The laboratory of the Federal Attorney’s Office for the Consumer ( Profeco ) analyzed the number of 22 brands of American-type cheeses that are marketed in the Mexican market.
According to their study, published in the latest edition of the Consumer Magazine, it included 11 kinds of cheese, 9 denominations, styles or cheese type, and 2 yellow cheese-type food preparations in their different denominations.
The department headed by Ricardo Sheffield Padilla pointed out that for several years the different brands have used the terms “style”, “imitation” or “cheese type”, sometimes highlighting the word cheese when they are not.
Profeco announced that since April 2021 and pursuant to the amendment to NOM-051-SCFI / SSA1, the names of imitation products must appear in the upper left part of the main display area.
He explained that for the information to be clearer to the consumer, the word IMITATION should be placed at the beginning in capital letters, with bold letters on a light background in a size twice the rest of the denomination.
The laboratory study of American-type cheese brands verified the denomination, brand, presentation, water content, presence of starch, vegetable fat, as well as contribution and nutritional table.
It was observed that the very precise brand American Type / Mexico / 140g does not declare whether it is cheese or imitation, it only indicates “American type”; in addition, it contains only 0.9% protein.
Profeco added that it has water as the first ingredient, followed by hydrogenated vegetable fat and modified starch, while the presence of a dairy component is up to the fourth and sixth place on the list of its ingredients.
Another example was the brand “Sabores de mi tierra” Sliced American type cheese / Mexico / 240g, of which he explained that it has a lower quantity than declared; apart from the fact that it does not declare that it contains starch and is the one with the least protein (0.49%), apart from containing vegetable fat.
Profeco exhibits the worst brands of
American type cheese
Brands that contain starch and vegetable fats
- El Ciervo, American cheese style / Mexico / 140g.
- Strip, American melted cheese style food / Mexico / 144g.
- Burr, American cheese, American cheese imitation / Mexico / 302g.
- La Villita, American melted cheese style / Mexico / 210g.
- Nutri, American cheese style / Mexico / 140g.
- Aurrera, imitation American type cheese / Mexico / 280g.
- Chipilo Americano, imitation American type melted cheese.
- Del Rancho, food preparation type American cheese / Mexico / 126g.
- Le Castell, food preparation type American cheese / Mexico/ 180g.
- Precissimo, American type / Mexico / 140g
They are not cheeses …
- Del Rancho, American food preparation type American cheese / Mexico / 180g.
- Le Castell, food preparation type American cheese / Mexico/ 180g.
They confuse the consumer- Burr, American cheese, American cheese imitation / Mexico / 302g. It has two denominations : American cheese and American imitation, so it can be confusing.
- Aurrera, imitation American type cheese / Mexico / 280g. It presents the word imitation in much smaller type than the word cheese, so it is confusing
Source: sumedico.lasillarota.com, gob.mx, revistadelconsumidor.profeco.gob.mx