Dairy Products Regulations

28. (1) (Naming the variety) Cheese, other than cheddar cheese, cream cheese, whey cheese, cream cheese with (named added ingredients), cream cheese spread, cream cheese spread with (named added ingredients), processed (named variety) cheese, processed (named variety) cheese with (named added ingredients), processed cheese food, processed cheese food with (named added ingredients), processed cheese spread, processed cheese spread with (named added ingredients), cold-pack (named variety) cheese, cold-pack (named variety) cheese with (named added ingredients), cold-pack cheese food, cold-pack cheese food with (named added ingredients), cottage cheese and creamed cottage cheese,

• (a) shall

  • (i) be the product made by coagulating milk, milk products or a combination thereof with the aid of bacteria to form a curd and forming the curd into a homogeneous mass after draining the whey,

  • (ii) possess the physical, chemical and organoleptic properties typical for the variety,

  • (iii) where it is a cheese of a variety named in the table to this section, contain no more than the maximum percentage of moisture shown in Column II thereof for that variety,

  • (iv) where it is a cheese of a variety named in Part I of the table to this section, contain no less than the minimum percentage of milk fat shown in Column III for that variety, and

  • (v) where it is a cheese of a variety named in Part II of the table to this section, contain no more than the maximum percentage of milk fat shown in Column III for that variety; and

• (b) may contain

  • (i) salt, seasonings, condiments and spices,

  • (ii) permitted flavouring preparations,

  • (iii) micro-organisms to aid further ripening, and

  • (iv) permitted food additives.

(2) A cheese of a variety named in the table to this section shall meet any standard developed for that cheese, as accepted by Canada, that is published in “Recommended International Standards for Cheese and Government Acceptances”, issued by the Secretariat of the Joint F.A.O./W.H.O. Food Standards Program, F.A.O. Rome, Ref. No. KAC/CI-C25 of CAC/C1-C25 (1972).

(3) Notwithstanding subparagraphs (1)(a)(iii) and (iv), a cheese of a variety set out in column I of an item of Part I of the table to this section may contain more than the maximum percentage of moisture set out in column II of that item and less than the minimum percentage of milk fat set out in column III of that item, where

• (a) the characteristic flavour and texture of the named variety of cheese are maintained in the modified cheese; and

• (b) the product name includes descriptive terminology that meets the requirements of

  • (i) the Food and Drugs Act and the Food and Drug Regulations with respect to claims and statements, and

  • (ii) the Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising, as amended from time to time, published by the Agency, with respect to the use of the terms “light” and “lite”.

• (c) [Repealed, SOR/97-369, s. 2]