Cheese rind

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A cut loaf of hard cheese with rind

As rind or crusted refers to the outer shell of natural or artificial cheese . It protects against dehydration, contamination and, in some cases, the penetration of pests.

Natural cheese rind

The rind is mostly created by the processing or care during the cheese production . This is supported by heat treatment such as B. smoking and brewing , but also by processing with brine , wine , beer or other ingredients that are applied to the cheese by brushes, sponges or atomizers.

The rind of naturally matured hard cheeses such as Emmentaler or Parmesan is generally edible. During ripening, however, fermentation and bitter substances collect in the rind , which is why the rind often has a taste that is perceived as unpleasant. For many varieties it is therefore recommended to remove the bark before consumption. Exceptions to this are young white mold cheeses such as Camembert or Brie , where the noble mold is usually eaten on the surface.

The cheese coating agent Natamycin ( E 235 ) has been approved as a preservative for the surface treatment of hard cheese, semi- hard cheese and semi-hard cheese . In addition, it should protect against unwanted mold growth. According to food law, a maximum amount of 1 mg / dm 2 surface applies  . Natamycin must no longer be detectable 5 mm below the cheese rind.

Plastic coating

Some types of cheese, such as B. Gouda and Edam , are treated with paraffins or wax or packed in a plastic sleeve. These wrappings are not edible and have the note "Plastic coating not suitable for consumption". They can be disposed of with the yellow sack , but in the garbage sorting systems they are usually separated out as residual materials and incinerated because they usually consist of several very thin layers of different types of plastic (multilayer films).

literature

  • Brigitte Engelmann, Peter Holler: The gourmet manual cheese . Ullmann, Königswinter 2008, p. 84, ISBN 978-3-8331-5023-4 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Which cheese rind is edible? Consumer Advice Center Bavaria, July 7, 2016, accessed on February 4, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Max Gehry: Big cheese. How food will be packaged differently in the future. In: TrenntMagazin 18 (2019). Berliner Stadtreinigung , November 7, 2019, pp. 14-27 , accessed on February 4, 2020 .