Some time ago
We pushed the cheese stick related reports
Some products are opaque in cheese content
Many products add white sugar and edible additives
What about parents
Shop cheese bars for kids
Are cheese sticks really nutritious and calcium supplemental?
July 27
Shenzhen Municipal Consumer Commission Joint
Futian And Bao'an District Consumer Council
Publish the results of the cheese stick comparison test
Combined with the results of the previous investigation, the samples of this comparative test selected 12 common cheese sticks on the market, all of which are online and offline hot cheese stick brands such as JD.com, Taobao, and large supermarkets, including DUTCH LADY, Hema x Jieli bean, Miaoke Rando, Miaofei, Christine, Yili, Dr. Cheese, Adopt a Cow, Anjia, Guangming, Baguifu, Mengniu.
Consumers are most concerned about nutrition and safety issues
12 cheese sticks compared test results
Through the preliminary investigation, according to the nutritional and safety issues concerned by consumers, the comparative test set up 14 detection indicators in 2 categories, including nutritional indicators (protein, fat, carbohydrate, energy, sodium, calcium, reducing sugar, sucrose), safety indicators (melamine, lead, total number of colonies, coliform bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, salmonella).
01
12 cheese stick hygiene and safety indicators
All meet the requirements of the national standard
Melamine was not detected
At present, China's cheese stick products mainly implement the national mandatory standard GB 25192-2010 "National Standard for Food Safety Reconstituted Cheese". Comparative test results show that:
The contaminants (lead) and microorganisms (total number of colonies, coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella) of the 12 cheese stick samples all met the requirements of the national mandatory standards.
Milk is one of the main raw materials of cheese sticks, and no melamine was detected in the 12 cheese stick samples tested in this comparative test.
02
Nutritional indicators
The calcium content of each cheese stick varies greatly
(1) Taking the cheese stick with the highest calcium content as an example, the calcium content of each cheese stick ≈ the calcium content of 120mL milk. Dr. Cheese Dr. Cheese, Yili and Mengniu brands have outstanding calcium content in cheese sticks.
Cheese in the cheese bar is rich in calcium, which is one of the best sources of calcium for humans, and the lactose in the cheese raw material can regulate the intestinal microorganisms and promote the absorption of calcium in the human intestine after fermentation. Children's intake of sufficient calcium can effectively ensure the normal growth and development of bones.
Test results:
▷ The average calcium content of the 12 cheese bars is 402 mg/100g. Dr. Cheese Dr. Cheese, Yili and Mengniu brands have a high calcium content in cheese sticks.
There are 10 models that use tricalcium phosphate or calcium carbonate food additives. The national food safety standard stipulates that the use of food additives within a reasonable range is allowed, and the use of calcium-containing food additives will increase the content of inorganic calcium in cheese stick products.
According to the labeling of the sample ingredient list, the two cheese bars of DUTCH LADY and Guangming brand did not add calcium-containing food additives in this comparative trial.
▷ According to the inquiry platform for food nutrition facts, the calcium content in cow's milk (mean) is 104 mg/100g.
Comparison of cheese sticks with milk calcium content with the highest calcium content
If each cheese stick is calculated at 20g, take the Dr. Cheese Dr. Cheese sample with the highest calcium content as an example, that is, the calcium content of each cheese stick ≈ 120mL of milk calcium content.
The result of 12 cheese sticks converted to milk calcium content
(2) The cheese sticks of the three brands of Guangming, DUTCH LADY, and Hema x Jerry Bean have a low sodium content.
Salt (sodium chloride) is inevitable in the production process of cheese, so the sodium content in cheese is also worth paying attention to.
The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that the daily intake of sodium for children aged 1 to 3 years should not exceed 700 mg, children aged 4 to 6 years should not exceed 900 mg, and children aged 7 to 10 years should not exceed 1200 mg. For young children, while supplementing calcium, care should be taken to avoid excessive salt intake.
The sodium content of the 12 cheese sticks was significantly different, with an average sodium content of 300 mg/100g. Among them, the three brands of Guangming, DUTCH LADY, hema x jieli bean have a low sodium content of cheese sticks.
(3) It is recommended to choose a cheese stick with a large calcium-sodium ratio, hema x Jieli bean, Dr. Cheese, Dr. Cheese, and Miaofei have a better calcium-sodium ratio.
Calcium-sodium ratio (calcium content / sodium content) can help us to judge the specific situation of a cheese containing calcium and sodium, if the calcium-sodium ratio is greater than 1, it means that there is a better control of sodium intake while consuming the same amount of calcium, so the larger the calcium-sodium ratio, the better.
The calcium-sodium ratio of the 12 cheese bars was an average of 1.5, and the calcium-sodium ratio of Hema x Jelly Bean, Dr. Cheese Dr. Cheese and Miaofei was better.
The calcium-sodium ratio is greater than 1, which means that there is a better control of sodium intake while consuming the same amount of calcium, so the greater the calcium-sodium ratio, the better.
(4) The cheese bars of Miaofei and Anjia brands have less sugar content.
The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents recommend that adults should not exceed 50g of added sugar per person per day, preferably below 25g. The Centre for Food Safety of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region considers that each 100 grams of solid food containing more than 15 grams of sugar is a level of "high sugar" food.
Among the 12 cheese sticks in this review, the cheese sticks of dutch LADY and Hema x Jerry Bean brand have a higher sugar content. The cheese bars of the Anjia and Miaofei brands have no added sucrose and have a low total sugar content.
Total sugars in this comparative trial = sucrose + reducing sugars. The specific sugar content (total sugar) test results are as follows:
Referring to the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", it is recommended that adults should not consume more than 50g of added sugar per person per day, and it is best to control it below 25g.
(5) Dutch LADY, Dr. Cheese Doctor, and cheese bars that adopt a cow brand have higher protein content.
The main protein in cheese is casein, which is a complete protein that contains 8 kinds of amino acids that are essential to the human body, and the amino acid ratio is very close to the needs of the human body. Casein undergoes the action of rennet and protease in microorganisms to form a variety of soluble substances such as amino acids, peptides, and because they are easily digested and absorbed.
The measured protein content of the 12 cheese bars ranged from 6.41g/100g to 9.97g/100g, and the protein content of DUTCH LADY, Dr. Cheese Dr. Cheese and adopted a cow was relatively high. The detection data is as follows:
(6) The fat content of 12 cheese sticks is in the range of 7.6g/100g-19g/100g, which is normal.
Fat content is actually milk fat content. Most consumers have a "misconception" about fat, equating fat content with obesity. However, the fatty acids in cheese are considered to be relatively healthy fatty acids, which are of great significance for the growth and development of the human body and the regulation of metabolism; and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K contained in cheese are hidden in the fat of milk.
In addition, the milk flavor of the cheese stick has a certain correlation with the fat, in general, the higher the milk fat content in the cheese stick, the stronger the milk flavor.
The test results show that the fat content of 12 cheese bars is in the range of 7.6g/100g-19g/100g, and the Centre for Food Safety of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region believes that every 100 grams of food containing more than 20 grams of total fat can be regarded as high-fat food. According to this standard, the fat content of 12 cheese sticks is normal.
Seven cheese bars have been labeled with cheese content
It is convenient for consumers to recognize and choose products
Seven of the 12 cheese samples in this comparative trial have been marked with cheese additions on the outer packaging of the product. The specific information marked is as follows:
In 2020, the National Standards Review Committee issued the "National Standards for Food Safety Remanufactured Cheese and Cheese Products" (Draft for Comments), which intends to adjust the definition of "remanufactured cheese", adjusting the proportion of cheese used as the main raw material in reconstituted cheese from greater than 15% to more than 50%, and products with a cheese content ratio in the range of 15% to 50% can only be called "cheese products".
In order to facilitate consumers' awareness and purchase of refined cheese and cheese products, the standard (draft for comments) has added requirements for product labeling, including the identification of "cheese use ratio" and the labeling of "refined cheese" or "cheese products". The requirements of the standard (draft for comment) will further protect consumers' right to know the composition of cheese products, and it is expected to be released and implemented as soon as possible.
Consumption tips
(1) Cheese sticks are nominally 0 sucrose ≠ sugar-free
Sucrose-free cheese bars are cheese bars that do not have sucrose added as a sweetener during processing. This does not mean that the product does not contain fructose, glucose, maltose and other added sugars.
Jiang Xinwei, associate researcher of Jinan University, national registered dietitian and doctor of nutrition: In order to increase the flavor of food, merchants often add other sweetened substances when making food, which may be natural sweeteners (sucrose, fructose, fructose glucose syrup, maltose syrup, glucose, luohan gothic glycosides, etc.), or synthetic sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, etc.). In recent years, studies have shown that excessive intake of sugar and sugar substitute sweeteners may affect the body's sugar lipid metabolism level, do not consume too much. Consumers should purchase in combination with the product ingredient list.
(2) Cheese sticks are not recommended for babies under 3 years old
Although the refined cheese is not as nutritious as natural cheese, the cheese stick can retain the calcium, protein and minerals of the cheese, which children can eat appropriately. However, considering that the cheese stick adds refined sugar, sodium salt, flavor, etc., even if the applicable population is not marked, it is generally not recommended for babies under 3 years old.
(3) Children should control the daily consumption of cheese sticks
Because cheese bars often contain salt and sugar, uncontrolled consumption by children, combined with salt and sugar from their daily diet, can easily lead to salt or sugar intake. And the cheese stick has a feeling of fullness, try not to eat it before meals.
Produced by the Editorial Department of China Consumer Daily New Media
Source: China Consumer Daily