10 Nov., 1916.] Coin pardtn'c Food V<(J}ies of Dairij Produce. 671 



Cheese is very rich not only in proteins and fats, but also in calcium 

 uud phosphorus, since these elements in milk are largely in combination 

 in or Avith the casein, and so concentrated with the casein in the process 

 of cheese-making. The iron protein compounds of the milk are also 

 retained in the cheese. 



Digestibility. — Cheese should be looked upon as a food and given a 

 rational place in a meal, and when thoroughly masticated is usuallv 

 well digested. It should not be eaten at the end of a sufficient meal. 

 The result of a large number of digestive experiments goes to prove that 

 about 95 per cent, of the protein and over 95 per cent, of the fat of the 

 cheese were digested and absorbed. The amount of cheese eaten by the 

 men in the experiments, which w^ere conducted by the Department of 

 Agriculture, U.S.A., was from l lb. to | lb. each per day. 



Langworthy and Hunt sum up the position as follows : — 



" Experiments have shown that when eaten either raw or carefully 

 cooked, cheese is as thoroughly digested as other staple foods, and is 

 not likely to produce physiological disturbance. The fact that cheese, 

 like meat, contains neither starch nor cellulose suggests that, like meat, 

 it should be combined with bread, potatoes, and other starchy foods, 

 with vegetables and sweets. The concentrated character of cheese and 

 many cheese dishes suggests the use of succulent fruits and vegetables 

 with them. The high percentage of fat in cheese suggests the use of 

 correspondingly small amounts of fat in the accompanying dishes, while 

 the soft texture of cheese dishes as compared with meat makes it reason- 

 able to serve the harder and crustier breads with them. Though cheese 

 is so generally used in some way in most families, yet the making of 

 menus with cheese as a central dish is less well understood than more 

 usual food combinations, since there is less experience to serve as a 

 guide. 



In order that the diet niay remain \\"11 balanced, cheese, if used in 

 quantity, should replace foods of similar composition rather than 

 supplement them. This means that the housckee))er, in suitable ways, 

 can ii.se chee.se, meat, fish, eggs, and other foods of similar composition 

 as substitutes for one another, being governed by their relative market 

 value at different times and seasons, by the tastes of her family and 

 similar considerations. If she uses the different foodstuffs with refer- 

 ence to their nutritive value, and is .'^kilful in preparing foods in 

 appetising ways and in serving tlicm in nttrnctive combinations, the 

 daily fare may be both adc^quate and jtleasing. whether she selects cheese 

 or meat or eggs or fish, or otlier foods to sup])lv the nitrogenous material 

 and fat. The onlv warning necessary is that overrii>e cheese may 

 contain a considerable percentage of ammonin. 



As the food value and digestibility of clieese becomes better known, 

 it should come to occui)y a much more prominent place in t^.'^ dietary 

 than it does at ]u-e.><ent. In England it is one of the staple ''.^ids, and 

 consumed in large quantities, especially by men Avho do miicli lieavy 

 manual work. 



The average com|)osilion of cheddar cheese is — Water, 35 per cent., 

 fat, 34 per cent., ]>rotein, 25 \)or cent., salt, milk-sugar, lactic acid, and 

 nsli, n pfi" cent. 



Tlie fat nf chcr^r is in a finely-divided slate, and slionhl be qnite 

 unifiiniilv di-^t ribiiieil ilintngbont tlie clieese mass. ( 'luMnically it ha.'' 



