Cheese substitute
Cheese substitutes are various foods that are similar in taste and use to cheese , but are not made from milk or milk products, or only to a certain extent . The milk fat is replaced by other animal or vegetable fats, and in some cases the milk protein is replaced by other fats. Cheese substitutes are mostly used for economic, ethical, religious or health reasons. Accordingly, the terms are art cheese , imitation cheese , imitation cheese , cheese substitute , in the complete absence of animal components also vegan cheese or vegan cheese alternative uses. The general terms cheese substitute and artificial cheese are not defined in food law. Usually they designate products that are not delimited by the German cheese ordinance .
history
The first artificial cheese was developed in the United States at the end of the 19th century and was soon produced in Europe. For production, skimmed milk obtained by centrifugation was mixed with liquid beef tallow (oleomargarin) and thickened with rennet . By replacing the milk fat with the cheaper beef tallow, this product was significantly cheaper than cheese. Common names besides artificial cheese were lard cheese , oleomargarine cheese or margarine cheese .
Today's composition and manufacturing process
Today's artificial cheese usually uses water, milk, soy or bacterial protein and vegetable oils such as palm oil as the basic substances, and sometimes also starch . Other ingredients include emulsifiers , flavorings and colorings , salt and flavor enhancers to bring the taste and appearance closer to models such as parmesan , emmental , mozzarella , feta or camembert . Since no maturing process is necessary, the production time is sometimes significantly shorter than that of real cheese. To make it, vegetable fat is heated, mixed with a ready-made dry mixture and water, heated, then the aroma concentrate is stirred in and everything is packed and cooled.
There are also vegan cheese alternatives which, like traditional cheeses , are produced through fermentation and maturation, in which only the raw material animal milk is replaced, e.g. B. by swollen and pureed cashew nuts , and which do without flavorings, flavor enhancers and artificial additives.
distribution
For reasons of cost, artificial cheese is mainly used in restaurants and bakeries in Germany, e.g. B. for pizza , lasagna or cheese rolls, less often in the food industry for convenience products for end consumers. In Eastern Europe and southern countries, however, it is also often found in packaged ready meals. The legal replacement of part of the cheese with an imitation is also widespread.
Around 10,000 tons of artificial cheese are consumed in Austria every year.
Artificial cheese is not always offered hidden, but also deliberately advertised and marketed as an alternative to a vegan diet and for people with a lactose intolerance .
Designations and labeling
According to a ruling by the Trier Regional Court on March 24, 2016, vegan products may not be marketed as "cheese" or "cheese". It refers to the EU regulation 1308/2013. On June 14, 2017, the judgment from Trier was confirmed by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
In the European Union , with the entry into force of the Food Information Regulation since December 13, 2014, it must be indicated on the packaging if the product consists of artificial cheese or contains some of it. In addition, according to the Food Labeling Ordinance, there is a general obligation to include all ingredients in the list of ingredients for packaged foods . In addition, according to the GMO Regulation 1234/2007 of the European Union, products in which milk fat has been exchanged for vegetable fat is not permitted with the addition of "cheese" to the name. Therefore, designations such as "artificial cheese" or "analog cheese" are not permitted. Artificial cheese or mixtures of artificial cheese and cheese for gratinating under fancy names such as “Pizza-Mix” or “Gastromix” are offered in the wholesale trade. For these products, however, a descriptive sales name is also required, for example “grated pizza topping made from 50% cheese and 50% vegetable fat” or “food preparation for gratinating, for fillings and salads”.
Austria also uses descriptive terms such as “vegetable fat-protein preparation for melting”.
In Switzerland , the use of artificial cheese is not regulated in the food law; the sale of such products must therefore be approved individually by the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG). So far (as of July 2009) products with the names “Cheddar or mozzarella imitation”, “Cheese substitute” and “Special cream cheese with vegetable fats” have been approved.
Web links
- Frontal21 report as a video
- Collection of articles on analog cheese Source: State farmers' association in Baden-Württemberg
Individual evidence
- ↑ A. Devarda: The examination of the cheese for a possible content of foreign fats (artificial cheese), the water and fat determination in the cheese . In: Fresenius' Journal of Analytical Chemistry . tape 36 , no. 1 , 1897, ISSN 0937-0633 , p. 751-766 , doi : 10.1007 / BF01348475 .
- ^ Meyer's Large Conversational Lexicon . Volume 11. Leipzig 1907, p. 817.
- ↑ Jeneil Bioproducts . Manufacturer information
- ↑ Manufacturer information from the Happy Cashew company ( Memento of the original from April 21, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 22, 2019
- ↑ Analog cheese on the cheese pizza - article of the taz of April 16, 2009
- ↑ EU: Initiative for clear labeling of analog cheese required , www.schweizerbauer.ch, accessed on July 11, 2009.
- ↑ Vegan products may not be marketed as "cheese". In: Welt N24, April 5, 2016, accessed on June 19, 2017.
- ↑ '"Tofu cheese" shouldn't be called cheese In: Süddeutsche Zeitung, June 14, 2017, accessed on June 19, 2017.
- ↑ Food must be labeled uniformly in the EU: Food labeling - food must be labeled uniformly in the EU. Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, January 31, 2014, archived from the original on February 15, 2014 ; accessed on February 15, 2014 .
- ↑ Analog cheese (imitation cheese, artificial cheese, laboratory cheese, plastic cheese) , Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety - imitation cheese; Retrieved January 20, 2010.
- ↑ Decree of the Federal Minister of Health of September 9, 2009 ( Memento of the original of September 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 59 kB)
- ↑ Mogelkäse: These two products have been approved by the federal government , www.tagesanzeiger.ch, accessed on July 11, 2009.
