DESCRIPTION

Mozzarella is an unripened cheese in conformity with the General Standard for Cheese (CXS 283-1978) and the Standard for Unripened Cheese Including Fresh Cheese (CXS 221-2001). It is a smooth elastic cheese with a long stranded parallel-orientated fibrous protein structure without evidence of curd granules. The cheese is rindless 1and may be formed into various shapes.
Mozzarella with a high moisture content is a soft cheese with overlying layers that may form pockets containing liquid of milky appearance. It may be packed with or without the liquid. The cheese has a near white colour.
Mozzarella with a low moisture content is a firm/semi-hard homogeneous cheese without holes and is suitable for shredding.
Mozzarella is made by “pasta filata” processing, which consists of heating curd of a suitable pH value kneading and stretching until the curd is smooth and free from lumps. Still warm, the curd is cut and moulded, then firmed by cooling. Other processing techniques, which give end products with the same physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics are allowed.

ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS

Raw materials Cows’ milk or buffaloes’ milk, or their mixtures, and products obtained from these milks.
Permitted ingredients
- Starter cultures of harmless lactic acid and/ or flavour producing bacteria and cultures of other harmless micro-organisms; – Rennet or other safe and suitable coagu
- Rennet or other safe and suitable coagulating enzymes;
- Sodium chloride and potassium chloride as a salt substitute;
- Safe and suitable processing aids;
- Vinegar;
- Potable water;
- Rice, corn and potato flours and starches: Notwithstanding the provisions in the General Standard for Cheese (CXS 283-1978), these substances can be used in the same function as anti-caking agents for treatment of the surface of cut, sliced, and shredded Mozzarella with a low moisture content only, provided they are added only in amounts functionally necessary as governed by Good Manufacturing Practice, taking into account any use of the anti-caking agents

Composition

Milk constituent	Minimum content (m/m)	Maximum content *(m/m)*	Reference level *(m/m)*
Milkfat in dry matter:
with high moisture:	20%	Not restricted	40% to 50%
with low moisture	18%	Not restricted	40% to 50%
Dry matter:	Depending on the fat in dry matter content, according to the table below.
	Fat in dry matter content (m/m):		*Corresponding minimum dry matter content (m/m):*
	Fat in dry matter content (m/m):		With low moisture	With high moisture
	Equal to or above 18% but less than 30%:		34%	–
	Equal to or above 20% but less than 30%:		–	24%
	Equal to or above 30% but less than 40%:		39%	26%
	Equal to or above 40% but less than 45%:		42%	29%
	Equal to or above 45% but less than 50%:		45%	31%
	Equal to or above 50% but less than 60%:		47%	34%
	Equal to or above 60% but less than 85%:		53%	38%

FOOD ADDITIVES

Only those additives classes indicated as justified in the table below may be used for the product categories specified. Within each additive class, and where permitted according to the table, only those food additives listed below may be used and only within the functions and limits specified.

	JUSTIFIED USE
Additive functional class	Mozzarella with low moisture content		Mozzarella with high moisture content
Additive functional class	Cheese mass	Surface treatment	Cheese mass	Surface treatment
Colours:	X(a)	‒	X(a)	‒
Bleaching agents:	‒	‒	‒	‒
Acidity regulators:	X	‒	X	‒
Stabilizers:	X	‒	X	‒
Thickeners:	X	‒	X	‒
Emulsifiers:	‒	‒	‒	‒
Antioxidants:	‒	‒	‒	‒
Preservatives:	X	X	X	X(c)
Foaming agents:	‒	‒	‒	‒
Anticaking agents:	‒	X(b)	‒	X(d)
(a) Only to obtain the colour characteristics described in Section 2. (b) For the surface of sliced, cut, shredded or grated cheese only. ^(c) Only for high-moisture mozzarella not packaged in liquid. ^(d) For the surface treatment of shredded and/or diced cheese only. X The use of additives belonging to the class is technologically justified. – The use of additives belonging to the class is not technologically justified.

INS no.	Name of additive	Maximum level
Preservatives
200	Sorbic acid	1 000 mg/kg singly or in combination as sorbic acid
202	Potassium sorbate
203	Calcium sorbate
234	Nisin	12.5 mg/kg
235	Natamycin (pimaricin)	Not exceeding 2 mg/dm2 and not present in a depth of 5 mm
280	Propionic acid	Limited by GMP
281	Sodium propionate
282	Calcium propionate
283	Potassium propionate
Acidity regulators
170(i)	Calcium carbonate	Limited by GMP
260	Acetic acid, glacial	Limited by GMP
261(i)	Potassium acetate	Limited by GMP
261(ii)	Potassium diacetate	Limited by GMP
262(i)	Sodium acetate	Limited by GMP
263	Calcium acetate	Limited by GMP
270	Lactic acid, L-,D- and DL-	Limited by GMP
296	Malic acid, DL-	Limited by GMP

INS no.	Name of additive	Maximum level
325	Sodium lactate	Limited by GMP
326	Potassium lactate	Limited by GMP
327	Calcium lactate	Limited by GMP
330	Citric acid	Limited by GMP
338	Phosphoric acid	880 mg/kg as phosphorous
350(i)	Sodium hydrogen DL-malate	Limited by GMP
350(ii)	Sodium malate	Limited by GMP
352(ii)	Calcium malate, D,L-	Limited by GMP
500(i)	Sodium carbonate	Limited by GMP
500(ii)	Sodium hydrogen carbonate	Limited by GMP
500(iii)	Sodium sesquicarbonate	Limited by GMP
501(i)	Potassium carbonate	Limited by GMP
501(ii)	Potassium hydrogen carbonate	Limited by GMP
504(i)	Magnesium carbonate	Limited by GMP
504(ii)	Magnesium hydrogen carbonate	Limited by GMP
507	Hydrochloric acid	Limited by GMP
575	Glucono-delta-lactone	Limited by GMP
577	Potassium gluconate	Limited by GMP
578	Calcium gluconate	Limited by GMP
Stabilizers
331(i)	Sodium dihydrogen citrate	Limited by GMP
332(i)	Potassium dihydrogen citrate	Limited by GMP
333	Calcium citrates	Limited by GMP
339(i)	Sodium dihydrogen phosphate	4 400 mg/kg, singly or in combination, expressed as phosphorus
339(ii)	Disodium hydrogen phosphate
339(iii)	Trisodium phosphate
340(i)	Potassium dihydrogen phosphate
340(ii)	Dipotassium hydrogen phosphate
340(iii)	Tripotassium phosphate
341(i)	Calcium dihydrogen phosphate
341(ii)	Calcium hydrogen phosphate
341(iii)	Tricalcium phosphate
342(i)	Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate
342(ii)	Diammoniumhydrogen phosphate
343(ii)	Magnesium hydrogen phosphate
343(iii)	Trimagnesium phosphate
450(i)	Disodium diphosphate

INS no.	Name of additive	Maximum level
450(iii)	Tetrasodium diphosphate
450(v)	Tetrapotassium diphosphate
450(vi)	Dicalcium diphosphate
451(i)	Pentasodium triphosphate
451(ii)	Pentapotassium triphosphate
452(i)	Sodium polyphosphate
452(ii)	Potassium polyphosphate
452(iv)	Calcium polyphosphate
452(v)	Ammonium polyphosphate
406	Agar	Limited by GMP
407	Carrageenan	Limited by GMP
407a	Processed euchema seaweed (PES)	Limited by GMP
410	Carob bean gum	Limited by GMP
412	Guar gum	Limited by GMP
413	Tragacanth gum	Limited by GMP
415	Xanthan gum	Limited by GMP
416	Karaya gum	Limited by GMP
417	Tara gum	Limited by GMP
440	Pectins	Limited by GMP
466	Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Cellulose gum)	Limited by GMP
Colours
140	Chlorophylls	Limited by GMP
141(i)	Chlorophyll copper complexes	5 mg/kg singly or in combination
141(ii)	Chlorophyllin copper complex, sodium and potassium salts	5 mg/kg singly or in combination
171	Titanium dioxide	Limited by GMP
Anticaking agents
460(i)	Microcrystalline cellulose (Cellulose gel)	Limited by GMP
460(ii)	Powdered cellulose	Limited by GMP
551	Silicon dioxide, amorphous	10 000 mg/kg singly or in combination as silicon dioxide
552	Calcium silicate
553(i)	Magnesium silicate, synthetic

CONTAMINANTS

The products covered by this Standard shall comply with the Maximum Levels for contaminants that are specified for the product in the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (CXS 1931995).
The milk used in the manufacture of the products covered by this Standard shall comply with the Maximum Levels for contaminants and toxins specified for milk by the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (CXS 193-1995) and with the maximum residue limits for veterinary drug residues and pesticides established for milk by the CAC.

HYGIENE

It is recommended that the product covered by the provisions of this standard be prepared and handled in accordance with the appropriate sections of the General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969), the Code of Hygienic Practice for Milk and Milk Products (CXC 57-2004) and other relevant Codex texts such as Codes of Hygienic Practice and Codes of Practice.
The products should comply with any microbiological criteria established in accordance with the Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria Related to Foods (CXG 211997).

LABELLING

In addition to the provisions of the General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (CXS 1-1985) and the General Standard for the Use of Dairy Terms (CXS 206-1999), the following specific provisions apply:
Name of the food
- The use of the name is an option that may be chosen only if the cheese complies with this standard. Where the name is not used for a cheese that complies with this Standard, the naming provisions of the General Standard for Cheese (CXS 283-1978) apply.
- The designation of Mozzarella with a high moisture content shall be accompanied by a qualifying term describing the true nature of the product.
- The designation may also be used for cut, sliced, shredded or grated products made from cheese which cheese is in conformity with this Standard.
Country of origin
- The country of origin (which means the country of manufacture, not the country in which the name originated) shall be declared. When the product undergoes substantial transformation 3in a second country, the country in which the transformation is performed shall be considered to be the country of origin for the purpose of labelling.
Declaration of milkfat content
- The milk fat content shall be declared in a manner found acceptable in the country of retail sale, either (i) as a percentage by mass, (ii) as a percentage of fat in dry matter, or (iii) in grams per serving as quantified in the label, provided that the number of servings is stated.

METHODS OF SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS

For checking the compliance with this standard, the methods of analysis and sampling contained in the Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CXS 234-1999) relevant to the provisions in this Standard, shall be used.
Determination of equivalency between “pasta filata” processing and other processing techniques: Identification of the typical structure by confocal laser scanning microscopy.