for by the commissioners it must be made of pure, wholesome material.
On the contrary, inasmuch as there is no official inspection of cheese
factories, it is entirely possible through carelessness, ignorance,
or design to use in the making of cheese milk which may itself be
infected. Cheese made from such milk of course would carry the
infection of the milk. This is a sort of adulteration which can only be
excluded by careful sanitary inspection of cheese factories.
=Filled Cheese.=--Formerly there was a very considerable adulteration
of cheese by manufacturing it from skimmed milk and supplying from an
artificial source the necessary fat. Cottonseed oil, lard, and other
edible oils are used for this purpose.
_Composition of Filled Cheese_ (Circular No. 11, Bureau of Animal
Industry).--Neutral lard is the principal fat which is substituted for
milk fat in filled cheese. It is used to the extent of two or three
pounds for every 100 pounds of skimmed milk. The principal objection
to a filled cheese is not on account of its containing lard, which in
itself is not unwholesome. But lard is an entirely different fat from
milk fat, and differs in the character of the fermentation which takes
place. The characteristic flavors and odors which are contributed
by the milk fat in the cheese are entirely wanting, and the cheese
is devoid of aroma and flavor and is nothing more than a mixture of
casein with lard. Filled cheese is such a poor imitation of the genuine
article that it can never have any very great vogue, and especially
under the present law which requires it to be labeled and the payment
of a tax. The law relating to filled cheese is found in the appendix.
A filled cheese which is on the market not properly stamped and duty
paid in harmony with this Act of Congress is adulterated, and they who
make and sell it are amenable to the law. The annual report of the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue for the year ending June 30, 1905,
shows that no receipts were obtained by the tax on filled cheese during
that year. If any was made it was made surreptitiously and in defiance
of the law.
From the above data it is seen that the manufacture and sale of filled
cheese in the United States is almost a thing of the past and this form
of adulteration, assuming that the law is thoroughly executed, is not
now likely to be often met with.
=Cottage Cheese.=--Cottage cheese is a term applied to a product
which is usually only a raw material of cheese. It is the fresh,
precipitated, and unripe milk product, above described as used
in cheese making. It is a highly nutritious and very palatable
product, usually prepared at home and not suitable for keeping or
transportation. It is often made from sour milk in which the casein is
coagulated by the natural development of lactic acid. The sour milk is
placed in a cloth bag and the whey allowed to escape by gravitation.
The final portion of the whey may be forced out by pressure. The
residue, when properly seasoned with salt or in any way to suit the
taste of the consumer, is very palatable. Cream is often added to this
residue which increases the normal amount of fat which it contains.
COMPARATIVE COMPOSITION OF AMERICAN AND EDAM CHEESE.
The chemical composition of some of the principal varieties of cheese
are shown in the following table:
WATER. ASH. FAT. PROTEIN.
Percent. Percent. Percent. Percent.
American cheese, 27.5 4.1 32.5 28.38
Edam cheese, 36.34 4.24 31.17 22.28
The data show that cheese is essentially a nitrogenous and fat food,
containing only small quantities of carbohydrates, and therefore it is
not a complete ration. It is a ration, however, which is complementary
to a highly starchy diet such as rice or maize bread or potatoes.
Bread and cheese or potatoes and cheese or rice and cheese, therefore,
make a well balanced diet, highly nutritious, easily digestible, and
quite palatable.
=Manufacture of American Cheeses.=--The large cheeses which are
principally found upon the American market may be said, in general, to
resemble the Cheddar type, although the calling of these cheeses by the
name “Cheddar” is misleading, and to that extent a misbranding of the
product.
There are two common methods of making these cheeses which are in
vogue in the United States, namely, the “stirred curd” or “granular”
method and, second, the Cheddar method. (Bulletin 104, Department
of Agriculture of Pennsylvania, 1902.) The latter one is the more
extensively used. The second product does not differ essentially in
character from the first, though the latter method, it is claimed,
gives a more solid cheese and one of more uniform character and
with a slightly less content of moisture. Since the Cheddar method
has practically come into sole use, displacing the first method,
a description of the Cheddar method alone will be sufficient to
illustrate the method of making large cheeses which are now so common
on the American market and which have such a well merited reputation.
The process is divided into eight parts: First, coagulating the milk;
second, cutting the curd; third, heating the curd; fourth, removing the
whey; fifth, cheddaring the curd; sixth, milling the curd; seventh,
salting and pressing the curd; eighth, curing the cheese.
_Rennet._--As has been said in the description of cheese making, the
material which is most useful in the precipitation of the curd is
rennet. The rennet is the secretion of the stomach of various animals,
that of the calf being most highly priced for cheese making. The fourth
stomach of the animal is the one which is used in the manufacture of
rennet. The aqueous extract made from these stomachs contains a ferment
which has the property of coagulating casein in a very high degree.
One part of good rennet preparation from healthy stomachs of calves
will coagulate 1000 parts of milk. In former days rennet was freshly
made and used at the factories. At the present time it is largely
prepared on a commercial scale and sold to the cheese maker. It is
highly important that the rennet used in cheese making should be of
the best quality, as an inferior grade gives a bad taste and color
to the cheese. Just as in the manufacture of fermented beverages and
making of bread the character of the yeast is a dominant factor in the
nature of the finished product, so it is even to a greater degree in
the case of rennet. Those who purchase the rennet already made should
therefore be certain it is of a quality to give the desired character
to the cheese. The greater the amount of milk fat in milk the larger
the proportion of rennet, since the milk fat protects to some extent
the casein from the action of the ferment. Experience has shown also
that during the summer the rennet acts more readily upon the milk,
probably due to the higher temperature. Care should be taken to avoid
the use of any excess of rennet, since anything more than the amount
necessary to conduct the coagulation is apt to add an unpleasant flavor
to the cheese. The curd also in such cases is less cohesive and makes a
tougher and drier product which does not lend itself so readily to the
ripening process. For this reason the rennet which is to be used should
always be tested in small quantities of milk beforehand in order that
the proper proportion to be used may be known so that the process in a
large way may be conducted with certainty and not by guess. (“British
Dairy Farming,” by Jas. Long.)
Rennet is sometimes treated with borax to preserve it during transit.
In such cases the borax may not all be removed by the whey and is
consequently found in ripened cheese. Its introduction in this way
should be avoided.
_Coagulating the Milk by Rennet Extract._--This process is often
termed by the cheese makers “setting the milk with rennet.” The milk
which is used for the purpose of cheese making should be, in the
technical language of the cheese maker, “ripe,” that is, containing a
sufficient quantity of lactic acid. The principal method of producing
the proper amount of lactic acid in milk is by keeping it warm, namely,
at a temperature of about 84 degrees. At this temperature the most
favorable conditions exist in milk for the rapid growth of the lactic
acid ferments. If the natural ferments which produce lactic acid are
not in sufficient quantity in the original milk it is better, rather
than to wait too long a time, to start the development of the lactic
acid by adding an artificial ferment. Lactic ferments are specially
prepared for this purpose, or some previously ripened milk may be added
to the mass. This is called a “starter.” From two to five pounds of
“starter” are usually required for each one hundred pounds of milk.
The degree of ripening is ascertained by measuring the quantity of
lactic acid present. The proper condition of the milk is tested by
means of a rennet preparation and if the milk will coagulate, when
thus tested, in about one minute or a little more it is an indication
that a sufficient amount of acid has been developed to add the rennet
for the proper coagulation of the milk. It is important to have the
milk in just the right condition in order that the proper operations
in cheese making may go on uniformly. Care must be taken, however, not
to have too much lactic acid in the milk. For instance, 0.2 of one
percent is too great, and such a milk is very liable to give trouble in
subsequent operations. In the curding of milk by rennet the temperature
should be kept between 82 and 86 degrees. The amount of rennet extract,
of course, varies with its character and strength, and this is best
determined by the cheese maker’s experimenting in order that the proper
quantity to be added to the great mass of milk may be known beforehand.
A sufficient quantity of rennet extract should be used to curdle the
milk in fifteen or twenty minutes for a quick-curing cheese, and in
thirty to forty minutes for a slow-curing cheese. The rennet extracts
in common use are added at the rate of from one-half to five ounces
for 1000 pounds of milk. Before adding, the extract should be diluted
with from 20 to 40 times its volume of water at a temperature of from
85 to 90 degrees. The rennet thus diluted acts with uniformity on the
milk, preventing the production of curd of a lumpy character. Previous
to adding the rennet extract the mass of milk is thoroughly stirred in
order to mix the fat therewith and the dilute rennet added evenly and
slowly with constant stirring which is continued for several minutes.
A gentle stirring of the surface of the milk should be continued
until the curd is at least half formed, in order that the fat may not
separate. After the stirring is finished, a cloth is placed over the
top of the vat to keep the surface of the milk from cooling, and the
milk is then left undisturbed until the coagulation is complete. The
coagulation goes on gradually until the whole mass of milk is one solid
coagulum produced by the changing of casein into paracasein.
_Cutting the Curd._--In order that the whey may be separated it is
necessary that the curd be cut into pieces. The smaller the pieces of
curd, the more rapidly will the whey escape. As soon as the curd is
formed it shows a tendency to contract and this tends to force out
the whey. By cutting the extent of the surface from which the whey
can exude is amplified and the rapidity of the process is enormously
increased. The time at which the curd is to be cut is one of great
importance and is determined by the skill and experience of the cheese
maker. If the curd is cut when it is too soft there may be large loss
of fat and a decreased yield of cheese. If the curd is too hard the
whey is more difficultly removed and the quality of the cheeses is not
so fine. The following test is used to determine when the curd is in
the right condition to cut. The end of the index finger is inserted
obliquely into the curd half an inch or more and then slowly raised
toward the surface. If the curd breaks apart with a clean fracture
without leaving any particles on the finger and the whey which exudes
from the broken surface is clear and not milky it shows the proper time
has come for cutting. Specially devised knives are used for cutting the
curd, which leave it in small cubes of about one-half inch surface.
Skill in the use of the cutting knife is important and can only be
acquired by proper experience.
_Heating the Curd._--As soon as the curd is cut the whey begins to
go out of it and the curd settles to the bottom of the vat, the whey
being of a higher specific gravity than the curd. After the pieces of
curd sink to the bottom the surface easily reunites and, when broken
apart, additional fat is lost. As soon, therefore, as the curd is cut
the whole mass is kept in gentle motion by hand stirring or with a wire
basket designed for the purpose, care being taken to avoid breaking or
comminuting the cubes. When properly stirred the whey appears clear and
is free of small particles of curd.
The curd contracts and hardens during this process, and soon reaches
a condition when the surface does not adhere so readily. The vat
should be kept warm during the process of separation of the whey, the
temperature being raised to about 90 degrees and finally, toward the
last, to 98 degrees, about blood heat.
_Separating the Curd._--The precipitated curd is left in contact with
the whey for some time, and during this period some of the lactic
acid in the whey unites with the paracasein. The setting of the curd
is finished when a small mass which has been squeezed in the hand to
remove the whey is pressed against a bar of iron heated to little short
of redness, and it is found that there is left, adhering to the iron,
fine silky threads. These threads are formed by the compound of lactic
acid and paracasein, and the more of this compound there is the longer
will the strings be. When the curd shows by the hot iron test strings
one-eighth inch long it is an index that the time has arrived for the
separation of the curd from the whey.
_Gathering the Curd._--After the whey is removed the cubes of curd
are left in the bottom of the vat until they mat or pack together, a
process which is technically known as cheddaring. The curd is sometimes
removed from the vat and placed on a special apparatus for this purpose
called a curd-sink. When the curd has matted together, forming a solid
mass, it is cut into blocks 8 × 8 × 12 inches. These blocks are turned
in the vat in order to facilitate the removal of more whey. The blocks
of curd are carefully placed, one over the other until they form a
large mass.
The process of solidifying or cheddaring accomplishes two purposes:
First, the whey is expelled to a considerable extent and, second,
the lactic acid unites with more of the curd, changing not only its
chemical composition but also its physical state from a spongy, tough,
rubber-like consistence, with a high water content, to a mass having a
smooth, velvety appearance and feeling, and a soft, somewhat plastic
consistency.
_Milling the Curd._--This process consists in cutting the lumps of curd
into small pieces in order to introduce the salt and to handle it more
readily when it is to be placed into hoops for pressing. This process
is done by special mills which avoid, in so far as possible, the loss
of fat.
_Salting and Pressing._--Salt is added for several purposes, chiefly
for flavoring, but it also has other uses. It aids in removing the
whey,--it hardens the curd and it checks or retards the formation of
lactic acid. Excessive salting, however, is injurious. From 2¹⁄₂ to 3
pounds of salt should be added to the curd made from 1000 pounds of
milk. Before putting in the press the curd is cooled to a temperature
of about 80 degrees, and after putting into the mold it is subjected to
pressure to give it a proper form, rather than to remove the whey which
is practically all gone by this time. If the whey has not been properly
removed before the cheese goes into the press it is almost impossible
to get it out then. The pressure should be uniform and continued for
at least twenty-four hours. If a screw is used the pressure should be
light at first and gradually increased. After the cheese has been in
the press about an hour it is removed, turned, a cloth adjusted about
it, and the entire surface wiped carefully with a cloth wrung out of
hot water.
The sizes in which American cheeses are made depends largely upon
the market, the more common size being 15 inches in diameter, and
the cheese weighs from 60 to 65 pounds. There is also a very large
manufacture of cheese seven inches in diameter, known as “Young
Americas” and weighing only from 8 to 10 pounds.
_Curing._--The higher the temperature to which cheese is exposed in
curing the more rapid the curing process will take place, but the
poorer the quality of the cheese. Experience has shown that a low
temperature, 55 degrees F. or even less, gives much better results,
although it requires a greater length of time. If cured at a higher
temperature the fat is apt to exude, and will not be evenly distributed
in the cheese. It is, therefore, more profitable, as well as better for
the consumer, to cure at low temperatures, producing a superior quality
with less loss of moisture and a cheese which sells for a better price.
_Moisture in the Curing Cellar._--The cellar in which the curing
takes place should contain air with a proper degree of moisture. The
relative percentage of moisture in the air as compared with the total
amount which it can hold should be from 65 to 75. This is determined by
placing in the curing room a hygrometer which registers the degree of
saturation.
=Qualities of American Cheese.=--The quality of cheeses is judged
by (1) flavor, (2) body, (3) texture, (4) color, and (5) general
appearance. In regard to flavor it is impossible to describe what is
meant. Only the connoisseur can determine properly whether a cheese
has a flavor which is sound, healthy, and indicative of the highest
quality. The cheese flavor should be free from any admixture of other
flavors. Cheese resembles butter in this respect, that it absorbs and
then gives off foreign flavors with great facility. Therefore in the
whole process of cheese making care must be exercised to exclude every
odor or flavor of an undesirable character from the cheese house.
_Flavor._--Under flavor also may be described taste, which should be of
that biting, incisive character due to proper development of ripening
and its attendant bacterial and enzymic products. The various foreign
flavors in cheese may be due to the odor of cows or the stable or may
suggest “rotten eggs,” or it may be the flavor of rancid butter due to
the decomposition of butter fat in the cheese.
_Body._--This is also a term which it is difficult to define. An
American cheese is said to have a perfect body when it is solid, firm,
and smooth in substance. This quality is ascertained by pressing the
cheese between the fingers. When it does not press down evenly between
the finger and thumb it is said technically to be “corky.” It is
smooth when it feels velvety-like and is not harsh or gritty.
_Texture._--The term texture applied to American cheese refers mainly
to its compactness. It is nearly related to body. The texture may be
fine and close or porous. The texture is perfect when a cut surface
of the inside of the cheese presents to the eye a solid, compact,
continuous appearance, free from breaks, holes, or lumps. Cheese should
not show any visible or separated moisture or fat. The texture of
American cheese should be smooth, free from breaks, and fairly hard.
The bandage should be smooth and neat, extending over the edge on each
end of the cheese about two inches.
_Color._--A true and unadulterated cheese should have only the color
of the milk from which it is made, and any other color incident to
ripening which is usually green. Unfortunately cheeses of American
origin are often artificially colored. An over-deep yellowish or
reddish tint, therefore, should be regarded as a mark of inferiority.
Artificially colored cheese should not rank as high on the market as
that of a natural tint, which is much more pleasing to the eye and
much less objectionable to the æsthetic taste. Color is often added to
conceal inferiority in the milk used.
The sides of the cheese should be straight and of uniform height all
around.
The following scale of points is used in judging cheese, according to
the above qualities: Flavor, 45 to 50; texture, 30 to 35; color, 10 to
15; general appearance, 5 to 15.
=Cream Cheese.=--This is a soft cheese which is rapidly growing in
popularity. It is made from rich milk or milk and cream mixed together.
It resembles in general Neufchatel, but it is richer in butter fat and
is put up in a different form. The temperature of the room in which
the cheese is made is quite important. It should be kept as nearly as
possible at 75 degrees. The milk is first warmed to 70 degrees and run
through a separator by means of which the cream is taken out, together
with one-half the volume of milk. This makes either dilute cream or
very rich milk, as you may choose to call it. The cream is heated to
84 degrees and about four or five ounces of rennet extract added per
thousand pounds. The rennet is carefully and gradually stirred into
the mixture, using about fifteen minutes for the addition. The mass is
then allowed to remain at rest until whey is seen around the sides.
The whey is then removed by draining, the resulting curd pressed and
mixed with about 3 percent of salt. The cheese is not subjected to a
curing process. It is molded into flat, thin cakes about 3 by 4 inches,
wrapped in parchment paper, and in this condition packed for shipment.
=Manufacture of Foreign Types of Cheese in the United States.=--The
improvement of cheeses made in the United States by securing different
forms of ferments and utilizing the best method of setting, pressing
the curd, and ripening used in other countries is worthy of all
encouragement. Unfortunately a disposition has arisen in our country
of giving the names of foreign varieties to the domestic articles.
Many fancy domestic cheeses are sold under strictly foreign names
such as Cheddar, Stilton, Cheshire, Schweitzer, Limburger, Camembert,
Brie, Roquefort, etc. In fact there seems to be no limitation upon
the adoption of a name already identified with a distinct type and
locality. Such a tendency is greatly to be regretted and perhaps it is
only necessary to point out to our people the ethical offense which
they are committing by such practices to secure their discontinuance.
It is, however, a perfectly legitimate undertaking to import the
ferments which produce the famous cheeses of the world and utilize them
to the fullest extent in cheeses of American origin. This, however,
should be done in such a way as to carefully avoid applying the name of
the original article to the domestic product. Perhaps it would be no
ethical offense or no very great offense to place upon the labels of
the cheese products a statement that they are of the same type as the
foreign product they imitate. This, however, should be an explanatory
phrase and not a part of the label which attracts principal attention.
It is far better that a manufacturer should adopt some local name which
would become identified with his product, and thus become a valuable
trade-mark. The attempt to pass domestic cheese under foreign names is
an offense against good ethics and also against the law. It is nothing
more nor less than misbranding, and cannot be justified even in the
absence of a law forbidding it.
_Success with Foreign Ferments._--Considerable success has attended
the introduction of the foreign processes into the United States,
together with the ferments which produce the cheeses abroad. The
environment, however, cannot be imported and therefore the ferments
may rapidly assimilate different properties under changed conditions,
and the continued importation of fresh ferments may be necessary to
preserve the type of cheese. Some of the principal types of foreign
cheeses made in the United States are those which are mentioned above.
A particularly excellent study has been made of the process of making a
Camembert type of cheese in this country. (Bureau of Animal Industry,
Bulletin 71, 1905.) This particular cheese is a type of Camembert which
is made at the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station of Connecticut.
For these experiments a cheese maker familiar with the Camembert
manufacture in France was secured. The method of making the cheese and
also of separating the curd and ripening was as nearly as possible like
that used in France. The style of the packages was the same, so that
from external appearances it would be quite difficult to distinguish
them from the genuine Camembert cheese of France. The success attending
these experiments shows that it is possible to improve domestic
cheeses by scientific effort in the direction of using the proper
ferments. These soft cheeses made in Connecticut were of good quality
and had something of the flavor and type of the Camembert itself,
though it was not difficult for even a novice to distinguish the two
varieties from one another.
These studies above referred to have resulted in a marked degree of
progress in the knowledge of the real changes which take place in
the ripening of cheeses. The officials in charge of the work differ
somewhat with the author in respect to the character of the product,
claiming that the making of Camembert cheese is not dependent upon
uniform conditions obtained only in certain localities but rather
on securing the proper cultures and conditions which are possible
almost anywhere. The fact of the case is that the cheeses made at
the Connecticut station are probably made under much more scientific
conditions and much more rigid control than the real Camembert cheese
made in France. The success which attended these efforts is only a
proof of the statement made above that the introduction of these
processes for making fancy cheeses in this country will doubtless
result in the development of types of American origin of peculiar
flavor and quality. Such cheeses when properly named and not confused
with those of foreign origin will become quite as familiar and well
known, both at home and abroad. (Bureau of Animal Industry, Bulletin
82, 1906.)
=Sage Cheese.=--The consumption of the variety of cheese known as sage
cheese is not very large at the present time in the United States and
is restricted to certain localities, yet it is rapidly growing in
favor. Consumers who are accustomed to it are willing to pay a larger
price for it than for ordinary cheese. Sage cheese is made exactly in
the same manner as that described for the manufacture of Cheddar. The
flavor of sage is imparted in three different ways, first, by adding
the sage extract or tea to the milk; second, by adding the extract to
the curd before salting; third, by adding the sage leaves to the curd
before salting. The latter method is found to be the most satisfactory
requiring the least amount of sage to give any definite flavor. Three
ounces of sage leaves are found to be sufficient to flavor the curd
from 1000 pounds of milk. The stems and impurities of the sage leaves
are carefully removed and the leaves ground to a fine powder before
mixing with the curd (Michigan Board of Agriculture, 1904).
=Principal Cheeses of England.=--The principal English cheeses are
Stilton, Cheshire, Cheddar, double and single, Gloucester, Derby, and
Leicester. According to Dr. Voelcker, the finest flavored cheese is
Cheshire, which differs from any other in being made from milk which
is perfectly sweet, and some authors think its peculiar aroma is due
to this fact. On the contrary, the more general opinion is that the
best cheeses are made from milk slightly sour rather than that which is
perfectly sweet.
Cheshire cheese is manufactured by mixing the evening milk, which is
kept cool over night, with the morning milk, and then warming the
mixture until the temperature is about 90 degrees. The proper quantity
of rennet is added and when the cheese is to be extremely yellow also
some annotto. After thoroughly mixing, the mass is left for nearly an
hour, by which time the coagulation is completed. The next operation
is the breaking down or cutting up of the fresh curd, and this is an
important process. Upon the care which is exercised in doing this
depends in a large measure the richness and quality of the finished
product. When properly manipulated the whey which is separated will be
of a greenish color and clear, while the proper combination of milk
fat and casein which is secured in separating the whey will make a
cheese of first class quality. The curd is so dense as to naturally
separate from the whey by deposition, and the latter is thus drawn off
by a stopcock properly placed in the vat. The curd is then placed upon
a cloth stretched over lattice work in order that the separation of
the whey may be complete. Finally before passing to the cheese house
the curd is treated with eight ounces of salt to twenty pounds of
curd. After the cheese is molded it is placed in a warm room for one
or two days, and then taken to the press house where it is subjected
to the usual pressure. The pressing process is continued by wrapping
the cheese in dry cloths and subjecting to new pressure every day for
five or six days. The cheese is then removed to the ripening cellar
where it is turned two or three times a week. It is ripe and ready for
consumption in less than one year. There are a great many variations
from this method of making Cheshire cheese, but they all follow the
same general plan.
_Manufacture of Cheddar Cheese._--The cheese is made in various parts
of England though chiefly in Somerset, the period of manufacture
extending from April to November. Cheddar cheeses are made in
large sizes varying from 60 to 100 pounds each. The temperature
of precipitation for Cheddar cheese is somewhat less than for the
Cheshire cheese, being about 80 degrees. Rennet is used solely in the
coagulation, lactic acid not being liked for that purpose. In the
making of Cheddar often some of the fat escapes in the whey and this is
afterwards collected and made into butter. Two pounds of salt to 100
pounds of curd are used.
_Derby cheese_ is a name applied to cheese made in Derby. The Cheddar
system of making it is usually employed.
_Gloster cheeses_ are made on the same plan as that of the Derby and do
not need any further description.
_Leicester cheese_ is a variety of cheese which is very popular and
made chiefly in the county of Leicester. The coagulation of Leicester
cheese is made at a little lower temperature than that previously
described, varying from 76 to 84 degrees. The curd is allowed to stand
for about one-half hour before it is broken up and the whey separated.
The best manufacturers of cheese disapprove of the use of artificial
coloring and it may be said that eventually it is pretty certain that
all cheese makers will come to the same conclusion. The use of coloring
matter in cheese, even of annotto, adds nothing to its richness, and
tends to deceive the customer into thinking that the milk employed was
richer in cream than it really was. The Leicester cheeses are small in
size compared with Cheddar. About eleven pounds of milk are used to
make an ordinary cheese.
_Stilton cheese_ is probably the most familiar and highly prized of
all English varieties. It is not always to be obtained, and many
imitations of Stilton are made and bear its name. The name it bears is
from the name of the town where it was first, and is now, made. It is
a cheese which has been known for about a century and a quarter. It is
principally made between March and September and solely from the milk
of cows fed on natural pasture, that is, for the finest variety. The
use of artificial food for the cows is at once detected in a change for
the worse in the character of the cheese. At first the rennet employed
was made from the stomachs of lambs instead of cows and in the olden
times the cheeses were not considered to be sufficiently mellow and
ripe until they were two years old and exhibited spots of green in the
interior.
The most approved modern process of manufacture is mixing the morning
and evening milk and bringing it to a temperature of 79 degrees. Rennet
is then added and the mass allowed to stand for about an hour and a
half. The curd is removed into cloths set in frames for the purpose
of allowing the whey to separate. Usually about an hour is allowed
for the natural separation. The cloths are then tightened and brought
closer together to produce slight pressure and placed in a cheese tub,
several of them together, where they are allowed to remain for twelve
hours. Usually a longer time is allowed before the curd is cut up. The
salt is added in proportion of one pound to 60 pounds of fresh curd.
The curd is then placed in tin cylinders with perforated sides, the
cylinder being 12 inches deep and 12 inches in diameter, and put in
a room at about 65 degrees to favor the separation of the whey which
requires from six to seven days. The cheeses are then removed from the
cylinders, brought into proper shape by a knife and wrapped with strong
cotton cloth and allowed to remain for twelve days longer when they are
removed to the drying room and kept at 65 degrees. During this process
the original curd placed in the cell loses about one-half its weight
so that ten pounds of curd in the end make five pounds of cheese. A
very common method also is to make cheese twice a day from morning
milk and evening milk separately. Extra cream is often added in making
Stilton cheese, only whole milk or milk and added cream being used. The
principal point to be considered with curing is the regulation of the
temperature.
Other varieties of cheese which are known in England are mostly named
from the localities where they are produced and partake in general of
the character of cheeses already described. These are Lancastershire,
Wensleydale, skimmed milk cheese, butter milk cheese, potato cheese,
and various forms of soft cheese or those used without being allowed to
ripen for any length of time.
=Varieties of Cheese Made in France.=--There is a general idea that
France is pre-eminently a cheese making country and this is true in so
far as the making of certain brands of cheese which have international
reputations is concerned. France, however, according to statistics,
imports a larger quantity of cheese than she exports though probably
the value of her exports is greater than the imports because of the
high character and price of the exported articles.
_Manufacture of Camembert._--The first cheese of this variety was made
in 1791 by Marie Fontaine on a farm in the community of Camembert, near
Vimontiers. The period of manufacture of Camembert cheese extends from
March to September. It is made from whole cow’s milk from which none of
the cream has been extracted. The rennet is added at the temperature at
which the milk comes from the cow as nearly as possible and the milk is
artificially heated, the morning and evening milk being mixed, to this
temperature. After the addition of rennet the milk is gently stirred
for two or three minutes, a wooden cover placed over the pan, and
left for five or six hours. The curd is sufficiently set when touched
with the finger it does not adhere thereto. The curd is removed from
the pan by a spoon and put into cylindrical metal molds open at the
end and from these molds the whey is allowed to escape. It requires
about two liters of milk to make one cheese. The whey is allowed to
drain for about two days. After that time the mold is turned, a little
fine white salt placed upon the top and allowed to drain for another
day. After about 48 hours the cheeses are taken from the molds and
salted. They are then placed in the drying room upon racks covered
with straw. The drying room must be well ventilated and the air which
is blown in for ventilation must be strained to be free of dust and
insects. Care is taken also to exclude the sunlight, as this is very
injurious to the proper development and ripening of cheese. The cheese
remains in the dryer from 20 to 25 days. The ripening cellar is the
next point to which the cheese is removed, and this cellar is kept as
nearly as possible at 50 degrees F. The cheeses remain in the ripening
cellar about 30 days, during which time they are frequently turned and
carefully watched. The progress of the fermentation which takes place
in the cheese is indicated by its appearance. In modern times the
manufacture of Camembert cheese is continued practically throughout the
whole year, but the artificially ripened cheese, that is, made during
the winter by the aid of artificial heat, does not compare in quality
with the product which is naturally ripened during the summer months.
The manufacture of Camembert cheese has extended to a considerable
distance from the original village, but it is all made in that part of
France.
_Emmenthaler Cheese._--Emmenthaler cheese is a variety of Swiss cheese
of the same type as Gruyère. It is sometimes called the “cart-wheel”
cheese on account of its immense size. These cheeses are sometimes
three or four feet in diameter and of a disk-like shape, something
like a wooden wheel sawed out of a round tree. It is a cheese which
was originally made in Switzerland, although the manufacture of it has
spread over into that part of France bordering Switzerland. It has the
general character of Swiss cheese in texture, also in composition and
nutritive value.
_Brie Cheese._--This is one of the most famous of French cheeses. It
is made in the form of a round flat mass about 16 inches in diameter
for the grande Brie and 12 inches in diameter for the petite Brie. The
thickness of the cheese is about one inch. The method of preparation is
not very greatly different from that of cheeses in general. During the
curing process, as in the case of Camembert, mould develops, especially
on the outside of the cheese, and the change which goes on in the
interior breaks down the casein, forming a creamy mass of a strong,
piquant flavor. The mould which grows upon the outside of Brie cheese
gives it a strong odor which reminds one of decomposition. Brie cheese
might be said to resemble in general properties the Camembert variety
of cheese.
_Roquefort_ cheese is a very popular cheese made in France from sheep’s
milk. When properly ripened it shows a green mould. It is made in a
particular way at Roquefort, and according to König has the following
composition:
Water, 36.85 percent
Fat, 30.61 „
Proteids, 25.25 „
Lactic acid, 1.90 „
Ash, 5.39 „
_Port Du Salut._--This variety of cheese has a most deserving
popularity, not only upon the Continent but in the United States. It
is, however, not so generally known in this country as the Roquefort
and Camembert varieties. It was long manufactured by a secret process
by the Trappist monks of Bricquebec in the Department of Manche.
The secret of the manufacture of this variety of cheese is guarded
with the same jealousy by the monks as is the secret of making the
chartreuse liqueur. Port Du Salut is always put up in very small
packages of cylindrical form, flat, and about one inch in thickness.
The cheese has a number of holes, in which it resembles the Swiss
cheese. Its flesh, however, is mellow, and does not have the toughness
nor solidity which characterizes the flesh of Swiss cheese. Although
the monks’ secret has been well guarded the general method of its
manufacture has been described (“Cheese and Cheese Making,” by Jas.
Long and John Benson). The milk is brought to a temperature of 86
degrees F., and is treated with rennet in such a way as to separate the
curd in about one-half hour. The separation of whey is secured in the
usual manner, first, by allowing broken curd to stand, and afterwards
by pressure. A peculiar form of pressure is said to be used by the
monks,--a number of screws are placed side by side on a beam and a
number of cheeses may be pressed at the same time. The pressure is
applied solely by the hands and so is not very severe. After pressure
the cheeses are placed in a ripening cellar, which is kept at about
54 degrees F. Care is taken in the ripening that the cheese does not
become too dry.
_Pont L’Evêque_ cheese is well known upon the Continent, especially in
France where it is made. It takes its name from the village where the
manufacture is carried on, which is not very far from Havre. The cheese
is usually put up in a square or oblong package about one inch in
thickness and of a size weighing about one pound. It has a tough crust
and may be kept for some time after it is ripe with safety. The milk is
set at a temperature of 88 degrees and a sufficient amount of rennet
added to produce precipitation of the curd in about fifteen minutes.
When the curd is stiff enough to be cut and removed it is placed upon
a mat made of rye straw through which the whey is allowed to filter.
As the whey runs off the curd becomes tougher and the mat is brought
together in such a way as to exert gentle pressure. This separation of
the whey is continued until the curd can be placed in metal molds which
vary in size according to the size of the intended cheeses. The cheese
is ripened at a temperature of about 58 degrees in a humid cellar so as
not to lose too much water.
_Gervais_ cheese belongs strictly to the family of fancy cheese, being
made of a mixture of milk and cream. It is produced in large quantities
in France and finds almost an exclusive domestic market. It is named
for its manufacturer, M. Gervais. The mixture is set at a very low
temperature, about 65 degrees. The rennet which is used is diluted with
water and added in small quantities so that the curd does not separate
for eight or ten hours. The whey is separated in a cloth bag and under
very gentle pressure. The cheeses are usually sold in only a partially
ripe state and the cheese combines the flavor of both cheese and cream.
_Bondon_ cheese is another cheese which is made largely in the region
of Rouen. The size of the cheese is usually very small, from seven to
nine being made from a gallon of milk. The method of manufacture is
more like that of Gervais and differs from it chiefly in being made
solely from milk instead of a mixture of milk and cream.
_Limburger Cheese._--Limburger cheese is one of the most famous of the
different varieties of foreign cheese, chiefly because of its bad odor.
This odor is due to specific forms of ferments introduced during the
ripening process. Generally Limburger cheese is made from pure milk,
but occasionally skimmed or partially skimmed milk is used. The milk
is set at rather a high temperature, from 92 to 100 degrees. After the
coagulation has taken place the curd is broken into pieces the size
of a hen’s egg and allowed to settle to the bottom of the kettle as
the whey separates. In England a copper kettle is usually employed for
the testing vessel. After the whey has separated the curd is taken out
and placed in rectangular molds with perforated bottoms, then laid on
tables so that the remaining portion of the whey may drain off. The
molds are turned from time to time to promote the separation of the
whey and to make the cheeses keep their form. The cheeses are next
placed in rows on a flat table with thin pieces of boards between them
and subjected to light pressure. During this time they are salted
by applying salt externally and rubbing the surface at frequent
intervals for three or four days. The salt dissolves and permeates
the mass. During the salting and pressing the cheeses are kept at a
uniform temperature of about 60 degrees. The curing takes place in
cellars, well ventilated but very moist, at a temperature of about 60
degrees. As the cheeses ripen they grow soft. The curd takes on its
characteristic greasy appearance at the time of the ripening, becoming,
at first, a yellow and then a reddish yellow. The softening begins on
the outside and proceeds toward the center and the cheese is considered
to be marketable when one-fourth of it has taken on its characteristic
texture. The softening of Limburger cheese is due to a ferment which
breaks down into a soft mass the casein or paracasein of which the
cheese is largely composed. By using the same kind of ferments and by
following the same process, imitations of Limburger cheese are made in
the United States and other countries. These imitations, however, never
equal the original in the character of the product nor in flavor or
taste, and should not bear the name of the real article.
COMPOSITION OF LIMBURGER CHEESE.
Water, 35.7 percent
Fat, 34.2 „
Casein products, 24.2 „
Milk sugar and undetermined, 3.0 „
Ash, 2.9 „
Limburger cheese was first made in the Province of Lüttick in Belgium.
It has, however, come to be considered chiefly as of German production.
The chief cause of the putrefactive fermentation which takes place in
Limburger cheese is the extremely moist condition in which it is kept.
For this purpose the atmosphere of the ripening cellar should be almost
saturated with aqueous vapor, containing at least 95 percent of its
maximum degree of saturation. This moist atmosphere, together with the
low temperature at which the curing takes place, keeps the cheese soft
and promotes the putrifactive ferments. Under these conditions the
surface soon begins to get shiny and soft and changes from white to a
reddish yellow. This change makes its way to the center, converting the
harsh curd to a soft condition. The time required for this softening
of the cheese is from four to six weeks. (“Cheese Making,” by John W.
Decker.)
_Edam Cheese._--Edam cheese is one of the most famous of the cheeses
of Holland. It is made at the town of Edam, situated on the Zuyder
Zee, about twelve miles northeast of Amsterdam. The milk from which
Edam cheese is made should be properly acidified as has already been
described. The coagulation takes place and the curd is separated much
in the same manner as is used in the manufacture of Cheddar cheese. The
curd is held for a time in the vat in a granular condition in order to
develop greater acidity and until it will string one-half inch or one
inch on the hot iron already described. It is then ready for the mold.
The molds are of such a character as to give the cheese a spherical
shape about six inches in diameter. Each cheese weighs about four
pounds. It has a perfectly solid texture and its flavor is something
like that of old Cheddar, except that it is a little more salty and
somewhat harder. It is cured at a temperature of about 60 degrees and
at a humidity of about 80 degrees. The curing period is somewhat longer
than for most cheeses, lasting about eight or ten months and even a
year. A slow curing is particularly necessary in the production of Edam
cheese.
_Coating with Paraffine._--In the curing of cheese sometimes it is
coated with paraffine to avoid loss of weight. Coating with paraffine
does not necessarily interfere with the character of the cheese, though
it is probable that it must interfere in some way with the normal
ferments. Paraffine is wholly indigestible and may produce injurious
effects if swallowed with the cheese. (“Farmers’ Bulletins,” Nos.
186-190.)
=Fancy Cheeses.=--There is a large number of cheeses made in which
cream enters as a prominent part. It is difficult to give these any
particular name and the term “fancy cheese” has been applied to this
form of cheese as a whole. They are usually put up in small packages
or little pots and thus form an article of diet quite distinct from
the large press cheese of commerce. In fact they are intended more for
condimental purposes and to be eaten in something of the same manner as
butter rather than cheese. These cheeses usually are sold for a much
higher price and, therefore, can be regarded more as a luxury than as a
regular article of diet.
It might be well to mention some of the more particular varieties of
these fancy cheeses.
_Gruyère._--Gruyère is a cheese made in Switzerland, where it is much
prized and from where it is sent to the various parts of the world.
It is a pressed cheese and is rather of a larger size than the fancy
cheeses already described, and it is difficult to say whether or not it
should find a place among them.
_Parmesan._--Parmesan is a variety of cheese made in Italy. It is
about the same size as Gruyère and thus has an intermediate place
between the large pressed cheeses of commerce and the fancy cheeses
above mentioned.
_Gorgonzola_ cheese is a very familiar cheese made in Italy and belongs
to the same class as the two preceding ones. It is in one sense a fancy
cheese and yet is made in such quantities as to belong rather to the
commercial variety.
=Bacterial Activity in Cheese.=--Modern science has led to the
conclusion that the ripening of cheese is due principally to bacterial
activity. The changes which take place in the chemical and physical
properties of cheese materials, the flavor and aroma which are
developed, the production of mould and other growths are marks of the
activity of organisms of different character, living and unorganized.
Due credit must be given to the enzymic (unorganized) action in these
processes and the enzymes are not regarded as living organisms but,
on the other hand, as catalytic agents inducing chemical changes
similar to those produced in starch by the action of diastase. The
peculiar flavors of cheeses which are found in different kinds have
been ascribed in late years almost exclusively to the character of
bacterial activity. This assumption is perhaps correct, but it must
not be forgotten in this connection that the same species of bacteria,
in changed environments, does not always produce the same results. The
activities of bacteria are peculiarly sensitive to the environment,
such as change of temperature, physical conditions of different kinds,
locality, and other factors of a complex nature, making up the total
conditions in which the organisms live. For this reason the attempts to
produce peculiar cheeses which belong in particular localities in other
localities have not been gustatorily even if technically successful. It
is true that cheeses may be made of the types mentioned, having some of
the general characteristics but lacking that indescribable something
which after all gives true character. Just as it is impossible to make
a Rhine wine in California or a Bordeaux wine in New York so is it
impossible to make a Cheddar cheese in Ohio or a Camembert cheese in
Connecticut.
=Number of Bacteria.=--The number of bacteria, per gram, which appear
in cheese varies according to the age of the cheese, conditions under
which it is made, temperature, etc. The usual number of bacteria in one
gram of cheese varies from five hundred thousand to nearly one hundred
million (21st Annual Report of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment
Station).
Ageing does not seem to increase the number of organisms, since it has
been found by some observers that the maximum number present in cheese
is found at the time it is taken from the press. It is difficult also
to properly sample a cheese for the number of bacteria, since they
are unequally distributed in different parts thereof, and the trier,
by means of which the sample is secured, may show largely differing
numbers in different parts of the same cheese. During the process of
curing, especially if the curing be at a high temperature, the number
of organisms decreases. At first the decrease is very rapid and then
becomes slower as the cheese becomes riper. The decrease in the number
of bacteria when the temperature of curing is raised is somewhat
contrary to expectations. It has been found that when a cheese is taken
from cold storage, say at 24 degrees F., and placed in a temperature
of 60 degrees F., the decline in the number of bacteria is always
greater than when the cheese is retained at the lower temperature. This
may be due to the fact that bacteria which have been developed at a
low may lose their vitality at a higher temperature. On the contrary,
the development of flavor does not seem to depend upon the number of
organisms since the peculiar flavor of cheese is more rapidly developed
at the higher temperature, provided it be not too high, although this
be attended with a diminution in the number of organisms. Evidently the
conditions which favor the metabolic activities of organisms also favor
their destruction, since when they have performed their functions they
undergo natural disintegration. The character of cheese is such that
when it is once formed there is no more opportunity given for a rapid
proliferation of the organisms.
It may be found, however, that the development of bacterial life is
not the sole or perhaps not the dominant factor in the development of
flavors and aromas in cheeses but that this process is due very largely
to the enzymic activities obtained from the rennet and which pre-exist
in the milk.
=Chemical Changes Which Take Place During the Ripening of the
Cheese.=--_Loss of Weight._--During the process of ripening of cheese
there is considerable loss of weight, amounting to from 15 to 20
percent of the total weight of the fresh product. This loss is due
chiefly to the evaporation of water, while in the fermentation which
takes place volatile bodies are formed which also escape with the
water. For instance, any free gas, either carbon dioxid, hydrogen, or
nitrogen, which is produced will escape, likewise any alcohol which is
formed will at least partially volatilize. There may be also a slight
loss due to mechanical attrition, but that is not of any consequence.
Owing to the loss of water some of the constituents which may diminish
in actual quantity have their percentages proportionately increased.
These changes are illustrated by the following analytical data:
MILK
WATER. PROTEIN. FAT. SUGAR. ASH.
Fresh cheese, 40.42 24.80 28 1.65 5.43
In the dry substance, .... 41.62 46.99 .... ....
Same cheese one year old, 33.12 27.35 31.70 2.96 4.87
In the dry substance, .... 40.89 47.40 .... ....
The quantity of water which is lost in part depends upon the
temperature of the store house and the dryness of the air. The loss of
water should not be too great, otherwise the cheese would be dry and
the ripening process would not go on in a proper manner. In some of
the processes which take place during the ripening of cheese water is
formed. If, therefore, there is no loss of weight during the process
of ripening, the ripened cheese would have more water than the fresh
cheese and this would impair the quality of the product. The loss of a
certain part of water, namely, from 15 to 20 percent must be regarded
as an advantage in the production of cheese.
_Changes in the Protein._--The most important chemical changes, from
a digestive point of view, which take place in the cheese are those
which the protein undergoes. This protein substance consists chiefly
of casein and undergoes profound alteration due to enzymic action
during the process of ripening. The casein which when dry naturally
forms a leathery, tough material changes into a more soluble and softer
product, and during this change there are produced aromas and flavors
which add much to the value of the cheese for edible purposes.
The character of the coagulation of the cheese originally has much
to do with the general changes which the product undergoes during
fermentation. The cheese makers for this reason must pay special
attention to the rennet which they employ in the production of the
precipitate. One of the most important of the changes which the casein
undergoes is that which results in the production of ammonia. This
indicates a complete decomposition of the protein substance, at least
in part, so that the total amount of protein which is lost as such
may reach as high as 25 or 30 percent of that present in the original
cheese. There are also produced notable quantities of lucin and other
nitrogenous compounds soluble in alcohol. In general it may be said
that the changes in the nitrogen constituents of cheese are extremely
helpful to digestion. Not only is the protein of ripened cheese more
soluble but even the parts which remain unchanged as far as the protein
constituent is concerned are so affected by the action of fermentation
as to render them more readily subject to the action of the digestive
ferments in the alimentary canal. There is a popular superstition that
the use of cheese at the end of a meal helps to digest the other food
which has given rise to the adage “Cheese, thou mighty elf, digesting
all things but thyself.” There is a base of scientific truth in this
expression since in ripe cheese the enzymes remain still in an active
form and when taken into the stomach must necessarily exercise an
influence of considerable magnitude upon the process of digestion. The
custom, therefore, which is so universal, of finishing a dinner with a
bit of cheese is evidently based upon sound physiological as well as
gastronomical principles.
_Changes in the Fat._--The chemical changes which the fat undergoes in
the process of ripening the cheese are also of considerable importance.
It is claimed by some authors that additional fat is produced from
the casein during the process of ripening, which is the cause of the
lardy appearance of some cheeses. Many observers have found in ripened
cheese a larger percentage of fat than that which was noticed in the
fresh cheese. This apparent increase, however, may be due to analytical
error, since in the fresh cheese the fat becomes entangled with highly
insoluble caseous matter and is difficult of extraction, whereas after
the ripening of the cheese and degradation and breaking up of the
caseous tissues the fat is much more readily extracted. While it is not
impossible that fat should be formed by the fermentation of the casein
it does not seem that it is probable.
In examinations which were made of fresh and ripened cheese of the
variety known as Roquefort there was found in the dry substance of
the fresh cheese 40.80 percent of protein and 53.91 percent of fat.
In the same cheese after it was quite old there was found in the dry
substance 37.78 percent of protein and 56.14 percent of fat. These data
serve to bear out the theory that fat is formed from the protein. On
the contrary, it must be remembered that in the fermentation of the
protein a number of volatile bodies are formed, especially ammonia, and
thus the diminution in the percentage of protein is probably due to
the loss of volatile bodies, and the increase in the quantity of fat
is therefore a relative one, probably, and not absolute. There is no
doubt, however, of the fact that the quantity or character of the fat
does change considerably during the process of ripening. There is no
reason for supposing that the fat alone of all the contents of cheese
escapes enzymic action. It is profoundly changed in its character by
the fermentations to which it is subjected, and this change, while it
unsuits the fat for butter, may probably make it more palatable and
desirable in cheese.
=Digestibility of Cheese.=--Reference has already been made to the fact
that in the ripening of cheese the protein of the milk, consisting
principally of casein, undergoes certain changes which apparently, at
least, increase its digestibility. I use the word “apparent” because
the flavor and aromas which are produced in the ripening of a cheese
act as condimental substances and thus naturally excite the glands
which secrete the digestive enzymes to greater activity. Therefore the
increased digestibility may be due in part to the increased activity of
the digestive ferments as above described rather than to the changes
in the casein itself. It must be admitted, however, that these changes
during ripening tend to make the casein more granular, softer, and
to convert it into compounds more easily acted upon, and are thus
favorable to increased digestibility. Experimental studies have shown
that in a well ripened American cheese of the Cheddar type 93 percent
of the protein present in the cheese and 95 percent of the fat are
digested. Artificial digestion experiments have also shown that the
pancreas ferments have much more effect upon cheese digestion than
the peptic, showing that the cheese is more acted upon in the small
intestines, perhaps, than in the stomach. Attention must also be paid
to idiosyncrasies in these cases, as there are many people who find
it impossible to digest cheese in any form. The eating of larger
quantities than are necessary also tends to derange the digestive
organs. A well ripened cheese, therefore, should be eaten rather as a
condimental substance than as an actual food product, though its value
as a food is fully attested. (“Farmers’ Bulletin,” No. 162.)
=Effect of Cold Storage on the Curing of Cheese.=--Attention has been
called, in the description of different methods of making varieties of
cheeses, to the ordinary temperature at which cheeses are cured. In
European countries these temperatures are maintained without the use
of artificial means. In the United States it is difficult to maintain
a very low temperature in summer time without the use of artificial
refrigerators. Experimental studies have determined that when the
temperature of ripening or storage is reduced to a considerable extent
below that usually specified for the standard varieties of cheese the
quality of the cheese is superior although the time for storage or
ripening is very much prolonged. The artificial curing of cheese has
been secured at as low a temperature as 40 degrees. There is also a
less loss of weight in cheese cured at this low temperature. A cheese
which was cured at 40 degrees when examined by experts scored a mark
of 92.4 while the same cheese ripened at 60 degrees scored 95. Another
test of a cheese cured at 40 degrees scored 95.7 while the same cheese
cured at 50 degrees was marked 94.2 and the cheese cured at 60 degrees
91.7.
=Preparations of Casein.=--Properly in connection with cheese
preparations may be mentioned those products which are of a food value,
procured from casein itself. The precipitated casein is prepared for
the market by washing, drying, and grinding to a fine powder, and is
then sometimes called protein flour. Sanose is a mixture consisting
of about 80 percent of casein and 20 percent of the protein derived
from the white of egg. The addition of the white of egg enables the
casein to remain in suspension when mixed with water and thus causes
the preparation to resemble milk. Casein preparations of this form are
practically insoluble in water and, therefore, are not perhaps of the
best forms of nitrogenous food for invalids. To avoid this insolubility
the casein has been combined with alkalies and the preparations are
known as _nutrose_ and _eucasein_. Plasma is also a preparation of
casein with alkalies which are added in sufficient quantities to give
7 percent of ash. These caseinates, as they are sometimes called,
that is, combinations of casein with alkalies, are soluble in water
and are found to be to a certain extent digestible and nutritive
preparations. Casumen and sanatogen are other preparations of casein
with alkalies or glycero-phosphate. Wonderful claims are made by
manufacturers concerning the digestibility and nutritive properties of
these preparations. It is doubtful, however, if they have much greater
value, if any, than natural casein in the form of milk or as ripened
in cheese. Preparations of this kind usually appeal strongly to those
who suffer from digestive disorders and therefore high-sounding names,
which are given to practically the same preparations, lead the seeker
after health often to try the same substance under a dozen different
appellations. These remarks are not made for the purpose of decrying
in any way the merits which these preparations may have but only
to illustrate a very marked tendency on the part of many people to
attribute extreme virtues to ordinary food substances which are sold
under attractive and sometimes deceptive names and whose properties and
virtues are advertised in an expert manner. Because a food substance
consists almost wholly of pure protein is no indication whatever of
its exceptionally high food value. Protein is only one form of food
and a concentrated ration of protein in any of these forms is just
as likely to do harm as good. For emergency rations, for economy in
transportation, and for certain diseased conditions of the digestive
organs these preparations are undoubtedly valuable, but they have
little claim upon the general public in a state of health as staple
articles of diet. They are much more nutritive than the extracts
of beef and other meats which have obtained a vogue wholly out of
proportion to their dietetic or medicinal value. (“Foods and Principles
of Dietetics,” by Robert Hutchinson.)