Description. Grated cheeses is the class of foods prepared by grinding, grating, shredding, or otherwise comminuting cheese of one variety or a mixture of two or more varieties. The cheese varieties that may be used are those for which there are definitions and standards of identity, except that cream cheese, neufchatel cheese, cottage cheese, creamed cottage cheese, cook cheese, and skim milk cheese for manufacturing may not be used. All cheese ingredients used are either made from pasteurized milk or held at a temperature of not less than 35 °F for at least 60 days. Moisture may be removed from the cheese ingredients in the manufacture of the finished food, but no moisture is added. One or more of the optional ingredients specified in paragraph (c) of this section may be used.

Composition. (1) Each cheese ingredient used is present at a minimum level of 2 percent of the weight of the finished food.

When one variety of cheese is used, the minimum milkfat content of the food is not more than 1 percent lower than the minimum prescribed by the standard of identity for that cheese.

When two or more varieties of cheese are used, the minimum milkfat content is not more than 1 percent below the arithmetical average of the minimum fat content percentages prescribed by the standards of identity for the varieties of cheese used, and in no case is the milkfat content less than 31 percent.

Milkfat and moisture contents are determined by the methods described in § 133.5.

Optional ingredients. The following safe and suitable ingredients may be used:

Antimycotics.

Anticaking agents.

Spices.

Flavorings other than those which, singly or in combination with other ingredients, simulate the flavor of cheese of any age or variety.

Nomenclature. (1) The name of the food is “grated cheese” or “grated cheeses”, as appropriate. The name of the food shall be accompanied by a declaration of the specific variety of cheese(s) used in the food and by a declaration indicating the presence of any added spice or flavoring.

Any cheese varietal names used in the name of the food are those specified by applicable standards of identity, except that the designation “American cheese” may be used for cheddar, washed curd, colby, or granular cheese or for any mixture of these cheeses.

The following terms may be used in place of the name of the food to describe specific types of grated cheese:

If only one variety of cheese is used, the name of the food is “grated ___ cheese”, the name of the cheese filling the blank.

If only parmesan and romano cheeses are used and each is present at a level of not less than 25 percent by weight of the finished food, the name of the food is “grated ___ and ___ cheese”, the blanks being filled with the names “parmesan” and “romano” in order of predominance by weight. The name “reggiano” may be used for “parmesan”.

If a mixture of cheese varieties (not including parmesan or romano) is used and each variety is present at a level of not less than 25 percent of the weight of the finished food, the name of the food is “grated ___ cheese”, the blank being filled in with the names of the varieties in order of predominance by weight.

If a mixture of cheese varieties in which one or more varieties (not including parmesan or romano) are each present at a level of not less than 25 percent by weight of the finished food, and one or more other varieties (which may include parmesan and romano cheese) are each present at a level of not less than 2 percent but in the aggregate not more than 10 percent of the weight of the finished food, the name of the food is “grated ___ cheese with other grated cheese” or “grated ___ cheese with other grated cheeses”, as appropriate, the blank being filled in with the name or names of those cheese varieties present at levels of not less than 25 percent by weight of the finished food in order of predominance, in letters not more than twice as high as the letters in the phrase “with other grated cheese(s)”.

The following terms may be used in place of “grated” to describe alternative forms of cheese:

“Shredded”, if the particles of cheese are in the form of cylinders, shreds, or strings.

“Chipped” or “chopped”, if the particles of cheese are in the form of chips.

Label declaration. Each of the ingredients used in the food shall be declared on the label as required by the applicable sections of parts 101 and 130 of this chapter, except that:

Enzymes of animal, plant, or microbial origin may be declared as “enzymes”; and

The dairy ingredients may be declared, in descending order of predominance, by the use of the terms “milkfat and nonfat milk” or “nonfat milk and milkfat”, “milkfat from goat's milk and nonfat goat's milk”, “milkfat from sheep's milk and nonfat sheep's milk”, etc., as appropriate.