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DESCRIPTION |
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· WHEY CHEESES ARE SOLID, SEMI-SOLID, OR SOFT
PRODUCTS WHICH ARE PRINCIPALLY OBTAINED THROUGH EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING
PROCESSES: o
THE CONCENTRATION OF
WHEY AND THE MOULDING OF THE CONCENTRATED PRODUCT; o
THE COAGULATION OF WHEY
BY HEAT WITH OR WITHOUT THE ADDITION OF ACID. |
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·
IN EACH CASE, THE
WHEY MAY BE PRE-CONCENTRATED PRIOR TO THE FURTHER CONCENTRATION OF WHEY OR
COAGULATION OF THE WHEY PROTEINS. THE PROCESS MAY ALSO INCLUDE THE ADDITION
OF MILK, CREAM, OR OTHER RAW MATERIALS OF MILK ORIGIN BEFORE OR AFTER CONCENTRATION
OR COAGULATION. THE RATIO OF WHEY PROTEIN TO CASEIN IN THE PRODUCT OBTAINED
THROUGH THE COAGULATION OF WHEY SHALL BE DISTINCTLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF MILK. |
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·
WHEY CHEESE
OBTAINED THROUGH THE CONCENTRATION OF WHEY IS PRODUCED BY HEAT EVAPORATION OF
WHEY, OR A MIXTURE OF WHEY AND MILK, CREAM, OR OTHER RAW MATERIALS OF MILK
ORIGIN, TO A CONCENTRATION ENABLING THE FINAL CHEESE TO OBTAIN A STABLE
SHAPE. DUE TO THEIR RELATIVELY HIGH LACTOSE CONTENT THESE CHEESES ARE
TYPICALLY YELLOWISH TO BROWN IN COLOUR AND POSSESS A SWEET, COOKED, OR
CARAMELIZED FLAVOUR. |
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·
WHEY CHEESE
OBTAINED THROUGH THE COAGULATION OF WHEY IS PRODUCED BY HEAT PRECIPITATION OF
WHEY, OR A MIXTURE OF WHEY AND MILK OR CREAM, WITH OR WITHOUT THE ADDITION OF
ACID. THESE WHEY CHEESES HAVE A RELATIVELY LOW LACTOSE CONTENT AND A WHITE TO
YELLOWISH COLOUR. |
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ESSENTIAL
COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS |
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· RAW MATERIALS o
FOR PRODUCTS OBTAINED
THROUGH THE CONCENTRATION OF WHEY: WHEY, CREAM, MILK AND OTHER RAW MATERIALS
OBTAINED FROM MILK. o
FOR PRODUCTS OBTAINED
THROUGH THE COAGULATION OF WHEY: WHEY, MILK, CREAM AND BUTTERMILK. |
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· PERMITTED INGREDIENTS o
SODIUM CHLORIDE o
STARTER CULTURES OF
HARMLESS LACTIC ACID BACTERIA o
SUGARS (LIMITED BY GMP) |
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· PERMITTED NUTRIENTS o
WHERE ALLOWED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR THE ADDITION OF ESSENTIAL
NUTRIENTS TO FOODS (CXG 9-1987), MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM LEVELS FOR MINERALS AND
OTHER NUTRIENTS, WHERE APPROPRIATE, SHOULD BE LAID DOWN BY NATIONAL
LEGISLATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY INCLUDING,
WHERE APPROPRIATE, THE PROHIBITION OF THE USE OF PARTICULAR NUTRIENTS. |
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FOOD
ADDITIVES |
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·
FOOD ADDITIVES FOOD
ADDITIVES LISTED IN THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR FOOD ADDITIVES (CXS
192-1995) IN FOOD CATEGORY (WHEY CHEESE) AND (WHEY PROTEIN
CHEESE) MAY BE USED IN FOODS SUBJECT TO THIS STANDARD. |
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CONTAMINANTS |
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·
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). |
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·
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. |
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HYGIENE |
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·
IT IS RECOMMENDED
THAT THE PRODUCTS 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 21-1997). |
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LABELLING |
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·
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: |
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· NAME OF THE FOOD o
THE NAME OF THE FOOD
SHALL BE WHEY CHEESE. WHERE IT IS CONSIDERED NECESSARY FOR CONSUMER
INFORMATION IN THE COUNTRY OF SALE, A DESCRIPTION OF THE NATURE OF THE
PRODUCT MAY BE REQUIRED. THE WORDS “WHEY CHEESE” MAY BE OMITTED IN THE
DESIGNATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHEY CHEESE VARIETY RESERVED BY A CODEX STANDARD
FOR INDIVIDUAL CHEESES, AND, IN THE ABSENCE THEREOF, A VARIETY NAME SPECIFIED
IN THE NATIONAL LEGISLATION OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH THE PRODUCT IS SOLD,
PROVIDED THAT THE OMISSION DOES NOT CREATE AN ERRONEOUS IMPRESSION REGARDING
THE CHARACTER OF THE FOOD. |
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· DECLARATION OF MILK FAT CONTENT o
THE MILK FAT CONTENT
SHALL BE DECLARED IN A MANNER FOUND ACCEPTABLE IN THE COUNTRY OF SALE TO THE
FINAL CONSUMER, 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. FOR CHEESES OBTAINED FROM THE
CONCENTRATION OF WHEY, THE DECLARATION OF MILK FAT CONTENT MAY BE COMBINED
WITH AN INDICATION OF THE FAT CONTENT AS FOLLOWS: § CREAMED WHEY CHEESE MINIMUM 33% § WHEY CHEESE MINIMUM 10% AND LESS THAN 33% § SKIMMED WHEY CHEESE MINIMUM LESS THAN 10% |
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METHODS OF
SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS |
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·
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. |
