Cheese encyclopaedia

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Additives: Food preservation has a long-standing tradition. Salt has long been used to perserve food, for example to cure cabbage and produce sauerkraut. However, there are also artificial additives that make food more durable. Within the European Union, these additives have to be included in the list of ingredients printed on the packaging of a product. They are also called "E numbers", featuring the letter “E” and a three-to-four digit combination. Only a few of the 40 approved food additives may be used for cheese production.

Amino acids: See cheese composition.

Bergader Edelpilz: Blue mould cheese lovers adore Bergader Edelpilz´s piquant and aromatic flavour. With the blue mould showing on its surface, this cheese is crumbly yet smooth. In 1927, Bergader launched the first German mould cheese. To this day, Bergader Edelpilz is a popular specialty particularly suitable for adding a finishing touch to warm dishes.

Best before date: The best before date specifies a point in time by which a food product will maintain its specific characteristics, provided that it has been stored appropriately and the packaging hasn’t been opened. Cheese packaging states “Keep refrigerated”, advising consumers to store cheese in the fridge. Lovers of blue vein cheese claim that Bavaria Blu is at its best shortly before the end of the best before date, as it has matured into an even creamier and more mouth-watering treat by then.

Blue mould: Blue mould cheese stands out at the cheese counter thanks to its criss-crossing blue veins. These veins emerge during ripening, when blue mould (Penicillium roqueforti) grows along perforations in the cheese. At Bergader, we use our own blue mould cultures to produce cheeses such as Bergader Edelpilz, a prime example for blue mould cheese. As we allow the mould cultures to grow in a natural way without any chemical treatment whatsoever, the veins may come in different shades of colour on the cheese’s surface.

Caciotta: Caciotta is one of the most popular cheeses in Italy. The cheese ages for about three weeks and has a fresh and mildly aromatic taste. It is popular on bread, as an addition to salads, au gratin or as pizza topping. Bergader’s Caciotta is produced with top-quality milk from the Bavarian Alpine Foreland.

Calcium

Calcium is an essential mineral and plays an important role in the body’s metabolism. It must be consumed in sufficient amounts to ensure strong bones and teeth and to protect against osteoporosis.

Milk and milk products are the most important sources of calcium. Of all milk products, cheese has the largest amount of calcium. It also contains vitamin D, which also provides for strong bones. Young people and adults should consume 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium per day. A sufficient calcium intake is particularly important for children and young people still growing to build up bone mass. Cheese lovers won’t find it difficult to follow the calcium intake recommendation.

The following table gives an overview of the calcium content of various cheeses:

Type of cheese	Calcium in mg/100g of cheese
Parmesan	1200
Emmentaler	1100
Tilsiter	850
Cheddar	840
Appenzeller	800
Edamer	800
Gouda	800
Tilsiter	750
Raclette	750
Chester	720
Esrom	700
Biarom	700
Basils Rauchkäse	700
Bianco	680
Bergader Edelpilz	612
Bavaria blu “Fitness”	600
Mini brie “Yogurt”	600
Bavaria blu	500
Bonifaz	400
Romadur	400
Münster	370

Carbohydrates: See lactose.

Casein: See cheese composition.

Centrifugation (hydro extraction): Upon delivery to the dairy, the fresh milk is poured into a centrifuge (separator) where skimmed milk is separated from the cream with up to 6,000 rotations per minute. As milk is heavier than cream, it moves to the edge, whereas the cream moves to the centre of the centrifuge.

Cheese composition

Cheese is not only a culinary delight but also a wholesome element of nutrition. It contains important nutrients, high-quality protein, easy-to-digest fat, a number of minerals and many valuable vitamins. Most cheese types do not contain carbohydrates, as lactose is broken down during the ripening process.

Cheese is a high-quality source of protein, a vital element of our nutrition. Casein makes up some 80% of the protein in cow milk and contains essential amino acids.
The fat in cheese is easy to digest due to its short and medium chain fatty acids. Fat is also the most important carrier of flavour and of the vitamins A, D, K and E in cheese.
Milk and cheese are rich in calcium, needed for strong bones and magnesium, essential for nerves and muscles. Cheese is also a good source of zinc and iodine.
Moreover, cheese is an excellent provider of water soluble B vitamins, which cells need to regulate and control metabolism. Vitamin B promotes cell growth, releases energy and promotes blood cell formation.

Cheese dishes: When planning a dish with cheese as the main course, calculate 200-250 g per person. With cheese as a desert, 50-80 g per person will be sufficient. A cheese buffet is a popular treat for both large and small parties. Calculate 100 g per person.

Cheese groups

The world of cheese consists of a large variety of mild and strong, hard and soft cheeses. In Germany, there are different cheese categories depending on the water content of the fat-free cheese matter and in some cases on the production process. Hard cheese, for example, has the lowest level of water content. Semi-hard cheese has a smooth surface, and soft cheese shows blue or white mould.

Cheese group	Examples
Hard cheese	Emmentaler, Chester, Bergkäse, Cheddar
Cut cheese	Gouda, Edamer, Tilsiter
Semi-hard cheese	Bergader Edelpilz, Butterkäse, Weißlacker, Bergader Bavarette, Biarom, Basils Rauchkäse, Bianco, Caciotta delle Alpi bavaresi
Soft cheese	Camembert, Brie, Romadur, Limburger, Münsterkäse, Bavaria blu, Bonifaz, Bergader Mini brie
Fresh cheese	Schichtkäse, Rahmfrischkäse, Doppelrahmfrischkäse
Pasta filata cheese	Provolone, Mozzarella, Caciottina, Kashkaval
Sour milk cheese	Harzer Käse, Mainzer Käse, Handkäse, Korbkäse

Cheese harp (wire cheese cutter): A cheese harp is a tool used in cheese production. It is a wire cheese cutter used to cut curdled milk into small cubes when it starts to crumble.

Cheese imitations: If it says “cheese” on it, there should be cheese in it – that is what German and European food laws stipulate. If in doubt look at the ingredients. If the word “cheese” is mentioned on the package, it is definitely a natural product made from milk. If the words “cheese imitation” or “cheese analogue” feature on the package, a mixture of vegetable oils, fats, starch, salts, emulsifiers, artificial flavours, colours and protein have been used instead of milk. In this case, the cheese taste is created by artificial flavours. The only things that fake cheeses have in common with authentic cheeses are a similar look and melting property.

Cheese Preparation: The definition of “cheese preparation” is regulated by the cheese law. If ingredients other than herbs, such as mushrooms, are added to soft cheese, the resulting product is dubbed “soft cheese preparation”.

Cheese rind: The cheese rind can be considered the cheese’s natural packaging. Some rinds of sliced cheeses should not be consumed because of their treatment with natamycin. The consumption of untreated cheese rind is a matter of personal taste. The blue, white or red rinds tend to add to the cheeses’ distinct tastes.

Children’s cheese: Children should eat their first slice of cheese in the morning to refill nutrient reserves that have been used up over night. The composition of cheese makes for ideal, healthy nutrition. Breakfast and snacks are important for kids as they help them to concentrate and perform at school. Cheese is a popular lunchbox item. A cheese sandwich (if possible made from wholemeal bread), fruits or cheese cut into bite-sized pieces should be a regular snack. According to several studies, children start to imitate their parents’ eating habits at the age of two. If mum and dad are cheese lovers, their sons and daughters will most likely love cheese, too. Children tend to know exactly what they like and what they don’t like. When it comes to cheese, they usually go for the mild types. Of the Bergader assortment, Bergader Cremosissimo, Bianco Original and Biarom Original are the types of cheese that appeal to children in particular.

Cholesterol: Cholesterol is a fat-like substance to be found in foods of animal origin, such as meat, sausage, eggs, milk or cheese. It fulfills many important tasks n the human body. It is needed for building up cell walls or the body’s own hormone production, for example. Most cholesterol is produced by the body itself; only some 10 percent are retrieved from food. For healthy people, the cholesterol content in food is not a problem. Anybody with elevated cholesterol levels, however, should take the necessary medication and – if overweight – lose weight and exercise regularly. Moreover, the intake of food with a high fat content should be reduced in this case.

Coagulation: See Curdling.

Coeliac Disease: See Gluten.

Cold chain: Fresh milk and milk products, such as yoghurt, cream and cheese, need to be kept cool at all times - from the dairy farmer to the sale at the grocery store. Accurate controls and documentation ensure that consumers purchase only flawless products of the highest quality. See storage and milk quality.

Cream: Cream is the fatty part of milk, which is separated from the milk in the centrifuge. Cheeses with a high fat content are produced by adding cream to the milk during cheese production.

Curd: Curd develops as the milk is curdling and constitutes the first step of cheese production. The cheese mass is cut with a cheese harp. The smaller the curd cubes, the firmer the cheese will be later on.

Curdling: Cheese production begins with the curdling of the milk. During this process, milk protein curdles while liquid (whey) and solid parts (protein, fat and lactose) are separated. The latter are subsequently used for cheese making. The curdling requires the use of the enzyme rennet, and in some cases the acidification of the milk.

Cutting: The cheese mass is cut with the wire cheese harp after the milk has curdled. The smaller the cubes, the firmer the resulting cheese will be. Cutting is the first step of cheese production.

Dairy Farmers: Around 1,500 dairies in the Chiemgau and Berchtesgaden regions as well as Austria´s Innviertel supply milk for the production of Bergader cheese delicacies.

DLG Awards: Founded in 1885, the German agriculture association “Deutsche Landwirtschafts-gesellschaft” (DLG) based in Frankfurt is the oldest food safety institute in Europe. In accordance with strict quality assurance criteria, the institute tests just under 2,000 milk products annually along with many other goods from all over Europe. Independent experts examine the cheeses’ taste, aroma and consistency. They also scrutinise whether the tested cheeses are microbiologically clean. Only outstanding products receive the gold, silver or bronze DLG awards - which are particularly sought-after as they give evidence of Bergader’s high quality.

E numbers: See additives.

Enzymes: Enzymes are protein molecules which enable or act as catalysts to accelerate chemical processes in the human body. This characteristic is also used in food production, as the enzyme rennet is used to curdling the milk during cheese production.

Fat content level

Cheese producers are legally obliged to indicate the fat content or fat i.d.m. content (the content of fat in the dry matter of cheese) on their packages. Depending on their fat i.d.m. content, cheeses are allocated to eight different categories.

Fat content	Fat content in dry matter	Examples
Low fat	under 10%	Harzer, Handkäse
Quarter fat	At least 10%	Edamer
Half fat content	At least 20%	Romadur
Three quarter fat	At least 30%	Tilsiter, Parmesan
Fat content	At least 40%	Limburger, Schnittkäse
Full fat content	At least 45%	Emmentaler, Brie, Biarom, Gouda
Cream content	At least 50%	Bergader Edelpilz, Feta, Appenzeller, Bianco, Basils
Double cream content	At least 60% to max. 87%	Bavaria blu, Bonifaz, Mascarpone, Bergader Mini brie, Cremosissimo

FiDM.

Fat i.d.m. stands for “fat in dry matter”. Legislation stipulates that the fat content of cheese in relation to the dry matter must be indicated on the package. There are eight categories of cheeses according to the proportion of fat in relation to the dry matter. However, cheese contains much less fat than the fat i.d.m. value states, as this figure is calculated disregarding the cheese’s own water content. Soft cheese, for example, displaying 60 percent fat i.d.m., in fact only contains half of the stated value. The following formula can be used to calculate the absolute fat content: The fat i.d.m. is multiplied by:

* 0.3 for cream cheese
* 0.5 for soft cheese
* 0.6 for semi-hard cheese
* 0.7 for hard cheese

Freezing: See storage.

Fungus (mould): Whereas unwanted mould is a sign of spoiled food and may even pose a health hazard, the mould used in cheese production is safe to eat and easy to digest. Unwanted fungus produces the highly toxic and carcinogenic aflatoxin. If mould is detected in products such as peanuts, soy beans, grains, wheat, rice, corn, barley, peas, beans or fruits, these foods then pose a health risk and should be disposed of. Aflatoxin rarely appears on meat and milk products.