Wis. Admin. Code ATCP § ATCP 81.40

Current through December 30, 2024

Section ATCP 81.40 - Wisconsin certified premium grade AA standards

Cheddar, granular and washed curd cheese labeled or sold as Wisconsin certified premium grade AA shall conform to the following standards:

(1) FLAVOR CHARACTERISTICS. The flavor of Wisconsin certified premium grade AA cheddar, granular and washed curd cheese shall be fine, highly pleasing and free from undesirable flavors and odors. The cheese may possess very slight feed flavors. Flavor standards are shown in the grade AA column of Table 1. The presence or absence of flavor characteristics in Table 1 shall be determined organoleptically by taste and smell.

TABLE 1. CHEDDAR, GRANULAR AND WASHED CURD CHEESE

GRADING STANDARDS FOR FLAVOR CHARACTERISTICS
AA			A (Wisconsin State Brand)			B
IDENTIFIED FLAVOR CHARACTERISTIC IN CHEESE BEING GRADED	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged
FEED	VS	VS	VS	S	S	S	D	D	D
ACID	VS	S	S	S	D	D
FLAT	S	S	S
BITTER	VS	S	S	D	D
FRUITY	S	D	D
UTENSIL	S	D	D
METALLIC
SOUR
WHEY-TAINT	S	D	D
YEASTY	S	S	S
MALTY	S	S	S
OLD MILK	S	S	S
WEEDY	S	S	S
ONION	VS	VS	VS
BARNY	S	S	S
LIPASE OR RANCID	VS	S	S
SULFIDE	S

VS = very slight; S = slight; D = definite; P = pronounced; Blank = none

(2) Body and texture characteristics. The body and texture of Wisconsin certified premium grade AA cheddar, granular and washed curd cheese shall be firm and solid, smooth, compact and close. The cheese may possess a few small mechanical openings to a very slight degree and shall appear translucent. The texture of granular cheese may be solid, compact and close, or alternatively, it may be medium open with numerous small mechanical openings distributed throughout the cheese. Body and texture standards are shown in the grade AA column of Table 2.

TABLE 2. CHEDDAR, GRANULAR AND WASHED CURD CHEESE

GRADING STANDARDS FOR BODY AND TEXTURE CHARACTERISTICS
IDENTIFIED BODY AND TEXTURE CHARACTERISTIC IN CHEESE BEING GRADED	AA			A (Wisconsin State Brand)			B
	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged
CURDY	S	VS	D	S	D	S
COARSE	S	S
OPEN	VS	S	S	S	S	S	D	D	D
SWEET HOLES	D	D	D
SHORT	S	S	S	D	D
MEALY	S	S	S	D	D
WEAK	S	S	S	D	D
PASTY	VS	S	D	D
CRUMBLY	S	S	D	D
GASSY	S	S	S
SLITTY	S	S	S
CORKY	S	S
PINNY

VS = very slight; S = slight; D = definite; P = pronounced; Blank = condition not present.

(3) COLOR CHARACTERISTICS. Wisconsin certified premium grade AA cheddar, granular and washed curd cheese may be uncolored or colored to any degree recognized in the cheese industry. The color shall be uniform and not dull or faded. The cheese may possess numerous tiny white specks associated with aged cheese. Color standards are shown in the grade AA column of Table 3.

TABLE 3. CHEDDAR, GRANULAR AND WASHED CURD CHEESE

GRADING STANDARDS FOR COLOR CHARACTERISTICS
IDENTIFIED COLOR CHARACTERISTIC IN CHEESE BEING GRADED	AA			A (Wisconsin State Brand)			B
	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged
SEAMY	VS	VS	S	S	S	D	D	D
WAVY	VS	S	S	S
ACID CUT	S	S	S
UNNATURAL	S	S	S
MOTTLED	S	S	S
SALT SPOTS	S	S	S
DULL or FADED	S	S	S
BLEACHED SURFACE (rindless)	VS	S

VS = very slight; S = slight; D = definite; P = pronounced; Blank = condition not present.

(4) FINISH AND APPEARANCE CHARACTERISTICS. Wisconsin certified premium grade AA cheddar, granular and washed curd cheese shall have the following finish and appearance characteristics:

(a)Bandaged and paraffin-dipped cheese. The rind shall be sound, firm and smooth, providing good protection to the cheese. The bandage shall be evenly placed on the ends of the cheese, shall be free from unnecessary overlapping and wrinkles, and shall not be burst or torn. The cheese surface shall have a good coating of paraffin or wax that adheres firmly to all surfaces of the cheese. A slight amount of mold may be present under the bandage and paraffin within reasonable limited tolerances for the degree of curing, with no indication that mold has entered the cheese. The exterior appearance of the cheese shall be free from high edges, huffing and lopsidedness. Finish and appearance standards are shown in the grade AA column of Table 4.

TABLE 4. CHEDDAR, GRANULAR AND WASHED CURD CHEESE

GRADING STANDARDS FOR FINISH AND APPEARANCE CHARACTERISTICS
AA			A (Wisconsin State Brand)			B
IDENTIFIED FINISH AND APPEARANCE CHARACTERISTIC IN CHEESE BEING GRADED	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged	Fresh or Current	Medium Cured	Cured or Aged
SOILED SURFACE	VS	S	S	VS	S	S	S	D	D
SURFACE MOLD	S	D	VS	S	D	S	S	D
MOLD UNDER BANDAGE and PARAFFIN	VS	S	VS	S	VS	S	D
MOLD UNDER WRAPPER or COVERING	VS	VS	VS	VS	S	S
ROUGH SURFACE	S	S	S	D	D	D
IRREGULAR BANDAGING (uneven, wrinkled and overlapping)	S	S	S	D	D	D
LOPSIDED	S	S	S	D	D	D
LOPSIDED (rindless)	S	S	S	S	S	S
HIGH EDGES	S	S	S	D	D	D
HUFFED	S	S	S
DEFECTIVE COATING (scaly, blistered & checked)
CRACKS IN RIND
CHECKED RIND	S	S	S
SOFT SPOTS
WEAK RIND	S	S	S
SOUR RIND	S	S	S
WET RIND
RIND ROT

VS = very slight; S = slight; D = definite; P = pronounced; Blank = condition not present.

(b) Rindless. The wrapper or covering of rindless cheese graded as AA shall adequately and securely envelop the cheese, shall be unbroken, and shall fully protect the surface. The wrapper or covering may be slightly wrinkled. The cheese shall be free from huffing and lopsidedness. It may have very slight mold under the wrapper or covering in the medium cured and cured classifications, with no indication that mold has entered the cheese. Finish and appearance standards are shown in the grade AA column of Table 4 under par. (a).

Wis. Admin. Code Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection ATCP 81.40

Cr. Register, April, 1993, No. 448, eff. 5-1-93.