[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 21, Volume 2]
[Revised as of April 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 21CFR133.146]

[Page 334-335]
 
                        TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
 
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 
                          SERVICES (CONTINUED)
 
PART 133_CHEESES AND RELATED CHEESE PRODUCTS--Table of Contents
 
  Subpart B_Requirements for Specific Standardized Cheese and Related 
                                Products
 
Sec.  133.146  Grated cheeses.

    (a) Description. Grated cheeses is the class of foods prepared by 
grinding, grating, shredding, or otherwise comminuting cheese of one 
variety or a mixture of two or more varieties. The cheese varieties that 
may be used are those for which there are definitions and standards of 
identity, except that cream cheese, neufchatel cheese, cottage cheese, 
creamed cottage cheese, cook cheese, and skim milk cheese for 
manufacturing may not be used. All cheese ingredients used are either 
made from pasteurized milk or held at a temperature of not less than 35 
[deg]F for at least 60 days. Moisture may be removed from the cheese 
ingredients in the manufacture of the finished food, but no moisture is 
added. One or more of the optional ingredients specified in paragraph 
(c) of this section may be used.
    (b) Composition. (1) Each cheese ingredient used is present at a 
minimum level of 2 percent of the weight of the finished food.
    (2) When one variety of cheese is used, the minimum milkfat content 
of the food is not more than 1 percent lower than the minimum prescribed 
by the standard of identity for that cheese.
    (3) When two or more varieties of cheese are used, the minimum 
milkfat content is not more than 1 percent below the arithmetical 
average of the minimum fat content percentages prescribed by the 
standards of identity for the varieties of cheese used, and in no case 
is the milkfat content less than 31 percent.
    (4) Milkfat and moisture contents are determined by the methods 
described in Sec.  133.5.
    (c) Optional ingredients. The following safe and suitable 
ingredients may be used:
    (1) Antimycotics.
    (2) Anticaking agents.
    (3) Spices.
    (4) Flavorings other than those which, singly or in combination with 
other ingredients, simulate the flavor of cheese of any age or variety.
    (d) Nomenclature. (1) The name of the food is ``grated cheese'' or 
``grated cheeses'', as appropriate. The name of the food shall be 
accompanied by a declaration of the specific variety of cheese(s) used 
in the food and by a declaration indicating the presence of any added 
spice or flavoring.
    (2) Any cheese varietal names used in the name of the food are those 
specified by applicable standards of identity, except that the 
designation ``American cheese'' may be used for cheddar, washed curd, 
colby, or granular cheese or for any mixture of these cheeses.
    (3) The following terms may be used in place of the name of the food 
to describe specific types of grated cheese:
    (i) If only one variety of cheese is used, the name of the food is 
``grated ------ cheese'', the name of the cheese filling the blank.
    (ii) If only parmesan and romano cheeses are used and each is 
present at a level of not less than 25 percent by weight of the finished 
food, the name of the food is ``grated ------ and ------ cheese'', the 
blanks being filled with the names ``parmesan'' and ``romano'' in order 
of predominance by weight. The name ``reggiano'' may be used for 
``parmesan''.
    (iii) If a mixture of cheese varieties (not including parmesan or 
romano) is used and each variety is present at a level of not less than 
25 percent of the weight of the finished food, the name of the food is 
``grated ------ cheese'', the blank being filled in with the names of 
the varieties in order of predominance by weight.
    (iv) If a mixture of cheese varieties in which one or more varieties 
(not including parmesan or romano) are each present at a level of not 
less than 25 percent by weight of the finished food, and one or more 
other varieties (which may include parmesan and romano cheese) are each 
present at a level of not less than 2 percent but in the aggregate not 
more than 10 percent of the weight of the finished food, the name of the 
food is ``grated ------ cheese with other grated cheese'' or ``grated --
---- cheese with other grated cheeses'', as appropriate, the blank being 
filled in with the name or names of those cheese varieties present at 
levels of not less than 25 percent by weight of the finished food in 
order of predominance, in letters not more than twice as high

[[Page 335]]

as the letters in the phrase ``with other grated cheese(s)''.
    (4) The following terms may be used in place of ``grated'' to 
describe alternative forms of cheese:
    (i) ``Shredded'', if the particles of cheese are in the form of 
cylinders, shreds, or strings.
    (ii) ``Chipped'' or ``chopped'', if the particles of cheese are in 
the form of chips.
    (e) Label declaration. Each of the ingredients used in the food 
shall be declared on the label as required by the applicable sections of 
parts 101 and 130 of this chapter, except that:
    (1) Enzymes of animal, plant, or microbial origin may be declared as 
``enzymes''; and
    (2) The dairy ingredients may be declared, in descending order of 
predominance, by the use of the terms ``milkfat and nonfat milk'' or 
``nonfat milk and milkfat'', ``milkfat from goat's milk and nonfat 
goat's milk'', ``milkfat from sheep's milk and nonfat sheep's milk'', 
etc., as appropriate.

[54 FR 32056, Aug. 4, 1989; 54 FR 35756, Aug. 29, 1989, as amended at 58 
FR 2893, Jan. 6, 1993]