Whole Foods Cheese
Figure A: Table B in 25 TAC §229.162 (74)(D)(ii)
Figure A: Table B in 25 TAC §229.162 (74)(D)(ii)
After careful review of food safety literature, scientific data, and state, local, and federal guidelines it can be concluded that storage of cheese at ambient temperatures is not a safe food storage and handling practice, based on laboratory evidence that confirms no one lot of cheese is identical, and maintains the same identical PH and Water activity. Federal regulators maintain that if a retailer is interested in ambient room temperature storage and display of cut, sliced or chunked cheese, the first option is to show through pH and water activity values and reference to the aforementioned table (Fig. B: Table B in 25 TAC §229.162 (74)(D)(ii)) that the individual lot of cheese is a non-potentially hazardous food. If this is not possible, then the appropriately designed inoculation study should be performed on each lot of cheese to show that there are adequate control factors to provide protection for that particular cheese to remain unrefrigerated indefinitely or for a specified period of time.
Storage and display of wheels, rolls or wedges of hard or semi-soft cheese which still retain the original, undisturbed wax or cloth packaging has been an accepted practice in retail food establishments to date, provided no breaks, cracks, punctures, etc. of the protective covering have occurred. Cheese that has been removed by the retailer and repacked is not exempt from refrigeration due to the product exposure to bacteria and other elements, which accelerate and shorten the product shelf life and contaminate the product (i.e. Henning cheddar that has been cut from the original encased wax packaging and placed in ambient temperatures for display).
Naturally cured, hard, semi-soft and pasteurized process cheeses with standards of identity and moisture content defined in the Code of Federal Regulations in 21 CFR 133.150, 21 CFR 133.187 and 21 CFR 133.169, respectively, are exempt from date marking but not from refrigeration.
Figure A (Parrano Cheese Laboratory results) reflects a cheese item imported by Best Cheese Corp located in Mount Kisco, NY, and distributed to Whole Foods retail stores. The table shows data collected from Best Cheese Corp, Whole Foods, and SGS Laboratory located in the Netherlands. The data is conclusive in that no one lot of cheese, even if from the same manufacture, and same categorical type have an identical Aw or PH blueprint. Thus reinforcing that cheese is a Potentially Hazardous Food which is and should not be exempt from refrigeration as outlined in the Texas Food Establishment Rules 229.164(o)(6)(B)(i)(ii), and the United States Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code (2004)and (Revised 2009)section 3-202.11.
Figure B : Parrano Cheese Laboratory results

Figure B : Parrano Cheese Laboratory results

Source | Item Name | Water Activity | PH | Table B | Best Cheese Corp | Parrano | <0.85 | 5.4 | Non-PHF/non-TCS Food | Whole Foods Corp | Parrano | 0.896 | 5.50 | Product Assessment Required | SGS Lab 4/19/12 | Parrano | 0.876 | 5.01 | Non-PHF/non-TCS Food | SGS Lab 11/05/12 | Parrano | 0.896 | 5.50 | Product Assessment Required |