In addition to identifying the trade name, the manufacturer or marketer, the label also indicates some physical characteristics of the product. The indications that the label must show, and that we must know how to understand, are the following:
Denomination: if the cheese belongs to a Recognized Denomination of Origin, it must bear the specific distinctive that accredits it. In the rest of the cheese varieties that do not have a denomination, the word “Cheese” will always appear.
Type of milk: cheeses made with milk other than cow’s milk must include in their denomination after the word “cheese” the indication of the corresponding species.
Mixed cheese: must include in its name, after the word “cheese”, the indication of the animal species from which the milk comes, in descending order of proportions.
Pasteurized or raw milk: it must be stated whether the milk is raw, i.e. natural, or subjected to “pasteurized or thermised” heat treatment. Both are heat treatments to which the milk is subjected in order to eliminate its natural flora. On the contrary, raw milk enhances the flavor of the cheese with unique nuances and aromas that make it an exclusive product.
Minimum total dry matter percentage: this indication tells us what percentage of the cheese is NOT water; the cheese is more or less composed of 25% fat, 25% protein, 49% water and 1% other components. The set of components that are not water, make up the Dry Extract. This percentage is constantly varying, as water evaporates in the chambers during the long ripening period of aged cheeses.
Percentage of fat in dry matter: reports the percentage of fat in the total dry matter. To the extent that this percentage is higher, we speak of skim, semi-fat, fat and extra-fat cheese.
Ingredients: in addition to milk, rennet, salt and the product’s preservative additives, if any.
Company name of the packaging or producing company and sanitary registration of the industry responsible for the product;
Batch number of the product, best before date; the batch number is a way of coding the product within the industry that serves to control the piece from the first of its ingredients, through the entire manufacturing process, maturation, to the final customer. The best-before date for cheeses indicates month/year only (best before the end of the month/2012).
