Wisconsin Administrative Code, Subchapter I, Section ATCP 81.01 - Definitions | Wisconsin Administrative Code

(2) "Body and texture characteristics" for purposes of grading cheese under this chapter include the following traits:

(a) "Broken down" means the condition of the cheese has changed from a firm, smooth or coarse, curdy or rubbery condition to a waxy condition similar to that of cold butter, or to a mealy or pasty condition.

(b) "Coarse" means a cheese is rough, dry and sandy to the touch.

(c) "Corky" means a cheese texture that is hard, tough and overly firm and is characterized by failure of the cheese to readily break down when rubbed between the thumb and fingers.

(d) "Crumbly" means that cheese is loosely knit and tends to fall apart when rubbed between the thumb and fingers.

(e) "Curdy" means a cheese is smooth but firm, and when worked between the fingers, is rubbery and not waxy.

(f) "Firm" means the body of the cheese feels solid and is not soft or weak.

(g) "Gassy" means that cheese contains gas holes of various sizes which may be scattered or unevenly distributed throughout the cheese.

(h) "Mealy" means cheese has a short body texture, does not mold well, and looks and feels like corn meal when rubbed between the thumb and fingers.

(i) "Open" means that irregularly shaped mechanical openings, caused by workmanship and not gas fermentation, are present.

(j) "Pasty" means that cheese has a weak body, and that it becomes sticky and smeary when rubbed between the thumb and fingers.

(k) "Pinny" means the presence of numerous and very small gas holes in a cheese.

(L) "Reasonably firm" means the body of the cheese is somewhat less than firm, but not to the extent of materially injuring the keeping quality of the cheese.

(m) "Short" means that there is no elasticity to the cheese plug removed by means of a grading trier, and that the plug tends toward mealiness when rubbed between the thumb and fingers.

(n) "Slitty" means that cheese contains narrow, elongated slits which are generally associated with a cheese that is "gassy" or "yeasty". Slits in cheese having this characteristic may sometimes be referred to as "fish eyes".

(o) "Smooth" means the surface of the cheese feels silky, and is not dry, coarse or rough.

(p) "Solid, compact and close" means the texture of the cheese has practically no openings of any kind.

(q) "Sweet holes" means that small spherical gas holes, approximately the size of BB shots, are present. Sweet holes may also be referred to as "shot" or "Swiss holes".

(r) "Translucent" means a cheese has the appearance of being partially transparent.

(s) "Waxy" means that a cheese, when worked between the fingers, molds well like wax or cold butter.

(t) "Weak" means a cheese requires little pressure to crush and is soft but not necessarily sticky like a pasty cheese.

(3) "Cheese" means a dairy product prepared from the pressed curd of milk and includes the following varieties with or without rind formation:

(a) Brick or muenster cheese.

(b) Cheddar.

(c) Colby.

(d) Granular.

(e) Monterey (Jack) cheese.

(f) Swiss cheese.

(g) Washed curd.

(4) "Cheese box" means any wood, fiber, corrugated metal, plastic, fiberglass, or veneer container used as a receptacle for cheese.

(5) "Cheese hoop" means a form used to mold any of the various styles of cheese described under s. ATCP 81.30.

(6) "Cheese style" means the shape, size and weight of a manufactured unit of cheese which conforms to the standards for the particular style under s. ATCP 81.30.

(7) "Code number 55" means the code number, established as part of the uniform national coding system under P. L. 89-306, which indicates that a particular lot of cheese was manufactured at a dairy plant in Wisconsin.

Note: The numerical national uniform coding system was developed under P. L. 89-306 and is recommended for use by the Ninth National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments.

(8) "Color characteristics" for purposes of grading cheese under this chapter include the following traits:

(a) "Acid-cut" means a bleached or faded appearance which sometimes varies throughout the cheese but is present most often around mechanical openings.

(b) "Bleached surface" means that a faded color begins at the surface of the cheese and progresses inward.

(c) "Dull or faded" means that the color of the cheese lacks lustre or translucency.

(d) " Mottled" means the presence of irregular shaped spots or blotches in which portions of the cheese are light colored and others are darker in color, or an unevenness of color due to mixing or combining the curd from 2 different vats.

(e) "Salt spots" means the presence of large light-colored spots or areas.

(f) "Seamy" means the presence of white thread-like lines that form if the pieces of curd are not properly joined together.

(g) "Tiny white specks" means that specks resembling grains of salt, and generally associated with aged cheese, are scattered throughout the cheese.

(h) "Unattractive" means an abnormal or unappetizing appearance.

(i) "Uncolored" means the absence of any artificial coloring.

(j) "Unnatural" means the presence of a deep orange or reddish color.

(k) "Wavy" means an unevenness of color which appears as layers or waves in the cheese.

(9) "Department" means the state of Wisconsin department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection.

(10) "Diameter" means the measurement of the diameter at the larger end of cylindrically shaped cheese.

(10m) "Eye and texture characteristics" includes the following traits, for purposes of Swiss cheese grading under this chapter:

(a) "Afterset" means that there are small eyes caused by secondary fermentation.

(b) "Blind" means that no eyes are formed.

(c) "Cabbage" means that there are so many eyes in most of the cheese that the eyes crowd each other and leave only a paper-thin layer of cheese between eyes, causing the cheese to have a cabbage appearance and very irregular eyes.

(d) "Checks" means that there are small, short cracks within the body of the cheese.

(e) "Collapsed" means that eyes are improperly formed, so that they appear flattened or buckled rather than round or slightly oval.

(f) "Dead" means that eyes have completely lost their glossy or velvety appearance.

(g) "Dull" means that eyes have lost some of their bright shiny luster.

(h) "Frog mouth" means that eyes are lenticular or spindle-shaped.

(i) "Irregular" means that eyes are not properly formed as round or slightly oval openings, but are not accurately described by other terms under this subsection.

(j) "Large eyed" means that a majority of eyes are more than 13/16 inch in diameter. "Large eyed" includes all the following:

1. "Slight large eyed" means that a majority of eyes are more than 13/16 inch but less than one inch in diameter.

2. "Definite large eyed" means that a majority of eyes are more than one inch in diameter.

(k) "Nesty" means that, in localized areas, there are too many small eyes.

(L) "One sided" means that eyes are reasonably developed on one side of the cheese and underdeveloped on the other.

(m) "Overset" means that there are too many eyes.

(n) "Picks" means that there are small irregular or ragged openings in the body of the cheese.

(o) "Relatively uniform eye size" means that the majority of eyes are within the size range specified in s. ATCP 81.70(3), and that the difference in diameter between the smallest and largest of that majority of eyes is not more than 1/4 inch.

(p) "Rough" means that eyes do not have smooth, even walls.

(q) "Shell" means that eyes have wall surfaces that look like rough-shelled nuts.

(r) "Small eyed" means that a majority of eyes are less than 3/8 inch in diameter. "Small eyed" includes all the following:

1. "Slight small eyed" means that a majority of eyes are less than 3/8 inch but more than 1/8 inch in diameter.

2. "Definite small eyed" means that a majority of eyes are less than 1/8 inch in diameter.

(s) "Splits" means that the body of the cheese contains sizable cracks, usually in parallel layers and usually clean cut.

(t) "Streuble" means that there are too many small eyes just under the surface of the cheese.

(u) "Underset" means that there are too few eyes in the cheese.

(v) "Uneven" means eyes are reasonably developed in some areas and underdeveloped in others.

(11) "Finish and appearance characteristics" for purposes of grading cheese under this chapter include the following traits:

(a) "Bandage evenly placed" means that a cheese is uniformly wrapped in cheesecloth with approximately one inch overlapping of the edges.

(b) "Burst or torn bandage" means a severance or other snag or break in the cheese cloth wrap used in the manufacture of certain cheese styles, usually occurring at the side seam.

(c) "Checked rind" or "curd openings" means the presence of numerous small cracks or breaks in the rind, sometimes following the outline of curd particles.

(d) "Cracks in the rind" means the presence of openings or breaks in the cheese rind.

(e) "Defective coating" means any of the following conditions in the wax or paraffin coating:

1. Brittle coating of paraffin that breaks and peels off in the form of scales or flakes.

2. Flat or raised blisters or bubbles under the surface of the paraffin.

3. Checked paraffin, including cracks, breaks or hairline checks in the paraffin coating on the cheese.

(f) "Firm, sound rind" means that the external surface of the cheese is firm and thick consistent with the size of the cheese; is not easily dented or damaged; is dry, smooth and closely knit to protect the interior quality from external defects; and is externally free from checks, cracks, breaks or soft spots.

(g) "High edge" means the cheese has, on its follower side, a rim or ridge which is raised in varying degrees or, in extreme cases, bent over.

(h) "Huffed" means that a cheese is swollen because of gas fermentation and has become rounded oval in shape rather than flat.

(i) "Irregular bandaging" means an overlapping, wrinkled and loose fitting bandage caused when the cheesecloth wrap is improperly placed in the cheese hoop, resulting in too much bandage on one end and an insufficient amount on the opposite end.

(j) "Lopsided" means the cheese style is asymmetrical or higher on one side than on the other side.

(k) "Mold under bandage and paraffin" means that spots or areas of mold have formed under the paraffin, or that mold has penetrated from the surface to the interior and continued to develop.

(L) "Mold under wrapper or covering" means that spots or areas of mold have formed under the wrapper or on the cheese.

(m) "Rind" means a hard coating caused by desiccation of the surface of the cheese.

(n) "Rind rot" means the presence of soft spots on the rind which have become discolored and have decayed or decomposed.

(o) "Rough surface" means the exterior of the cheese lacks smoothness.

(p) "Smooth, bright surface" means a clean, glossy exterior cheese surface.

(q) " Smooth surface" means a cheese surface which is not rough or uneven.

(r) "Soft spots" means areas on the exterior of the cheese which are soft to the touch and are also usually faded and moist.

(s) "Soiled surface" means a cheese surface containing milkstone, rust spots or other discoloration.

(t) "Sour rind" means a fermented rind condition which is usually confined to the faces of the cheese.

(u) "Surface mold" means mold occurring on the paraffin or exterior surface of the cheese.

(v) "Wax or paraffin" means a uniform coating of wax or paraffin that adheres firmly to the surface of the cheese, which may either be thin or thick, but which has no indication of cracking, breaking or loosening.

(w) "Weak rind" means that the exterior of a cheese is thin and possesses little or no resistance to pressure.

(x) "Wet rind" means that moisture adheres to the surface of the rind. It may or may not soften the rind or cause discoloration.

(y) " Wrapper or covering" means a plastic film or foil wrap which completely covers and seals the surface of a cheese, and which adheres sufficiently to prevent or protect against the growth of mold.

(12) "Flavor characteristics" for purposes of grading cheese under this chapter include the following traits:

(a) "Acid" means the cheese is sharp and puckery to the taste or has a taste which is characteristic of lactic acid.

(b) "Barny" means a flavor trait characteristic of the odor of a milking barn, stable or cow yard.

(c) "Bitter" means a distasteful flavor characteristic of quinine which is most frequently found in aged cheese varieties.

(d) "Feed" means the presence of one or more feed flavors such as alfalfa, sweet clover, silage or similar feed, carried through from the milk used in the manufacture of the cheese into the finished product.

(e) "Flat" means an insipid flavor or one which is practically devoid of any characteristic cheese flavor for the applicable variety.

(f) "Fruity" means a sweet, fruit-like flavor resembling apples which generally increases in intensity as a cheese ages.

(g) "Lacking in flavor development" means the cheese contains no undesirable flavor and very little, if any, characteristic cheese flavor development.

(h) "Lipase" or "rancid" means a bitter or disagreeable taste or odor suggestive of butyric acid and derived from decomposed milk fat.

(i) "Malty" means the presence of a distinctive harsh flavor suggestive of malt.

(j) "Metallic" means a flavor trait suggestive of metal that imparts to the mouth a puckery sensation.

(k) "Old milk" means a cheese flavor indicating a lack of freshness in the milk used in manufacturing the cheese.

(L) "Onion" means the flavor which is characteristic of the taste and aroma suggested by its name and is present when cows producing milk used in the manufacture of cheese have eaten onions, garlic or leeks.

(m) "Sour" means a pungent acidic flavor resembling vinegar.

(n) "Sulfide" means the presence of an objectionable flavor of hydrogen sulfide and is similar to the flavor of water having a high sulfur content.

(o) "Utensil" means a flavor suggestive of improper or inadequate washing and sterilization of milking machines, utensils or dairy plant equipment.

(p) "Weedy" means a taste characteristic due to the use of milk possessing an essence of common weeds, which is generally present when cows eat weedy hay or graze on weed-infested pastures.

(q) "Whey-tainted" means a slight acidic flavor and odor characteristic of fermented whey caused by too slowly or incompletely expelling the whey from the curd.

(r) "Yeasty" means a flavor indicating the presence of yeast fermentation in the manufacture of the cheese.

(13) "Grade attributes" for purposes of grading cheese under this chapter include the following degrees for a particular trait, which signify the relative absence or presence of the indicated trait:

(a) "Definite" means the trait is not intense but is detectable in the cheese being graded.

(b) "Pronounced" means the trait is sufficiently intense as to be easily identified in the cheese being graded.

(c) "Slight" means the trait is detected only upon critical examination.

(d) "Very slight" means the trait is detected only upon very critical examination.

(13m) "Grade cheese" means to grade or identify cheese as provided in s. ATCP 81.22.

(14) "Grader" means a person licensed by the department under s. 97.17, Stats., to grade cheese.

(15) "Official logotype" means an identifying trademark or symbol, as prescribed in subch. VIII, which may be stamped, imprinted on, affixed to, or made a part of any label of cheese manufactured in this state to identify or distinguish it as being "100% Wisconsin cheese".

(16) "Scale board" means a flat piece of wood or veneer placed in the cheese box or container to protect the cheese from damage.

Wisconsin Administrative CodeDepartment of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer ProtectionATCP 55-89 - Food, Lodging, and Recreation SafetyChapter ATCP 81 - Cheese Grading, Packaging And LabelingSubchapter I - Definitions and General ProvisionsSection ATCP 81.01 - Definitions

Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
ATCP 55-89 - Food, Lodging, and Recreation Safety
Chapter ATCP 81 - Cheese Grading, Packaging And Labeling
Subchapter I - Definitions and General Provisions
Section ATCP 81.01 - Definitions