Decoding Official Cheese Grades
For consumers, understanding the labels on dairy products can be confusing. Unlike milk, for which "Grade A" primarily denotes sanitary production, the grading for cheese, particularly in states like Wisconsin, involves a meticulous sensory evaluation process. This system provides a guarantee of consistent and predictable quality, ensuring that a Grade A cheddar, for example, meets a specific set of expectations regarding its sensory profile. This detailed grading process helps delineate a hierarchy of quality, from the highest-rated Grade AA down to lesser grades, providing transparency for both buyers and cheesemakers.
The Standardized Grading Criteria
Expert, licensed cheese graders evaluate certain types of cheese against specific standards of identity. While criteria can vary slightly by variety, most cheeses are judged on four key attributes:
- Flavor and Aroma: The cheese should possess a pleasing, desirable flavor profile with no off-flavors or odors. For a Grade A cheese, minor flavor notes like slight acid or bitterness might be present, but they are not easily detectable by an untrained palate. The aroma should be characteristic of its type and appealing.
- Body and Texture: A cheese's body refers to its structure and consistency. A plug from a Grade A cheese should feel reasonably solid, compact, and close-knit. It should not exhibit significant defects such as being crumbly, pasty, or overly weak.
- Color: The cheese's color, whether naturally off-white or deliberately colored, should be uniform and not appear dull, mottled, or faded. Aging cheese may develop tiny white specks, which are not considered a defect.
- Finish and Appearance: This refers to the cheese's exterior. For rindless cheese, the wrapper must be secure and fully protective, with no bursts or tears. The overall shape should be uniform.
The Rigorous Cheese Grading Process
Becoming a licensed cheese grader, particularly in a dairy-focused region like Wisconsin, is an intensive process that requires passing both a written and organoleptic (sensory) exam. The grading process for a batch of cheese typically involves the following steps:
- Visual Inspection: Graders first visually inspect the exterior of the cheese for correct color and overall finish.
- Using a Trier: A cheese trier, a special tool like an apple corer, is inserted into the cheese to extract a core.
- Smell Test: The grader immediately performs a smell test on the extracted core to check for the balance of aromas, as the aroma can reveal potential flavor defects.
- Touch and Feel: The core is kneaded and worked between the fingers to assess the body and texture of the cheese, feeling for defects like mealiness or weakness.
- Taste Test: Finally, the grader tastes the warmed cheese to confirm its flavor profile, ensuring it meets the specific standard for that variety.
This methodical approach ensures that even minor flavor deviations or defects are detected and categorized appropriately. The grading process is performed at different stages of maturation, with experienced graders projecting how a young cheese will age.
Grade AA vs. Grade A vs. Grade B: A Comparison
To understand what Grade A cheese is, it is helpful to compare it to the ratings directly above and below it. The highest quality is Grade AA, representing a nearly flawless product, while Grade B cheese has more noticeable, though still tolerable, defects. The comparison below focuses on hard cheeses like cheddar.
| Characteristic | Grade AA (Certified Premium) | Grade A (Wisconsin State Brand) | Grade B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flavor | Fine and highly pleasing cheddar flavor, free from undesirable flavors. | Pleasing, free from undesirable flavors, though may have slight acid or bitter notes not obvious to untrained palates. | More distinct flavors like feed, acid, or bitter, which are more readily apparent to tasters. |
| Body & Texture | Solid, smooth, and fine body consistency. | Reasonably solid, compact, and close; may have a few minor mechanical openings. | Coarser texture and a body that may be pasty, crumbly, or have "sweet holes". |
| Color | Uniform and not dull or faded. | Uniform; may possess numerous tiny white specks from aging. | No requirement for color uniformity; may be mottled. |
| Appearance | Wrapper is secure and smooth, with no wrinkling or tears. | Wrapper is secure, but may have slight wrinkling and small cosmetic defects. | Wrapper may be weak or slightly damaged, but must still protect the surface. |
Beyond the Grades
For consumers, a Grade A label offers a strong assurance of a good-quality, consistent product, especially in the context of standardized, hard cheeses. For cheeses that do not have a standard of identity, such as artisanal or non-traditional varieties, a numeric score or pass/fail system may be used instead. Ultimately, grading provides a common language for manufacturers and consumers, ensuring consistent and dependable quality. When buying cheese, the grade is a helpful indicator, but for many nuanced and specialty cheeses, the experience and reputation of the producer often tell the full story. The journey of a cheese from fresh curd to a carefully graded product highlights the blend of science and tradition that creates high-quality dairy.
Conclusion
In summary, understanding what is grade a cheese goes beyond simply identifying it as 'good.' It involves recognizing the rigorous, standardized process of evaluation based on key sensory and physical characteristics. The Grade A designation ensures a dependable, high-quality product, though it is one step below the highest-rated Grade AA. By prioritizing flavor, body, color, and finish, official grading systems provide consumers with a valuable quality assurance. While not all cheeses are officially graded, for those that are, the grade provides a reliable metric to guide purchasing decisions.
Learn more about the specific standards for cheddar cheese from the USDA.
