We have paid attention to the concepts of ripened cheese and fresh cheese many times in packaging. Let’s take a look at what it means.
First, let’s talk about what ripening in cheese means. Ripening in cheese is defined as the physical, microbiological and enzymatic changes and interactions that each cheese undergoes for a certain period of time under certain conditions so that it can acquire its unique taste, structure and aroma.
Ripened cheese is a type of cheese that is offered for consumption after the ripening process is over. And it must be stated on the labels as ‘Ripened for … days from the production date and presented to the market’. Cheese obtained from raw milk or the milk that has undergone thermization process should not be consumed before it has matured for at least 4 months. If the cheese is produced from raw milk, it must be stated as “made from raw milk” in the label information.
Unripened, that is, fresh cheeses are cheeses that are offered for consumption after production. Cheeses offered for consumption as fresh must have been subjected to one of the pasteurization norms.
As a cheese lover, I like the taste of aged cheeses more. This should not be perceived as I do not consume fresh cheese. All of them have their place. Finally, I would like to say that the more we know about the concepts on food labels, the easier it will be for us to understand what we are consuming. To be a conscious consumer, we must pay attention to these points.
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