Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese 8 oz. - Locally Sourced

Locally sourced in Ocoee FL from Lake Meadow Naturals.

Heini's Raw Milk Cheeses is produced without the processing aid known as pasteurization. Pasteurization is a process step where the milk is heated to not less than 161.5 degrees and held at that temperature for a minimum of 15 seconds. This process step is used to kill unwanted bacteria in the milk. There are many arguments in regards to the effect of the pasteurization to the proteins and fatty acids in milk. At this high of a temperature (161.5 degrees) it is argued that the proteins become denatured and that fatty acids are destroyed which eliminates a lot of the value one gets by eating or drinking dairy products.

In effort to supply our consumers with an option of choosing either pasteurized or unpasteurized (raw milk) cheese product we have made available our Raw Milk Cheese. We produce our Raw Milk Cheese according to the FDA Code of Federal Regulations 21CFR133.113. As stated in the force mentioned regulations any Raw Milk cheese that is manufactured without the aid of pasteurization must be stored at a temperature of not less than 35 degrees for a minimum of 60 days. Cheese being a fermented food, has in its natural fermentation process a natural break down and formation of lactic acid. The increase of the lactic acid presence in the cheese helps in the destruction and protects the cheese from the growth of unwanted bacteria that was not eliminated in the pasteurization process. The Ohio Department of Agriculture who is Heini's FDA representative and our regulatory agency does monitor our storage practices to assure the consumer that our Raw Milk Cheeses is indeed aged for the required 60 days.

We at Heini's Cheese want our customers to be as informed about our product as possible. We pride ourselves in our cheeses and the fact that our milk comes from small Amish farms in our Ohio community. We hope the above information is of use to you making an informed decision in choosing the Heini's Cheese of your choice.