Some Regulatory Compliance Concerns of the Cheese Industry

Abstract

The regulatory environment in which the cheese industry operates steadily has become more complex and restrictive. Federal Standards of Identity for cheese have proliferated since their inception in 1938 and need to be assessed in view of shifting consumer attitudes and continuing consumer demands for more explicit information about food composition and nutrition. Descriptive, informative labeling can serve in lieu of standards. Imitation cheeses and cheese substitutes continue to be a regulatory battleground. A number of states recently have enacted legislation that requires restrictive labeling of dairy analog products.Designation of food additives as “safe and suitable” is preferable to specific listing within standards, and the Food and Drug Administration increasingly is using this type of listing for cheese additives including antimycotics and enzymes.Some process cheese-type products are included under provisions of the Food and Drug Administration low acid canned food regulations. Research is underway to define factors that prevent Clostridium botulinum outgrowth and toxin production in these products. State and local regulatory authorities are concerned about out of refrigeration storage and display of cheeses. Guidelines for this practice are outlined.