"Everything about cheese: from classification criteria to storage rules. Specialists share secrets of choosing a natural product."

Cheeses can be classified according to different parameters, including type of milk, fat content, and ripeness degree. The most accessible criterion for consumers is the moisture content, which allows cheeses to be divided into hard, semi-hard, and soft.

Hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, with their rich and aromatic flavor, are created through long aging, which can last up to 36 months under certain temperature and humidity conditions. In contrast, soft cheeses, such as Mascarpone, Philadelphia, Ricotta, and Adygei, ripen in just a few days and are especially liked by those who enjoy a delicate and creamy taste.

In Russia, the most popular cheeses are semi-hard cheeses of the main varieties - Dutch, Russian, Lamber, Gouda, and others. They offer a variety of flavors and are aged for up to six months, giving the cheese a slight firmness and a texture with small or large holes.

What ingredients are natural cheeses made from? When choosing cheese, you should pay attention to its composition: pasteurized cow's milk, food salt, bacterial starter cultures, and lactic acid cultures. To produce one kilogram of semi-hard cheeses, 8 to 12 liters of milk are required, which must have a high level of fat and protein.

"At the Federal Center for Safety and Quality Assessment of Agro-Industrial Complex Products," experts analyze cheese for the presence of phytosterols, explain specialists from the Altai branch.

"If these substances are present in the product, it indicates the replacement of dairy fats with vegetable fats (such as palm, soy, or sunflower oil). In addition, experts study the composition of fatty acids in cheese, deviations in which can also indicate dishonest manufacturing practices."

Products containing a substitute for dairy fat and produced using cheese technology are placed on a separate shelf in supermarkets with appropriate labeling, and their price is lower than that of natural counterparts. The Technical Regulation of the Customs Union TR TS 033/2013 "On the safety of milk and dairy products" strictly regulates restrictions on the residual amount of antibiotics and toxic substances: their presence in cheese is unacceptable.

"Residual amounts of antibiotics can be found in cheese produced from cow's milk that has been given veterinary drugs," explain experts.

"Milk obtained during the treatment of animals should not be used for production and should be disposed of. During cheese making, producers use nitrates as a preservative, which inhibits the growth of pathogenic microflora. The nitrate content in the product should not exceed 50 mg/kg. In addition, other preservatives, such as E509, E252, and E1105, may be used in the composition of cheese, which are also strictly regulated. Specialists note that if the package indicates codes E106a or b, this means that cheese makers have added natural colorants, such as annatto or carotene. In micro doses, nitrates and natural colorants pose no danger, so there is no need to be afraid to buy such cheese. Like any dairy product, cheese requires compliance with cleanliness, as confirmed by microbiological indicators."

"Violation of sanitary standards in production, as well as during storage or packaging, can lead to changes in microbiological indicators, including the development of yeasts, molds, and bacteria from the Escherichia coli group," explain specialists from the Altai branch of the Federal Center for Safety and Quality Assessment of Agro-Industrial Complex Products.

"If a characteristic white coating appears on regular semi-hard cheese, this indicates the presence of mold, and such a product should no longer be consumed. Tips for buyers: Natural semi-hard cheese has a smooth and thin rind, which is protected by paraffin, polymer, or combined compositions. This protects the cheese from mold during ripening. The natural color of semi-hard cheeses ranges from white to light yellow (safe colorants may be used). On the cut, you can see a characteristic pattern of eyes, the shape of which depends on the variety: they are irregular and angular for Russian cheese, and round for Kostromskiy, Lamber, and Edam."

The consistency of natural semi-hard cheese is elastic and resilient: it can be pressed with a finger, and it will quickly return to its original state. The smell can be slightly sour or sweet-spicy, depending on the variety. For example, Dutch and Russian cheeses have a pronounced sourness, while Edam and Maasdam have nutty notes. Cheese storage rules: The shelf life of semi-hard cheeses is 4-6 months.

It is recommended to store such cheese at a temperature of 4-6°C in airtight packaging to avoid mold growth. If cheese leftovers are placed in the freezer, their taste qualities will not suffer, but they will lose their resilient texture. If a piece of cheese dried out, you can "revive" it: place it in milk, and after some time, it will become softer.