The Raw Milk Beat Goes On: A Look at the Literature and the 60-Day Raw Milk Cheese Aging Rule – Part 2

By Bill Marler on December 13, 2010

Definitions

Before embarking on a discussion of the 60-day curing criteria for cheeses made from raw milk, it is important to understand the definition of cheese styles and differences in regulation. Cheese was originally developed by human societies as a method to preserve milk. In the US, cheeses are usually made from cow’s, goat’s, sheep’s, or buffalo’s milk. Among 72 different cheese and cheese product types defined in 21 C.F.R. Part 133, the FDA allows only a limited number of cheese types to be made with raw milk so long as the cheese is cured at a temperature of not less than 35°F for not less than 60 days. The Raw Milk Cheesemakers’ Association adds an additional criteria for low-temperature (thermised) heat treatment of raw milk cheese: “Cheese produced from milk that, prior to setting the curd, has not been heated above the temperature of the milk (104°F, 40°C) at the time of milking and that the cheese produced from that milk shall be aged for 60 days or longer at a temperature of not less than 35°F (2°C) in accordance with US FDA regulations.” Table 1 summarizes cheeses and cheese types subject to the 60-day aging rule.

Table 1. Cheese and Cheese Products in the US (adapted from The American Cheese Society).

Cheese Type	60-day aging rule allowed	Examples
Fresh cheeses	No	Italian style mascarpone and ricotta, chevre, feta, cream cheese, quark and cottage cheese, queso freso and other Mexican-style fresh cheeses
Soft-ripened cheeses	Yes	brie and camembert styles, triple crèmes
Semi-soft cheeses	Yes	blue cheeses, colby, fontina styles, havarti and Monterey Jack, washed rind cheeses
Firm/hard cheeses	Yes	gouda styles, most cheddars, dry jack, Swiss (Emmenthaler) styles, Gruyere styles, many “tomme” styles and Parmesan styles
Blue cheeses	Yes	French (roquefort), Italian (gorgonzola) and Danish blue styles
Pasta Filata cheeses	No	Italian style Mozzarella, Provolone, and Scamorza
Natural or washed rind cheeses	Yes	French Tomme de Savoie and Mimolette, as well as the English Stilton (also a blue), and Lancashire cheeses (natural); Epoisses, Livarot and Taleggio (washed)
Processed cheeses	Not applicable	American Cheese, processed cheese spreads, and “cheese flavored” spreads.

References

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2. Bachmann, H. P., and U. Spahr. 1995. The fate of potentially pathogenic bacteria in Swiss hard and semihard cheeses made from raw milk. J Dairy Sci 78:476-83.

3. Back, J. P., S. A. Langford, and R. G. Kroll. 1993. Growth of Listeria monocytogenes in Camembert and other soft cheeses at refrigeration temperatures. J Dairy Res 60:421-9.

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