper or covering properly sealed, and entirely enclosing the
cheese, with sufficient adherence for ample protection and prevention of
mold.
(3) Smooth bright surface.
Clean, glossy surface.
(4) Soiled
surface. Milkstone, rust spots or other discoloration on the surface of the
cheese.
(5) Smooth surface. Not
rough or uneven.
(6) Surface mold.
Mold on the paraffin or the exterior of the cheese.
(7) Mold under bandage and paraffin. Mold
spots or areas that have formed under the paraffin or mold that has penetrated
from the surface and continued to develop.
(8) Mold under wrapper or covering. Mold
spots or areas that have formed under the wrapper or on the cheese.
(9) Rough surface. Lacks
smoothness.
(10) Lopsided. One side
of the cheese is higher than the other side.
(11) High edge. A rim or ridge on the
follower side of the cheese, which is raised in varying degrees. In extreme
cases it may bend over.
(12) Soft
spots. Soft to the touch and the spots are usually faded and moist.
(13) Huffed cheese. Swollen because of gas
fermentation. The cheese becomes rounded or oval in shape instead of being
flat.
(f) Packaging.
Rindless. Cheese which has not formed a rind due to the impervious type of
wrapper, covering or container, enclosing the cheese or by any other means of
handling.
(g) Processing facility.
Seal of Quality cheese manufacturing and packaging is restricted to those
facilities in compliance with Agriculture and Markets Law, article 4 or 12-A
and these facilities must maintain a satisfactory inspection record.
(h) Packing. All packages are subject to
approval by the Department of Agriculture and Markets. Package approval shall
be based upon the ability of the package to maintain the quality standards and
integrity of the product.
(i)
Markings. Each package of muenster, monterey jack and brick cheese packaged and
offered for sale under the Seal of Quality program must have affixed the
official seal designation.
