Cheese Rules: Québec

Yesterday we busted the myth that the U.S. does not allow the production of cheese from unpasteurized milk.  Today, we're going to take a look at the rules in Québec.  Why Québec?  Because (1) I'm trying to decide where to start my farm and the finalists are Vermont and Québec, and (2) Québec happens to be a special place for cheese, as we'll discover.

First let me say that the website for the Ministère de l'agriculture, pêcheries et alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) is a pleasure to navigate.  While I spent several hours yesterday searching for the USDA regulations, it took me perhaps a half hour today to find the regulations in Québec.  As you can read in SECTION 11.7 Québec is similar to France in that:

Pasteurized or ultra-heat treated (UHT) milk is not obligatory for the following products:
1˚ all cheese that has a period of affinage at 2˚C (35.6˚F) or more for 60 days or more after the date of production;
2˚ any soft or semi-soft cheese with a ripening period that is less than that prescribed in paragraph 1, if prepared by the operator of a dairy plant that meets the standards for the preparation of raw milk cheese as described in SECTION 11.6.

The exact passage in French is as follows:

"11.7.4.  Malgré les articles 11.7.1 et 11.7.2, la pasteurisation ou le traitement à ultra haute température n'est pas obligatoire pour les produits laitiers servant à la préparation des produits suivants :

  1°    tout fromage dont la période d'affinage à une température de 2 °C ou plus est de 60 jours ou plus après la date du début de sa préparation ;

  2°    tout fromage à pâte molle ou à pâte demi-ferme dont la période d'affinage est inférieure à celle prévue au paragraphe 1, s'il est préparé par l'exploitant d'une usine laitière qui satisfait aux normes de préparation de fromage au lait cru prévues à la section 11.6.

D. 741-2008, a. 15."

Woohoo!  So this means that - as long as the standards outlined in Section 11.6 are met - a cheesemaker can make and sell a raw milk cheese even if it is aged less than 60 days!  I suspect that, like in France, the Section 11.6 regulations are stringent, but Québec just may be the cheesemaker's land of opportunity...

It is important to note that, while Québécois cheese specifications are pretty snazzy, cheese specifications for the rest of the Canadian provinces are similar to U.S. regulation.

The rules of the cheese

A recent conversation with the family led me to write the following post about the federal regulations governing cheese.  Now, I know this isn't the kind of topic that will make you fall out of your chair in excitement, but it's something that absolutely must be clarified.

Yesterday I was informed by my sister who was informed by a cheesemaker in Québec that in the United States of America, it is illegal to make cheese with unpasteurized (raw) milk.  This is FALSE!  Please, please know, readers, that it is completely legal to make, sell, buy and eat cheese that was produced with milk that was not heated to 161˚F (71.7˚C) for 15 to 20 seconds!*  The General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service, effective August 28, 2002 states at the top of page 58 in black and white:

"§ 58.439 Cheese from unpasteurized milk.

              If the cheese is labeled as “heat treated,” “unpasteurized,” “raw milk,” or “for manufacturing” the milk may be raw or heated at temperatures below pasteurization. Cheese made from unpasteurized milk shall be cured for a period of 60 days at a temperature not less than 35˚F. If the milk is held more than 2 hours between time of receipt or heat treatment and setting, it shall be cooled to 45˚F. or lower until time of setting."

I should note that, when scouring the interwebs for official documentation, I encountered a more recent document entitled, Milk for Manufacturing Purposes and its Production and Processing effective July 21, 2011.  The listed requirements touch on those in the previous document, though there are changes here and there, namely on page 41:

"E 4.3.2 Cheese from unpasteurized milk. If the cheese is labeled as “heat treated”, “unpasteurized”, “raw milk”, or “for manufacturing”, the milk may be raw or heated at temperatures below pasteurization. If the milk is held more than 2 hours between time of receipt or heat treatment and setting, it shall be cooled to 45˚F. or lower until time of setting."

Notice that the more recent rule reprise eliminates the sentence, "Cheese made from unpasteurized milk shall be cured for a period of 60 days at a temperature not less than 35˚F."  Why is this?  If you know, please tell me.

While I am thrilled that my family is getting interested in cheese and scouting out locations for the farm, as you can probably tell, I am also distraught that intelligent people are receiving incorrect information from presumably knowledgeable sources.  So tune in next time for a recap of Canadian cheese rules and my aspirations to combine goat cheese with maple syrup.

* Pasteurization falls most commonly under the category of High Temperature/Short Time or HTST, where "milk is forced between metal plates or through pipes heated on the outside by hot water, and is heated to 71.7 °C (161 °F) for 15–20 seconds."  Thanks Wikipedia