IDF Factsheet 17/2021: Cheese and Varieties Part I: What is cheese?
What is cheese? Cheese is a ripened or unripened product made by coagulation of the proteins in milk through the action of rennet or another coagulant. Dehydration, often fermentation by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and salt addition during cheese manufacture increase its shelf-life. Cheese contains the main milk protein casein, milk fat, the mineral calcium […]
IDF Factsheet 18/2021: Cheese and Varieties Part II: Cheese Styles
Cheese contains the main milk protein casein, milk fat, the mineral calcium phosphate, about 36-43% water, lactic acid and 1.5% salt for a hard cheese. Coagulum cutting size, curd heating conditions and pressing influence moisture content and texture. Often ripening by enzymes from milk, rennet, LAB and partly ripening microorganisms occurs to develop flavour and […]
Position paper: The Codex General Standard for the Use of Dairy Terms
Position paper to accompany the release of IDF Bulletin 507/2020, The Codex General Standard for the Use of Dairy Terms Its nature, intent and implications, providing an overview and key messages. Keywords: advertising, butter, cheese, Codex, coffee whiteners, condensed milk, cream, dairy, dried milk, evaporated milk, food legislation, GSLPF, labelling
Lactose, an important nutrient: Advocating a revised policy approach for dairy and its intrinsic sugar
Milk and milk products play an important role in the diet, and their consumption is recommended in food-based dietary guidelines around the world (1). A growing body of scientific evidence has linked dairy consumption as a component of an overall healthy eating pattern to several health benefits including healthy weight management, improved dental health and […]
Impacts of COVID-19 on food security and nutrition: developing effective policy responses to address the hunger and malnutrition pandemic
We have read with interest the CFS HLPE issues paper on the impacts of COVID-19 on food security and nutrition (September 2020). As the pandemic continues to undermine global food security and we all grasp with the new reality, we would like to share the perspective of the global dairy sector and how it has […]
Sustainable healthy diets: balance between plant and animal-source foods
Paragraph 11 of the Committee on World Food Security Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems for Nutrition Draft for Negotiations highlights unhealthy diets as a major risk factor for multiple forms of malnutrition and health outcomes globally 1. The document also defines the concepts of healthy diets and sustainable healthy diets in paragraph 20 and 21. […]
IDF Factsheet 13/ 2020: Processing Environment
In its 1986 article on management of Salmonella spp. in powdered milk products, Habraken et al. stated in the introduction: “The lack of reliability of the mere examination of finished products when evaluating the microbiological wholesomeness of food products has been known to microbiologists for a long time”, quoting six references, among them one dated […]
IDF Factsheet 11/ 2020: Dairy’s role in supporting a healthy immune system
While no foods or dietary supplements can prevent COVID-19 infection, evidence shows that a healthy diet and good nutrition play a significant role in building a strong and healthy immune system. It has been known for a long time that undernutrition and malnutrition can have major impacts on the immune system and increase the risk […]
Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling – Delivering meaningful public health outcomes
The overarching objective of Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) should be to deliver accurate, science-based and transparent nutrition information to enable consumers to make informed, balanced and mindful product choices that support positive public health outcomes. FOPNL objectives should encourage consumers to purchase and consume nutrient dense foods rather than energy dense, nutrient poor […]
Nutrition Profiling Models: To support the role of foods in healthy dietary patterns
The overarching objective of any nutrient profiling model (NPM) informing a front-of-pack nutrition label (FOPNL) should be to support an accurate, science-based model that improves diet quality, delivers meaningful public health outcomes and enables consumers to choose nutrient dense foods rather than energy dense, nutrient poor foods as outlined in dietary guidelines worldwide. NPM should […]
