Lambert cheese is bitter. Lambert cheese composition on the label. About the Lambert brand

Rumors of numerous fakes have been greatly exaggerated

The cheese epic in Russia has been going on for several months. We did not have time to mourn the Italian Parmesan, which had died untimely in the stormy sea of \u200b\u200bsanctions, when a new disaster struck. Not so long ago, the Rosselkhoznadzor said that most of the domestic cheese that has recently appeared on store shelves is.

What is it, is it better to forget about cheese at all? Or are officials cheating? Do domestic cheeses differ from imported ones, and if so, how? And don't the control authorities, and along with them the media, exaggerate the scale of the tragedy? To find out, "MK" decided to hand over several types of cheese to the laboratory.

Don't expect good for 300 rubles

For research, I bought two samples of cheese from a domestic and foreign manufacturer. The first popular Lambert variety, semi-hard cheese, was vacuum packed in a plastic film. On the pack are indicated TU, the manufacturer located at the state farm named after Lenin of the Moscow region. The production date is July 15 this year, the packaging date is October 21 and the expiration date is January 13, 2016. The mass fraction of fat in the dry matter of the cheese was 50%. The price per kilogram is about 700 rubles. The second type of cheese - hard, "Parmesan" - I bought by weight. The cost is almost twice as high - 1300 rubles per 1 kg. According to the label that the store itself attached to the prepackaged products, my cheese was imported from Argentina. In addition, the date of packaging of the product was indicated - October 28 and the expiration date - 12 hours. But, as we understand it, the date of manufacture and packaging are different things. Therefore, the exact date of cheese production remained unknown. Mass fraction of fat in "Parmesan" was 43%.

I handed over the cheeses to the laboratory for research, where their fatty acid composition was checked. According to the test reports, both the content of saturated and unsaturated acids does not exceed the norm in both samples. In particular, the content of palmitic acid in Lambert is 28.7%. The norm for this type of cheese is from 22 to 33%. In the Argentinean "Parmesan" the content of this acid is slightly lower - 28% at the same standards. “How is it,” the reader will be surprised, “after all, there shouldn't be any plant traces in the cheese?” In fact of the matter! Palmitic, like other types of acids, can and should be present in cheese. And this does not mean at all that our favorite delicacy is "contaminated" with palm oil. Now, if the content of palmitic acid exceeds the norm, this is a reason to sound the alarm. But this is not the case with our expertise.

How to distinguish cheese that contains vegetable fats from those in which they are absent? It is almost impossible to do this visually. The only advice given by experts is to carefully read the information on the packaging and choose a more expensive product.

- First of all, the name "cheese" must be written on the package. If there is an inscription “cheese product”, then it may contain vegetable fats, ”says Olga Andreeva, an expert on certification of milk and dairy products. - You should also study the composition. Usually, cheese contains standardized milk, sourdough, salt and milk-clotting preparations. If vegetable fats were used in the production, then the manufacturer should indicate this in an amicable way.

Alas, you should not focus on the expiration date. As a reminder, in April we took three samples of cottage cheese for research, and vegetable fats were found in one of them. So cheese has a rather long shelf life, especially for hard cheeses with a high heating temperature. Therefore, this indicator in this case is not a primary quality indicator. At the same time, according to Olga Georgievna, buyers should pay attention to where the dairy product is in stores.

- Sometimes during promotions in supermarkets they like to put cheese heads right in the middle of the hall. This is wrong, it is better not to take such cheese, - she explained. - Cheese should be stored at temperatures from +2 to +8 degrees, which ensures its safety and excludes the formation of mold.

But what is really worth paying attention to is the price. The cost good cheeseAccording to experts, it cannot be less than 600-700 rubles per kilogram.

- To get 1 kilogram of cheese, I need to use 10 liters of milk. One liter of whole milk from a cow costs at least 30 rubles. It already turns out 300 rubles, - says a farmer from the Moscow region Ilya Kutarin. - Plus you need to buy starter culture, rennet, there will be labor costs. So if in a store you see cheese for 300 rubles per 1 kg, most likely it contains palm oil or some kind of vegetable fats.

Now, because of the sanctions, rare cheese from the West will reach. Most often, on the shelves of the capital's stores, you can see huge heads from Argentina and Switzerland. Cheese from.

According to Andreeva, cheeses from different countries were brought to their laboratory for research -,. And they all proved themselves very well - not a single sample was rejected for fatty acid composition. Also quite good quality and Belarusian cheese. In the same cheese as such is not produced. Metropolitan enterprises only buy raw materials and pack them. The reason for this is simple: it is in Moscow that there are no farms, so there is simply nowhere to produce milk.

Another question that now torments many: what kind of cheese to take - large companies or, conversely, smaller ones that position their products as farm products?

According to Andreeva, it is still better to take products from large manufacturers. This applies not only to cheese, but also to all milk: cottage cheese, milk and so on. Thus, you will insure yourself against unexpected consequences.

The other day, for example, in the Office for the Moscow Region there was a message that in the Ramensky, Stupinsky, Lyubertsy and Noginsky districts, cases of brucellosis of goats and sheep were recorded in subsidiary farms. Three cases of human infection have been identified. Therefore, the population was advised not to buy goat milk and cottage cheese from farmers near Moscow.

To buy or not to buy is a private matter, of course, for everyone. As, for example, Ilya Kutarin assures, their animals are absolutely healthy. And he himself, his wife and little child eat only their own products. Therefore, in this case, you can only advise one thing: take these products from trusted farmers whom you know personally. Do not be too lazy to go to their farm, see live where their goats, sheep and cows grow and what they eat.

The most salty - "Parmesan"

The cheese itself is a useful product only in moderation. It has a high cholesterol content - about 100 milligrams per 100 grams, so nutritionists recommend eating no more than 30 grams of cheese per day and no more than 3-4 times a week. Some cheeses contain a daily amount of salt, so if you eat them often, you can easily get an excess of cholesterol and sodium in the body.

Nevertheless, cheese is not as fatty as it might seem.

- When sold on the packaging, the percentage of fat in the dry matter is indicated - 45-50%, but in fact in the cheese itself, taking into account water, 25-30%, which is much less. But, nevertheless, patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, obesity and overweight are advised to eat diet types of cheese, where the fat content is less than 17%. 25-30% fat with weight loss is a lot, - explained nutritionist Natalya Pavlyuk.

In addition, cheese contains a lot of protein, which is easy to digest, as well as amino acids. For example, some varieties contain histidine, an acid that helps strengthen immunity, growth and tissue repair. At the same time, according to the nutritionist, histidine is involved in allergic reactions. Therefore, doctors do not recommend allergy sufferers to eat a lot of cheese.

But experts generally advise against buying processed cheese and curds. According to them, they make such cheese, in fact, from low-quality raw materials - in particular, cheese, which has come to the end of its shelf life. It is very low in protein and high in cholesterol. Among processed cheese the percentage of fakes is also high.

So, the MK experiment is over. What are the conclusions? The hysteria around palm oil in cheese is slightly exaggerated. In fact, it's all about price. The cheaper the product, the less quality it is. And this story is not only about cheese. Well, it is impossible to buy good natural cheese for 300-400 rubles per kilogram. Therefore, if you want to eat well, save money. No - take what you can afford. The only thing is, after all, it is necessary that the manufacturer honestly indicate on the packaging the ingredients in the composition of his product.

How to distinguish high-quality cheese from low-quality?

Pay attention to the flavor and color of the cheese. The taste should not be bitter. The cheese should not smell like ammonia - this smell occurs during the decay process. It is clear that each type of cheese has its own flavor. For example, in "Lambert" it is slightly sour, in "Maasdam" it is spicy and slightly sweetish. But most importantly, it must be clean and pleasant. The color of the cheese should be uniform, without spots. Nutritionists do not advise taking cheese that is too bright orange, because in addition to beta-carotene, there may also be a dye.

The holes in the cheese should be even. Closer to the crust, their number decreases, but the size must be maintained. If they become smaller at the edges, this is not good. If the holes merge into tracks, it is also better not to take such cheese.

The cheese should not crumble when cut. If you try to bend a cheese block, it shouldn't break. In addition, the cheese should be resilient, no dents should be left on it when pressed, there should be no liquid release.

Unscrupulous manufacturers sometimes add starch to cheese - to increase the volume of the product. It is easy to check this - it is worth dropping iodine on a piece. If it turns blue, then starch is present in the cheese. Also, good quality hard cheese, according to the nutritionist, cannot be rolled into a ball - it will crumble anyway.

How to make cheese at home

Recipe from cheese maker Ilya Kutarin

To make cheese at home, you need the following ingredients: 5 liters of milk (natural cow) and 1/4 tsp. liquid rennet (dissolve in 50 ml of cold water).

Pour milk into a saucepan, bring to 35 ° C. Add rennet previously dissolved in water and mix well for 30 seconds. Cover the pot with a lid or towel and let sit for 30-40 minutes. Check for clot formation. A clean separation of the curd from the whey should be achieved. If it hasn't already, leave it on for a few more minutes. Cut the curd into 3 cm cubes. Leave for 10 minutes to let the curd settle. Transfer the entire curd to a colander. After 3 hours, gently turn the cheese over and leave overnight.

Rub the cheese with salt (not iodized). The cheese is ready!

For reference

Cheese "Emmental", 100 g

Contains 28 g of fat, 28 g of protein.

Contains an amino acid - tryptophan, which in the process of synthesis is converted into serotonin - the hormone of happiness, as well as vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, 50% of the daily value of sodium (salt) - 700 mg.

Cheese "Cheddar", 100 g

Contains 23.5 g of protein, 31 g of fat.

Rich in tryptophan and histidine, a lot of vitamin A, group B, calcium, sodium.

Cream cheese, 100 g

Rich in fat, but very little protein. Also low in amino acids, calcium and vitamins.

Cheese "Russian", 100 g

Contains 23 g protein, 30 g fat.

Rich in vitamins A, B12, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, zinc.

Contains 88 mg of cholesterol.

Cheese "Adyghe", 100 g

Contains 20 g of fat, 20 g of protein.

A lot of vitamins A, PP (neocin), calcium 52% of the daily value, a lot of sodium (1/5 of a teaspoon of salt), phosphorus. 54 mg of cholesterol.

Mozzarella cheese, 100 g

Contains 22 g of fat, 22 g of protein.

It contains a lot of tryptophan, vitamin A, group B, calcium, selenium.

79 mg of cholesterol.

Gouda cheese, 100 g

Contains 27 g of fat, 25 g of protein.

The amino acid composition is balanced, there is little vitamin A, but a lot of B12 and calcium. Sodium is twice as much as in adyghe cheese.

114 mg of cholesterol.

Parmesan cheese, 100 g

Contains 26 g fat, 36 g protein.

The amino acid composition is balanced. There is vitamin A, group B, PP, a lot of selenium and zinc. The leader in the amount of calcium - 1184 mg, and sodium - 1602 mg - this is four times more than in the Adyghe cheese (a teaspoon of salt).

68 mg of cholesterol.

Perhaps one of the most delicious dairy products is cheese. You can not only eat it just like a bite, but also add it to various dishes. And in the end, to get something very tasty, which would be simply impossible without cheese. Today, you can find many imported and domestic varieties on the shelves. But one deserves special attention - this is Lambert cheese. Delicate taste and bright aroma will not leave anyone indifferent. But where is it produced? And how natural is it?

Complete composition

First of all, its composition can tell about the naturalness of the product. The Lambert cheese label contains all the detailed information. But to an ignorant person, she has little to say. Why is all this added to cheese? And is there no "chemistry" among them? So, what is Lambert cheese made of?

The manufacturer decided that only Altai milk could become the best raw material for him. Indeed, in this region, cows can graze on huge pastures located in an ecologically clean place. It is meadow grasses that first give milk and then cheese a unique taste and aroma. In addition, homemade cheese making has been developed in Altai for a long time.

But for milk to become cheese, coagulants are needed. For production use concentrate and Both products are completely natural, but since the rennet is of animal origin, Lambert cheese is not a fully vegetarian product. In addition, it should not be consumed by those who eat according to Ayurveda. To improve the taste and presentation, add table salt and natural

The nutritional value

Like any other cheese, Lambert has a high nutritional quality. There are 357 kcal per 100 grams of the product. In fact, black bread and it can make a completely full-fledged snack, and also healthy (unlike pastries and fast food). After all, cheese does not contain a single gram of carbohydrates and is great for a carbohydrate-free diet.

However, you should not abuse it, since an excess amount can lead over time to obesity and related diseases. There are 30 grams of fat and 24 grams of protein per 100 grams of the product. And, of course, it should not be eaten by people suffering from. Otherwise, moderate consumption will help improve the overall condition of hair, nails and skin due to its high calcium content.

Assortment range

After the Lambert cheese appeared on the Russian market in 2003, the manufacturer Wimm-Bill-Damme decided to add another product under this trademark. It got the name "Creamy". From classic cheese it is distinguished by a more delicate taste with a delicate cream aroma. As a result, it has a higher calorie content - 395 kcal.

And relatively recently, customers were offered another Lambert cheese - Tilsiter. It is also made from Altai milk, but it has a characteristic taste for this particular variety. Unlike the other two, it can only be purchased in 150 gram slices. And this makes it indispensable for serving on a festive table.

Original packaging

Another highlight of Lambert is its bright packaging. A head of cheese (classic and creamy) weighing about 1 kg is placed in a vacuum package made of polyethylene. It has a bright yellow or orange color and looks very attractive to the consumer. Because of this packaging, buyers made it a "ball". It is worth remembering that Lambert cheese, the price of which can be up to 700 rubles per head, is rarely sold by weight. This is due to the fact that when cutting and opening the package, it quickly deteriorates and loses its taste qualities... And all because only natural products are used in its manufacture.

Thanks to good and active marketing, Lambert cheese has won quite a wide love of Russian consumers. Either you hear in some store: “where is he, my favorite Lambert cheese?”, Then you see a laudatory review on the Internet ... But the reality, alas, is more severe. "Lambert", in my opinion, is a simple and ordinary semi hard cheeseoverpriced.

• Type of cheese ... Semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk.
• Manufacturer ... Wimm-Bill-Dann, Russia. Now this company belongs to the American firm PepsiCo. It should be noted that the Lambert cheese factory is located in the Altai Territory.

• Lambert cheese has been produced since 2003.

• Form of release of Lambert cheese. Ball-shaped packages with a piece of cheese weighing about 1.2-1.3 kilograms. The shops often offer smaller pieces.

• Varieties... Regular (ppm 50%) and Creamy (ppm 55%). Very similar, prices are about the same. This article describes the usual "Lambert".

• Fat content of cheese . 30,5 %.
• Mass fraction of fat in dry matter. 50%.
• Energy value (100 grams). 377 kcal.
• Composition... Pasteurized cow's milk, bacterial concentrate of mesophilic bacteria, enzyme preparation of animal origin, salt, natural dye E160b (safe for health), hardener calcium chloride (safe for health), preservative potassium nitrate (it is impossible to call safe, it is better not to abuse).

Personal impressions. The color of Lambert cheese is light yellow. A large number of small eyes-holes are rather randomly distributed over the cheese mass. The consistency is quite dense, firm, typical of semi-hard cheese with a short aging period. The smell is moderate, simple, with fermented milk and creamy notes. The taste is also simple, slightly spicy, rather mild. The aftertaste is relatively short and unmemorable. The salinity is moderate.

In my opinion, the most common and ordinary semi-hard cheese. It would be good if it was sold at 300-350 rubles per kilogram, but at 550-600 rubles / kg - this, sorry, is too much. I'd rather buy other Altai cheeses for less money, more interesting: Innings ... I don't see much sense in taking Lambert out of the refrigerator in advance, because this is the most common semi-hard "sandwich" cheese. For cheese platter, in my opinion, "Lambert" is too simple, but it is quite possible to eat it in its pure form. Moreover, it is very good for sandwiches. And, of course, it can be added to baked goods and hot dishes - although this is not the best option, in my opinion. For hot dishes, it is better to buy a harder cheese such as Emmental, Gruyere, Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano. I would not add to Lambert salads either.

On November 24, the Rosselkhoznadzor for the Altai Territory and the Altai Republic published the results of inspections carried out at the Rubtsovskiy Dairy Plant. It turned out that the Lambert cheese, which is produced at this enterprise, does not meet the quality requirements. Moreover, as the department notes, the violation was re-discovered. As a result, the regulatory body introduced restrictive measures on these products. How could this happen, is there a dairy plant's wine in this and whether it will be able to sell its cheese in Russia, read our analysis.

Oleg Bogdanov

1 What violations were found at the Rubtsovsky Dairy Plant?

The inspectors found antibiotics of the tetracycline group in the Lambert cheese. The department reports: this is not the first case of exceeding the permissible level of this substance in the company's products. After the first trial, Rubtsovskiy Dairy Plant was placed under enhanced laboratory control, which, in turn, confirmed the violation of veterinary and sanitary requirements. Based on the test reports in the Register of Enterprises of the Customs Union, RZM received the status of “temporarily restricted”.

2 What does this status mean?

This status prohibits the Rubtsovskiy Dairy Plant from supplying cheese to the markets of the EAEU member states. We are talking about Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. The Rosselkhoznadzor in the Altai Territory explained the site that the term of the ban will depend on the actions of the enterprise itself. The department has already held a meeting with the management of the plant. The enterprise began work to prevent the repetition of such a situation. Once the problem is resolved, the "temporarily restricted" status will be removed.

Oleg Bogdanov

3 Will Lambert cheese be banned in Russia?

The fact that an antibiotic was found in Lambert cheese was reported by the Rosselkhoznadzor to the Veterinary Directorate of the Altai Territory. It has the right to restrict the movement of products of enterprises with the status of "temporarily restricted" across Russia. The department also notified the veterinary department of the need to conduct regional monitoring of the safety of products produced at the Rubtsovskiy Dairy Plant. It is not yet known whether the veterinary service will restrict the transportation of Lambert cheese. It was not possible to promptly receive a comment on this matter.

4 How did antibiotics get into the cheese?

As explained by the site Alexander Mayorov, director of the Siberian Research Institute of Cheese Making, such situations at dairy enterprises are possible due to an error at the stage of raw materials acceptance. According to the rules, the incoming milk is checked for antibiotics every 10 days. In this case, the supplier is obliged to notify the processor if animals were vaccinated with antibiotic drugs at the livestock complex. According to Alexander Mayorov, the plant is definitely not interested in the supply of such milk. Raw materials, which contain an antibiotic, may not curdle to the desired consistency during the cheese making process.

5 What do the owners of the enterprise think about this?

Sergey Glushkov, Vice President for Corporate Relations of PepsiCo Russia, Ukraine, CIS and Central Europe, told Interfax that the company received a letter from the Rosselkhoznadzor about the discovery of tetracycline antibiotics in a sample of Lambert cheese. Measures were taken immediately: the plant blocked this batch of products in the warehouse and conducted research in three independent accredited laboratories, including the laboratory subordinate to Rospotrebnadzor.

According to Glushkov, studies have confirmed the absence of antibiotics. PepsiCo Russia does not consider the agency's actions to be legal and justified "neither in terms of decisions made, nor in terms of published information." The company does not exclude the possibility of going to law enforcement agencies and the court.

Oleg Bogdanov

6 Have there been any complaints about the quality of Lambert cheese before?

In March 2016, claims were already made against the Rubtsovskiy Dairy Plant regarding the quality of the products. Then the territorial committees for the protection of consumers' rights of the Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan checked 337 samples of dairy products. Some of them were found to be in violation of technical regulations and safety requirements. Thus, in the city of Astana, according to the results of a study of samples taken in the Magnum supermarket, bacteria of the E. coli group were found in Lambert cheese. The products were removed from both stores and suppliers' warehouses. At that time, the PepsiCo Russia website reported that it was not the first time that the Kazakh side was "making unsupported defamatory statements."

Lambert cheese is a traditional cheese of the Wimm-Bill-Dann company, which introduced it to the Russian Federation in 2003. It is produced in the Altai Territory, milk for its production is also supplied from here. Having analyzed the prices in stores for how much Lambert cheese costs, we get the following data:

• 1 kg semi-solid in keg: 740-801 rubles;
• 1 kg of cream in a barrel: 750-780 rub;
• Packaging 430 gr semi-solid: 210-220 rub.

For a more precise definition of the question, you will need to disassemble the following nuances:

• Kinds;
• Price in stores.

The main types of Lambert cheese are:

• Standard. The resulting cheese, packed in a barrel in a yellow package. Realized at a price 760 rubles per kg. It can also be packed in a small pack of 230 g, for which you have to pay 212-220 rub... Also, many stores offer to cut the finished piece and sell at a price of 0.8 rub / gram;
• Creamy 55%. It is a distinct flavor of Lamber. It has a similar shape and is packed in 1 kg barrels. The only difference is in the color of the label (here it is red). Market price 750-780 rubles... Can also be sold by 8 rub for 10 grams per weight.

These data will allow you to accurately understand the price of this cheese, when choosing a suitable type.

The price of Lambert cheese in stores

Due to the popularity of Lambert cheese, it can be found in almost any store. Among those stand out:

• Pyaterochka. Average product price 780 rbl... This network is available in almost every district of any city;
• In a magnet. Implements software 760 rbl... Like the first, it has outlets throughout the country;
• In Ashan. Sells this cheese by 750 RUR... These trade pavilions can be found only in large cities (for example, in Moscow or St. Petersburg);
• Okay. Another hypermarket brand offering this product for 801 rbl;
• Tape. Offers by 790 rbldistributed throughout the country.

The online sales market is also developing today, where this product is also sold. Major representatives of this market are:

• Platypus: 739 rbl;
• Okay delivery: 801 rbl;
• Metro: 469 rbl;

These provisions will help you understand how much Lambert cheese costs if you visit a particular store.