Food and Drug Regulations

B.08.040 (1) [S]. Processed (naming the variety) Cheese

• (a) shall

  • (i) subject to subparagraph (ii), be the product made by comminuting and mixing the named variety or varieties of cheese, other than cream cheese, cottage cheese or whey cheese, into a homogeneous mass with the aid of heat,

  • (ii) in the case of processed cheddar cheese, be the product made by comminuting and mixing one or more of the following:

    • (A) cheddar cheese,

    • (B) stirred curd cheese,

    • (C) granular curd cheese, or

    • (D) washed curd cheese

    into a homogeneous mass with the aid of heat,

  • (iii) have, where it is made from

    • (A) one variety of cheese, in which the maximum amount of moisture permitted is less than 40 per cent, or

    • (B) two or more varieties of cheese, in which the average maximum amount of moisture permitted is less than 40 per cent,

    a moisture content that does not exceed, by more than five per cent, the amount referred to in clause (A) or (B), as the case may be, and a milk fat content that is not less, by more than three per cent, than the minimum milk fat content or average minimum milk fat content permitted for that variety or those varieties, as the case may be,

  • (iv) subject to subparagraph (v), have, where it is made from

    • (A) one variety of cheese, in which the maximum amount of moisture permitted is 40 per cent or more, or

    • (B) more than one variety of cheese, in which the average maximum amount of moisture permitted is 40 per cent or more,

    a moisture content that does not exceed, by more than three per cent, the amount referred to in clause (A) or (B), as the case may be, and a milk fat content that is not less, by more than two per cent, than the minimum milk fat content or average minimum milk fat content permitted for that variety or those varieties, as the case may be, and

  • (v) in the case of processed skim milk cheese, contain not more than

    • (A) 55 per cent moisture, and

    • (B) seven per cent milk fat; and

• (b) may contain

  • (i) water added to adjust the moisture content,

  • (ii) added milk fat,

  • (iii) in the case of processed skim milk cheese, added skim milk powder, buttermilk powder and whey powder,

  • (iv) salt, vinegar and sweetening agents,

  • (v) one or more of the following colouring agents:

    • (A) in an amount consistent with good manufacturing practice, annatto, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, paprika, riboflavin, turmeric, and

    • (B) in an amount not exceeding 35 parts per million, either singly or in combination thereof, beta-apo-8′-carotenal, ethyl beta-apo-8′-carotenoate,

  • (vi) the following emulsifying, gelling, stabilizing and thickening agents:

    • (A) sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose gum, sodium cellulose glycolate) in an amount not exceeding 0.5 per cent,

    • (B) calcium phosphate dibasic, potassium phosphate dibasic, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium phosphate dibasic, sodium phosphate monobasic, sodium phosphate tribasic, sodium pyrophosphate tetrabasic, calcium citrate, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, sodium potassium tartrate, sodium tartrate, sodium gluconate or any combination thereof in an amount, when calculated as anhydrous salts, not exceeding 3.5 per cent in the case of phosphate salts and 4.0 per cent in total,

    • (C) lecithin in an amount not exceeding 0.2 per cent, and

    • (D) monoglycerides, mono- and diglycerides or any combination thereof in an amount not exceeding 0.5 per cent,

  • (vi.1) calcium phosphate tribasic as an agent to improve colour, texture, consistency and spreadability, in an amount not exceeding 1 per cent,

  • (vii) acetic acid, calcium carbonate, citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, potassium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate and tartaric acid as pH adjusting agents in an amount consistent with good manufacturing practice,

  • (viii) wood smoke as a preservative in an amount consistent with good manufacturing practice, and

  • (ix) the following preservatives:

    • (A) propionic acid, calcium propionate, sodium propionate or any combination thereof in an amount not exceeding 2,000 parts per million, calculated as propionic acid,

    • (B) sorbic acid, calcium sorbate, potassium sorbate, sodium sorbate, or any combination thereof in an amount not exceeding 3,000 parts per million, calculated as sorbic acid, or

    • (C) any combination of the preservatives named in clauses (A) and (B) in an amount not exceeding 3,000 parts per million, calculated as propionic acid and sorbic acid respectively.

(2) Only a cheese to which wood smoke has been added as permitted in subsection (1) may be described by the term “smoked” on a label.

(3) Where a cheese is labelled as permitted in subsection (2), the word “smoked” shall be shown on the principal display panel.