2000 Minnesota Statutes

     32.481 Cheese. 

    Subdivision 1.    Definition.  "Cheese" as used in 
 sections 32.481 to 32.484 includes all varieties of cheese, 
 cheese spreads, cheese foods, cheese compounds, or processed 
 cheese, made or manufactured in whole or in part from cow's, 
 goat's, or sheep's milk. 

    Subd. 2.    Reduced fat cheese; light cheese.  (a) 
 "Reduced fat cheese" or "light cheese" is a product prepared 
 from milk and other ingredients by the processing procedures set 
 by rule or by an alternate procedure that produces a finished 
 cheese having the same or substantially the same flavor, body, 
 and texture characteristics as the referenced standardized 
 variety on the labels of the reduced fat cheese.  

    (b) Reduced fat cheese must contain at least one-third less 
 than the minimum milkfat content required of the referenced 
 standardized variety.  The moisture content of the reduced fat 
 cheese must not exceed 125 percent of the maximum allowable 
 moisture of the referenced standardized variety.  The principal 
 display panel must bear the name "reduced fat ...... cheese" or 
 "light ...... cheese," the blank to be filled with the varietal 
 name of the referenced standardized cheese all in the same size 
 type.  The principal display panel must also contain a statement 
 declaring the amount of fat reduction as a percentage or 
 fraction of the referenced standardized variety in a type size 
 not less than one-half that of the name of the reduced fat 
 cheese.  All other label information must be as stated in 
 section 32.483 or as required by Code of Federal Regulations, 
 title 21, and as adopted by rule.  

    HIST: 1947 c 184 s 1; 1990 c 407 s 3; 1997 c 7 art 1 s 14