Selo green cottage cheese low-fat examination. "House in the village", "Prostokvashino" or "Green Village". What kind of cow's milk will not undermine the health of Ulyanovsk residents. What is "ultrapasteurization"
“The taste and smell of half of the cottage cheese samples do not stand up to criticism and examination. During the quality check, an outright fake was also discovered. This is the verdict of the organization "Public Control".
IT DOES NOT GET BETTER
Ahead is a big holiday, which this year coincides with Workers' Day. Mistresses will cook not only Easter cakes, but also Easter. And for this dish, cottage cheese is important, or rather, good cottage cheese.
The activists decided to check how good it is in St. Petersburg stores. We bought ten samples, sent them for examination to the testing laboratory of FBU "Test-St. Petersburg".
And they were not even very surprised when they found out: only five types of the product did not cause any complaints from experts.
Nutritionists consider cottage cheese to be very useful. However, our examinations have been showing with enviable regularity for several years now that not every cottage cheese can be bought, - they say in the press service of the Public Control.
Every year, specialists from state accredited laboratories identify low-quality and frankly falsified samples. Sends the results to Rospotrebnadzor. They file lawsuits in court. But low-quality cottage cheese does not disappear from the shelves of St. Petersburg stores. Only the ways of deceiving buyers, which are resorted to by unscrupulous manufacturers and sellers, are changing.
An audit in 2010 showed that a third of the samples purchased for examination are counterfeit, that is, they contain non-dairy fats. In 2011, 25% of fakes were detected, in 2012 - 40%. In 2015, this figure dropped to 20%.
THE CHEAPER, THE WORSE?
This year, experts found five samples of cottage cheese out of ten not to meet the requirements.
And one turned out to be a fake at all, - reports Public Control - This is a five percent cottage cheese from Uzlovsky Dairy Plant LLC, in the Tula region. - As part of this fake, according to the Test-St. Petersburg test report, there was no milk fat at all!
This “product” cost in the Sezon store (Marshal Zhukov Ave., 30) suspiciously cheap - 34.50 per pack of 200 g. The quality - or rather, its complete absence - fully corresponded to the price.
“Perhaps, in the process of production of this product, instead of milk fat, its substitute was used,” says Yulia Gramotina, head of the physical and chemical testing sector of FBU Test-S. Petersburg.
Cottage cheese from Uzlovsky Dairy Plant was already on the radar of Public Control in 2014. Then the examination revealed in it a discrepancy with the declared indicators in terms of the mass fraction of fat and protein. And here is a new meeting with a now outright falsification. The manufacturer did not respond to the request of the "Public Control" to comment on the results of the examination.
Perhaps with the regulatory authorities, where the relevant documents were sent, representatives « Uzlovsky Dairy Plant "will be more talkative," they shrug their hands in the "Public Control".
WHY COTTAGE COTTAGE IS SOUR
One sample of the type of cottage cheese did not pass the examination for organoleptic indicators, but simply turned out to be sour in taste. This is the "Red Price", purchased at the Pyaterochka store (Marshal Govorov St., 16). Curd 5%, made in OOO"PC "Obninsk dairy products" in the Kaluga region.
As noted in the protocol, he "impure taste and smell, as well as foreign smell."
The “Live Milk” curd also turned out to have a sour taste (purchased in the O’Key hypermarket, 31 Marshala Zhukov Ave.)
“Perhaps the products were stale in the warehouse of our partner,” says Pavel Grishin, manager of the Trigorskaya Farm farm in the Leningrad Region. - The sour taste of the product indicates a violation of the storage temperature. If it goes beyond plus two to plus six degrees, then the acidity rises. We are responsible for the quality of the shipped products, but we cannot control what happens to it afterwards.
As the manufacturer explains, in large retail chains, goods after unloading for two to three hours can be stored in a warm room. And only then hands reach him, and he gets into the refrigerator. During this time, anything can go wrong.
MANY REASONS
- Production of cottage cheese is a complex process, many factors affect the quality of the final product, - says Yulia Gramotina. - This is not enough good raw materials, and a violation of the technological process or storage conditions. It is impossible to determine in the laboratory what exactly caused the violation of organoleptic indicators.
According to Anatoly Brusentsev, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Biotechnology at ITMO University in St. Petersburg, one more reason can be added to these three reasons for sour taste and unpleasant odor.
“The manufacturer could have used bad starters,” says Anatoly Brusentsev. - Secondly, the preparation of cottage cheese could have been originally sour milk, in which there was an extraneous microflora. Thirdly, they could violate the storage conditions. It happens that cottage cheese is frozen for storage. And if it was later thawed several times or did not withstand the temperature of minus 18 degrees set in such cases, then extraneous tastes and odors appear in the product. Finally, it happens that the so-called products from the reserve are added to fresh cottage cheese, something that was stale in the warehouse. Then the old cottage cheese may well spoil the taste and smell of a fresh product.
COMPETENT
"POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS"
Head of the Department for Quality Control of Products and Services on Consumer Requests, St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution "Center for Quality Control of Goods (Products), Works and Services" Larisa SHAPOVALOVA:
Traditional cottage cheese refers to perishable dairy products, which are a favorable environment for the development of microorganisms. Therefore, it becomes potentially dangerous in case of any violations of storage and transportation conditions. Therefore, the buyer should pay special attention to the sanitary condition of the store where dairy products are sold.
On the packaging of cottage cheese, when labeled by the manufacturer, the storage temperature must be indicated, so it makes sense to make sure that the storage conditions in the refrigerated counter are met.
WHAT THE LABEL SAYS
The main component of cottage cheese is whole milk, normalized milk, skimmed milk, reconstituted (from powdered) milk, or mixtures thereof.
Also, cottage cheese contains sourdough.
Often calcium chloride is present in the composition, which contributes to the formation of a clot and an increase in the calcium content in the finished product.
In the production of cottage cheese, rennet is often used, the addition of which allows milk to curdle faster by separating protein components from whey.
What matters is how much fat is in the product. Fat-free cottage cheese contains less than 1.8% fat. The fattest cottage cheese, produced in accordance with GOST, contains more than 23% fat.
BAD BUT FACT
No matter how trite, but the examination of cottage cheese confirmed: well-known and well-established manufacturers have no complaints about the quality. The cottage cheese of five brands fully complied with the requirements of regulatory documents. These are Piskarevsky 5% cottage cheese (St. Petersburg), 5% cottage cheese (Medvezhyegorsk Dairy Plant LLC, Karelia), 9% cottage cheese TM "Family Farm" (Delta LLC, St. Petersburg), 5% cottage cheese TM "First Business" ( LLC "Lakto-Novgorod", Staraya Russa) and cottage cheese 9% TM "SpbFERMA" (LLC "SPb FERMA", St. Petersburg).
Materials used www.spbkontrol.ru
The quality of milk of well-known Russian brands was checked by experts from the independent quality control system Roskontrol.
As you know, milk is a source of calcium, useful enzymes, fatty acids, vitamins. Milk has antitoxic properties, has a beneficial effect on digestion and the nervous system. Of course, fresh milk is not available to most citizens and, moreover, it is prohibited for sale because of the possibility of preserving and multiplying pathogenic microorganisms in it. On the shelves of Ulyanovsk stores, we see packages and bottles with the inscriptions "pasteurized", "sterilized", "ultra-pasteurized".
Are vitamins preserved in such milk, how safe is it, and has anything extra been added to it? Specialists independent quality control systems "Roskontrol" tested ultra-pasteurized milk with a fat content of 3.2% of the brands House in the Village, Avida, Prostokvashino, Sarafanovo, Ostankinskoye, Selo Zelenoe, Valio.
What is ultrapasteurization?
Ultra-pasteurization is not pasteurization, - explained the chief expert of Roskontrol Svetlana Dimitrieva. - In fact, the main difference from sterilization, which is usually carried out in autoclaves, is that ultrapasteurization uses direct introduction of live steam into the product - bubbling. And sterilization happens almost instantly. The safety requirements for UHT milk are the same as for sterilized milk. The expiration dates match. The enzymatic system of raw milk is completely destroyed during such processing. A large part of water-soluble vitamins is destroyed. Fat-soluble vitamins are mostly preserved. For UHT, just as for sterilization, the quality of the milk and its heat resistance are important. Therefore, in the technology of such products, the use of phosphates is allowed - salts that make it possible to increase the thermal stability of milk by improving its buffering capacity. This prevents milk proteins from being denatured at elevated temperatures.
What about calcium?
According to reference data, 100 grams of cow's milk should contain 120 mg of calcium. In all tested samples, it turned out to be somewhat less: from 100 mg in Avida milk to 114 mg in Prostokvashino. This is because a small amount of calcium salts is lost during processing.
The experts were pleased with the low content of other salts, phosphates, in the tested samples. As a result of past examinations, Roskontrol has repeatedly identified signs of the addition of phosphates to milk. Obviously, manufacturers have made the right conclusions and improved the quality of their products.
What is not found in milk?
None of the samples contain vegetable fats, which are often used to falsify dairy products (more often fatter, and whole milk is relatively rare). Examination did not reveal antibiotics either. All tested samples can be considered safe for health.
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Test results
In general, the results of the examination can be called satisfactory. 6 out of 7 tested samples were recommended for purchase. Only Domik v derevne milk did not pass the test, appearing on the list of goods with comments.
Prostokvashino milk received the highest rating of all samples - 75 points. It complies with safety requirements, does not contain vegetable fats. The fatty acid composition of the fatty phase corresponds to milk fat. The sample has a relatively high mass fraction of protein - 3.18%. The mass concentration of lactulose is relatively low.
Milk” “Valio” was rated 73 points. This sample complies with safety requirements, does not contain vegetable fats. The fatty acid composition of the fatty phase of the product corresponds to milk fat. It has good organoleptic properties.
Experts gave 71 points to Sarafanovo milk. This product complies with safety requirements, does not contain vegetable fats. The fatty acid composition of the fatty phase of the product corresponds to milk fat. The sample has a relatively high mass fraction of protein - 3.06%.
Milk "Ostankinskoye" was rated 68 points. It complies with safety requirements, does not contain vegetable fats. The fatty acid composition of the fatty phase of the product corresponds to milk fat. The mass concentration of lactulose is relatively low.
64 points received from the experts of "Roskontrol" milk "Selo Green". It complies with safety requirements, does not contain vegetable fats. The fatty acid composition of the fatty phase of the product corresponds to milk fat.
Avida milk received one point less from the experts. It also meets safety requirements, does not contain vegetable fats. The fatty acid composition of the fatty phase of the product corresponds to milk fat.
A higher score - 67 points - was given to the milk "Domik v derevne". It meets safety requirements, has good organoleptic properties, and does not contain vegetable fats. The fatty acid composition of the fatty phase corresponds to milk fat. The mass concentration of lactulose is relatively low, but ... The milk product “House in the Village” does not correspond to the name “milk” according to the identification criteria of the technical regulation. The fact is that the mass fraction of protein in it is below the permissible level, even taking into account the error. It does not correspond to the marking according to this indicator and GOST 31450-2013 indicated in the marking: the negative deviation was 10%.
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In what ways did the manufacturers cheat?
Despite the seemingly rosy picture, there were still some comments to the test participants. So, for example, the experts were not too satisfied with the organoleptic characteristics of the samples. Only the products of the House in the Village and Valio brands did not cause any complaints. So, in the milk of Prostokvashino and Selo Zelenoye, the experts felt a salty taste, in Avida - fodder, in Selo Zeleny, Sarafanovo and Ostankinskoye - the smell and taste of boiling. In addition, not all manufacturers correctly indicated the nutritional value of their products. In most of the samples (except for Prostokvashino and Sarafanov), there was less protein than stated. For "House in the Village" this turned into an entry in the "List of goods with comments", since the protein in this milk turned out to be even less than it should be according to GOST and what the technical regulations prescribe.
Andrey KORCHAGIN
The products "House in the village" and "Karat" were included by Roskontrol in the list of goods with comments.
In the grained cottage cheese Karat (4% fat), the actual discrepancy between the protein content and the labeling data was 28% (does not comply with the technical regulations), and the fat content is 14% less than indicated in the labeling. No preservatives or structure stabilizers were found in the product.
The discrepancy between the actual protein content and the labeling data for cottage cheese "House in the Village" was more than 30%, which does not comply with the technical regulations (should not be more than 15%), while the product is safe according to the studied indicators, does not contain thickeners and vegetable fats. The product's packaging states that it contains a preservative, so it is a "curd product" and not curd. Since there is a corresponding indication on the packaging, this is not a violation.
Cottage cheese brands "Zalessky Farmer", "Milava" and "Izbenka" were blacklisted by Roskontrol for "deceiving the consumer."
The reason for this was that the grained cottage cheese "Milava" and "Izbenka" contain the preservative sorbic acid, which is not indicated on the packaging of the product, and "Zalessky Farmer" in addition to this preservative contains starch. The information on the fat content of the product under the brand name "Zalessky Farmer" does not correspond to the labeling: with the declared fat content of 5%, its actual fat content was 8.5%.
The lack of information about the preservative in the composition of the product is a serious violation, experts say.
The representative of the PR service of Vkusvill, Marina Purim, in response to a request from RBC, said that the company conducts systematic product quality control.
“During 2017, we conducted four tests of the product “Granular cottage cheese “Izbenka” 4%”, in particular, for the presence of preservatives. And no violations have ever been identified,” she said, noting that the product complies with the requirements of regulatory documentation and the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union.
According to her, the product was also analyzed for preservatives, among which there is sorbic acid mentioned in the Roskontrol study. “Everywhere is negative. We have no reason to doubt the quality of products from this supplier, but we will organize an extraordinary quality check,” Purim said.
On February 22, Zalessky Farmer LLC explained to RBC that they did not agree with the information published by Roskontrol regarding the grained cottage cheese of their production. “We can state with confidence that the quality of our grained cottage cheese fully complies with all the requirements of GOST 31534-2012 and the technical regulation of the Customs Union 033/2013, according to which it was produced. We do not add any additional ingredients that are not included in the composition indicated on the label, therefore we absolutely do not agree with the information published on the website of the Roskontrol organization, ”RBC was told.
RBC also sent a request to Balmiko Torg (Milava trademark).
Milk is a source of calcium, useful enzymes, fatty acids, vitamins, it has antitoxic properties, has a beneficial effect on digestion and the nervous system. This is what nutritionists and product manufacturers say.
True, it is impossible to get real fresh milk in a big city: it cannot be sold. Therefore, instead of it, we are offered “pasteurized”, “sterilized”, “ultra-pasteurized”. Consumers are sure: there are no vitamins, but on the contrary, it is full of “chemistry”. Is it really? Experts of the Union of Consumers "Roskontrol" sent to the laboratory UHT milk with a fat content of 3.2% of the brands "House in the Village", "Avida", "Prostokvashino", "Sarafanovo", "Ostankinskoye", "Green Village", Valio.
What is "ultra-pasteurization"?
The word that consumers usually understand as "killing all life" is ultra-pasteurization. In fact, this is a process of very fast processing of raw milk with steam at a temperature of 130 - 150 degrees. This allows you to save vitamins, mineral salts and valuable enzymes in the product. But the vast majority of microbes in milk after that no longer survive. And this is to our advantage: it is not necessary to boil it additionally before use. Otherwise, you will lose useful substances.
By the way, manufacturers claim that it is ultra-pasteurization (and not preservatives) that gives milk a chance to be stored for several months. The examination confirmed this: no preservatives were found in any of the samples.
How intensive was the processing of milk in production can be judged by the mass concentration of lactulose. The higher it is, the stronger was the thermal effect on the product. Judging by the results of the research, the producers treated Prostokvashino milk most carefully, the concentration of lactulose in the Sarafanovo sample was the highest.
— The safety requirements for UHT milk are the same as for sterilized milk. The expiration dates match. The enzymatic system of raw milk is completely destroyed during such processing. A large part of water-soluble vitamins is destroyed. Fat-soluble vitamins are mostly preserved. For ultra-pasteurization, just as for sterilization, the quality of milk and its thermal stability are important, therefore, in the technology of such products, the use of phosphates is allowed - salts that allow increasing the thermal stability of milk by improving its buffering, which protects milk proteins from their denaturation at elevated temperatures, — explains chief expert of Roscotrol Svetlana Dimitrieva.
No protein, no calcium?
According to the norms, 100 grams of cow's milk should contain 120 mg of calcium. Actually, it is for him that we drink milk. But, apparently, manufacturers forgot about such an important quality of milk. In all tested samples, it is somewhat less: from 100 mg in Avida milk to 114 mg in Prostokvashino.
But another check - for the presence of vegetable fats (and therefore gross falsification) - pleased the experts. They were not found in any sample. Actually, like antibiotics. Therefore, all tested samples can be considered safe for health.
And, it would seem, everything is going too rosy with this product. But it was not there. There were a number of comments to the test participants after all. Not all manufacturers correctly indicated the nutritional value of their products. In most of the samples (except for Prostokvashino and Sarafanov), there was less protein than stated. For "House in the Village" this turned into being included in the list with comments, since the protein in this milk turned out to be even less than it should be according to GOST and what the technical regulations prescribe.
“The sample “House in the Village” does not meet the identification criteria TR TS 033/2013 for the name “milk”: the mass fraction of protein is below the permissible level, even taking into account the measurement error,” adds S. Dimitrieva.
The experts were not too pleased with the organoleptic characteristics of the samples. Only the products of the House in the Village and Valio brands did not cause any complaints. So, in the milk of Prostokvashino and Selo Zelenoye, the experts felt a salty taste, in Avida - fodder, in Selo Zeleny, Sarafanovo and Ostankinskoye - the smell and taste of boiling.
In general, the results of the examination can be called satisfactory. Only 1 sample out of 7 is in the list of products with comments, the rest are recommended for purchase.
is an important part of the diet. This dairy product is recommended to be used to compensate for protein deficiency, normalize metabolism, strengthen the skeletal system, and in diets for weight loss.
The inclusion of cottage cheese in the daily menu to maintain health is relevant for customers of all ages, which is why the quality of this product is so important.
Unfortunately, out of ten cottage cheese samples tested at Test-St. Petersburg in the spring of 2017, only four turned out to be fully compliant with GOST as a regulatory document indicated on their label.
At the same time, two samples that did not pass the examination were called counterfeit due to the detection of non-dairy fats in them.
Vegetable fats, according to GOST 31453-2013 “Cottage cheese. Specifications” and the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union “On the safety of milk and dairy products” cannot be included in the product under the name “cottage cheese”. Non-dairy components may be part of the so-called "curd products", but their presence must be indicated on the packaging.
Curd quality indicators
The amount of protein in cottage cheese- one of the most important indicators of its quality, since it is this component that determines the value of the product for health. Protein below the norm - evidence of exceeding the permissible level of humidity and the addition of ingredients of plant origin. In accordance with GOST 31453-2013, the less fat the product contains, the more its protein component should be: cottage cheese with a fat content of 1.8 to 3.8% must contain at least 18% protein, a fat content of 4 to 9% - at least 16 % protein, fat content 12% and above - not less than 14% protein.
Organoleptic indicators- taste, color, smell, texture - are also important when choosing a product. In half of the tested samples, they turned out to be inconsistent with GOST, which, according to experts, is due to the low quality of raw materials, violations of production technology and non-compliance with storage rules.
Fat content of cottage cheese- an important indicator for dieters. Incorrect indication of the amount of fat in the three tested samples is misleading and may lead to unintentional eating disorders.
The results of an independent examination of cottage cheese made in accordance with GOST 31453-2013
| PRODUCT | MANUFACTURER | WEIGHT, g | PRICE per package, rub. | TASTE, SMELL, CONSISTENCY | FAT | PROTEIN | MOISTURE | VEGETABLE FAT | COMPLIANCE WITH GOST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piskarevsky Dairy Plant LLC, St. Petersburg | 250 | 70-89 | corresponds | corresponds | corresponds | corresponds | NO | corresponds | |
 with a mass fraction of fat 9% |
JSC "Laktis", Veliky Novgorod | 200 | 71-39 | corresponds | corresponds | corresponds | corresponds | NO | corresponds |
| Cottage cheese TM "Selo Zelenoe" with a mass fraction of fat 5% | OJSC Milkom, Udmurt Republic, Izhevsk | 200 | 59-50 | corresponds | corresponds | corresponds | corresponds | NO | corresponds |
| Cottage cheese TM "Sudarynya" with a mass fraction of fat 5% | 200 | 59-60 | corresponds | corresponds | corresponds | corresponds | NO | corresponds | |
| Cottage cheese TM "Baltkom" with a mass fraction of fat 9% | OOO Baltkom Uni, Moscow, production: Bryansk region | 180 | 57-85 | corresponds | corresponds | below normal | corresponds | NO | does not correspond to the mass fraction of protein |
| Cottage cheese TM "First business" with a mass fraction of fat 5% | OOO Lakto-Novgorod, Novgorod region | 180 | 49-67 | corresponds | corresponds | humidity above normal | NO | does not correspond to the organoleptic properties and mass fraction of moisture | |
| Cottage cheese TM "Ladon" with a mass fraction of fat 5% | Bologovsky Dairy Plant OJSC, Tver region, Bologoye | 180 | 66-31 | taste and smell are not pure enough | corresponds | below normal | above the norm | NO | does not correspond to the organoleptic properties, mass fraction of moisture and protein |
| with a mass fraction of fat 12% | Dairy business - Ivnya LLC, Moscow, production: Chuvash Republic | 200 | 70-90 | the taste and smell are not pure enough, with the presence of a slight foreign smell and taste | below normal | corresponds | corresponds | NO | does not correspond to the organoleptic properties and mass fraction of fat |
| Cottage cheese TM "Red Price" with a mass fraction of fat 5% | LLC "Delta", St. Petersburg | 180 | 36-60 | taste and smell are not clean enough, sweetish | above the norm | corresponds | corresponds | DISCOVERED 35% | does not correspond in terms of organoleptic properties, mass fraction of fat and composition of the fatty phase - vegetable fat was detected |
| Cottage cheese with a mass fraction of fat 1.8% "From Peasant" | Trade Line LLC, St. Petersburg | 180 | 57-98 | taste and smell are not pure enough, with a strongly pronounced foreign smell and taste | 10 times higher than normal | below normal | corresponds | DISCOVERED 75% | does not correspond in terms of organoleptic properties, mass fraction of fat and protein, in terms of the composition of the fatty phase - vegetable fat was detected |
The data obtained by the experts refer only to tested samples, and not to all similar products of manufacturers.
How to choose cottage cheese
Refusing to purchase products at too low a price is not a panacea for buying a fake. Often, falsified cottage cheese is sold as a product of the middle price category.
Experts advise choosing cottage cheese from trusted manufacturers, whose dairy products have repeatedly withstood laboratory tests with honor.
Isabella Satukhina based on the materials of the St. Petersburg Public Organization of Consumers "Public Control"
