The Dutch are real cheese heads. On average, we eat more than 11 kilos per year. Yet many people do not know what the indications on the cheese packaging mean. For example, what is the difference between 30+ and 48+? Cheese connoisseurs tell us how it is.
Designations such as 30+, 48+ and 50+ say something about the fat content in the dry matter of the cheese. “Cheese consists of a part water and a part dry matter, consisting of fats, proteins, salt and minerals,” says Lidewij Verweij, quality manager at De Producent. “When you buy a 48+ cheese – the Gouda cheese as most people know it – 48 percent of that dry matter consists of fats.”
In the Netherlands it is very common to indicate the fat content with the plus sign. This is less common abroad, says Verweij. Why the fat percentage is calculated on the basis of the dry matter is easy to explain. “When a cheese ripens, it loses moisture. Old cheese therefore contains less moisture than young cheese. Due to the changing amount of moisture, the percentage of fat of the entire cheese constantly changes.”
“This makes it easier to determine the fat percentage based on the dry matter, which always remains the same during ripening,” explains Verweij. “As a result, an old cheese of 50+ contains more fat than a young cheese of 50+, because the young cheese contains more moisture.”
Difference between farm cheese and factory cheese
The fat percentage in cheese depends on the milk the makers use. “Cheese from the factory is creamed. The makers separate the fat from the milk. The fat can be added later to achieve the desired fat percentage.” This works differently with farmhouse cheeses. “The milk is not skimmed here and the process is less standardized.”
“I prefer 30+ or leaner cheeses. But many people find these less tasty than the 48+ cheeses.”
Nienke Kreté-Tolhuijs, dietician and lifestyle coach
The rules for the markings on factory cheeses and farm cheeses differ for that reason. “Whereas on a 48+ cheese from the factory there is a strict margin of 48-52 percent fat in the dry matter, 48+ is only a minimum for a farmer’s cheese. In reality, this percentage can be higher with a farmer’s cheese than on the packaging is.”
Which cheese is best to choose?
There is a clear difference in saturated fat between low-fat and lower-fat cheeses. Cheese with the designation 40+ is not in the Wheel of Five , all cheese with less fat is. “If you opt for a block of 20+ cheese, you will get 0.8 grams of saturated fat, whereas with a block of 48+ that is 2 grams.”
Cheese can be part of a healthy diet. “It is a good source of calcium, which supports strong bones,” says Nienke Kreté-Tolhuijs, dietician and lifestyle coach at Mood & Food. “I prefer 30+ or leaner cheeses, but many people find these less tasty than the 48+ cheeses.”
“If you opt for 48+, make sure you don’t eat more than 30 grams a day. Cheese mainly contains saturated fat. Saturated fat raises the bad cholesterol in the blood, so you really want to get as little of this as possible. .