Cheddar Cheese Grades and Standards | Agricultural Marketing Service

Cheddar cheese is cheese made by the cheddaring process or by another procedure which produces a finished cheese having the same physical and chemical properties as the cheese produced by the cheddar process and is made from cow's milk with or without the addition of coloring matter and with common salt, contains not more than 39 percent of moisture, and in the water-free substance, contains not less than 50 percent of milkfat and conforms to the provisions of §19.500, “Definitions and Standards of Identity for Cheese and Cheese Products.” Food and Drug Administration (21 CFR 133.113)

Grades of Cheddar Cheese

U.S. Grade AA cheddar cheese shall conform to the following requirements and specifications:
1. Flavor. Fine and highly pleasing, free from undesirable flavors and odors. May possess very slight feed flavors. For detailed specifications and classification of flavor characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables I and V.
2. Body and texture. A plug drawn from the cheese shall be firm and appear solid, smooth, compact, close and should be translucent, although it may have a few small mechanical openings. May possess limited sweet holes in accordance with the degree of curing but free from other gas holes. For detailed specifications and classification of body and texture characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables I and VI.
3. Color. May be colored or uncolored but if colored, it should be a medium yellow-orange. May possess numerous tiny white specks associated with aged cheese. Very slight seaminess is permitted. For detailed specifications and classification of color characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables I and VII.
4. Finish and appearance
  1. Bandaged and paraffin-dipped. The rind shall be sound, firm and smooth providing a good protection to the cheese. The bandage shall be evenly placed on the end of the cheese and free from unnecessary overlapping and wrinkles and not burst or torn. The surface shall be smooth, bright, and have a good coating of paraffin or wax that adheres firmly to all surfaces of the cheese but may have mold under the bandage and paraffin within certain limited tolerances for the degree of curing. There shall be no indication that mold has entered the cheese. Shall be free from high edges, huffing and lopsidedness. For detailed specifications and classifications of finish and appearance characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables I and VIII.
  2. Rindless. The wrapper or covering shall adequately and securely envelop the cheese, be neat, unbroken and fully protect the surface but may be slightly wrinkled. The cheese shall be free from huffing and lopsidedness and may have very slight mold under the wrapper or covering in medium and cured classifications. There shall be no indication that mold has entered the cheese. For detailed specifications and classifications of finish and appearance characteristics of rindless according to the degree of curing see Tables I and VIII.
U.S. Grade A cheddar cheese shall conform to the following requirements and specifications:
1. Flavor. Pleasing and free from undesirable flavors and odors. May possess feed, acid and bitter flavors within limited tolerances as the cheese ages. For detailed specifications and classification of flavor characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables II and V.
2. Body and texture. A plug drawn from the cheese shall appear reasonably solid, compact, close and should be translucent although it may have a few mechanical openings but may not be large and connecting. May not have more than two sweet holes on a plug but free from other gas holes. For detailed specifications and classification of body and texture characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables II and VI.
3. Color. May be colored or uncolored but if colored it should be a medium yellow-orange. May possess numerous tiny white specks, associated with aged cheese. May possess seaminess and waviness to a limited degree. For detailed specifications and classification of color characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables II and VII.
4. Finish and appearance
  1. Bandaged and paraffin-dipped. The rind shall be sound, firm and smooth, providing a good protection to the cheese. The bandage may be slightly uneven, overlapped or wrinkled, but not burst or torn. The surface shall be practically smooth, bright and have a good coating of paraffin or wax that adheres firmly to all surfaces of the cheese, with certain allowable tolerances for mold and other defects according to the degree of curing. There shall be no indication that mold has entered the cheese. Shall be free from huffing, but may have slightly high edges and be slightly lopsided. For detailed specifications and classification of finish and appearance characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables II and VIII.
  2. Rindless. The wrapper or covering shall adequately and securely envelop the cheese, be neat, unbroken and fully protect the surface but may be slightly wrinkled. The cheese shall be free from huffing but may be slightly lopsided and may have very slight mold under the wrapper or covering in medium and cured classifications. There shall be no indication that mold has entered the cheese. For detailed specifications and classification of finish and appearance characteristics of rindless according to the degree of curing see Tables II and VIII.
U.S. Grade B cheddar cheese shall conform to the following requirements and specifications:
1. Flavor. May possess certain undesirable flavors to a limited degree in accordance with the aging of the cheese. For detailed specifications and classification of flavor characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables III and V.
2. Body and texture. A plug drawn from the cheese may be loose and open and may have numerous sweet holes, scattered yeast holes and other scattered gas holes; and may possess various body characteristics in accordance with degree of curing but pinny gas holes are not permitted. For detailed specifications and classification of body and texture characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables III and VI.
3. Color. May be colored or uncolored and possess various characteristics. For detailed specifications and classification of color characteristics according to the degree of during see Tables III and VII.
4. Finish and appearance
  1. Bandaged and paraffin-dipped. The rind shall be sound, may be slightly weak, but free from soft spots, rind rot, cracks and openings of any kind. The bandage may be uneven and wrinkled but not burst or torn. The surface may be rough and unattractive but shall possess a fairly good coating of paraffin or wax. The paraffin may be scaly or blistered with mold and certain other characteristics permitted in accordance with the degree of curing but there shall be no indication that mold has entered the cheese. May be huffed, lopsided and have high edges. For detailed specifications and classification of finish and appearance characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables III and VIII.
  2. Rindless. The covering or wrapper shall adequately and securely envelop the cheese, be fairly neat, unbroken and protect the surface but may be wrinkled. The cheese may be huffed, lopsided and have slight mold under the wrapper or covering in medium and cured classifications. There shall be no indication that mold has entered the cheese. For detailed specifications and classification of finish and appearance characteristics of rindless according to the degree of curing see Tables III and VIII.
U.S. Grade C cheddar cheese shall conform to the following requirements and specifications:
1. Flavor. May possess somewhat objectionable flavors and odors with certain increased tolerances in accordance with the degree of curing. For detailed specifications and classification of flavor characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables IV and V.
2. Body and texture. May be loose with large and connecting mechanical openings; possess various gas holes and body characteristics, with certain limitations and varying with the degree of curing. The cheese, however, shall be sufficiently compact to permit the drawing of a plug. For detailed specifications and classification of body and texture characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables IV and VI.
3. Color. May be colored or uncolored and possess various characteristics but not to the extent that the color is particularly unattractive. For detailed specifications and classification of color characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables IV and VII.
4. Finish and appearance
  1. Bandaged and paraffin-dipped. The rind may be weak and possess characteristics such as soft spots, rind rot, cracks, and openings, with certain limitations and varying with the degree of curing. The bandage may be uneven and wrinkled but not burst or torn. May have a very rough, unattractive appearance and the paraffin may be scaly and blistered, with mold and other characteristics permitted, varying with the degree of curing, but there shall be no evidence that mold has entered the cheese. May be huffed and lopsided and have high edges to a degree not permitted in the higher grades. For detailed specifications and classification of finish and appearance characteristics according to the degree of curing see Tables IV and VIII.
  2. Rindless. The wrapper or covering shall adequately and securely envelop the cheese, be unbroken and protect the surface but may be wrinkled and soiled. The cheese may be huffed, lopsided and have mold under the wrapper or covering in accordance with the degree of curing. There shall be no indication that mold has entered the cheese. For detailed specifications and classification of finish and appearance characteristics of rindless according to the degree of curing see Tables IV and VIII.

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