Facts About Cheese
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Cheese has existed for thousands of years, and is a popular food
around the world
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Consumers can chose from a wide variety of cheeses with
different flavours and textures; from hard cheeses such as
Cheddar to soft varieties such as cottage cheese and Brie
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Around 40% of all the milk produced on Northern Ireland dairy
farms which goes into the manufacture of dairy products, is
turned into cheese
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Cheese is a good source of important nutrients*
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The fat content of cheese varies depending on the type,
ranging from 35% for regular Cheddar to 4.3% for cottage
cheese
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It is the fat content of cheese which gives it its unique flavour
and texture
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It is recommended that around 70g of fat a day is a healthy
upper limit for an average woman and 95g for a man. A
matchbox size piece of Cheddar type cheese contains
approximately 10g of fat; 14% of the maximum for a woman
and 10% for a man
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Government guidelines suggest that the average woman
should consume around 2000 calories a day, and the average
man 2500 calories; a 30g piece of Cheddar cheese contributes
to 6% of this figure for a woman and 5% for a man
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A little salt is added to cheeses during the manufacturing
process to preserve them and to bring out their flavour
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The salt content of cheese varies between the different
varieties. For example, a 30g serving of Cheddar or Stilton
supply around 9% of the recommended maximum salt intake
(6g) for adults
A matchbox size portion of hard cheese (30g) is particularly
high in protein which is needed to build strong bones and for
muscle function
Cheese is also a source of calcium which is important for
healthy bones, normal blood clotting and releasing the energy
from food. It is needed for muscle and nerve function, as well as
for the enzymes involved in digestion
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The calcium content of cheese depends on the manufacturing
process used and the specific variety of cheese. Harder cheeses
such as Cheddar tend to be higher in calcium than soft cheese
such as cottage cheese
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A portion of cheese also contains vitamin B12 which is needed
for release of energy from food and to keep your blood and
immune system healthy
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Cheese also contains phosphorus which can help keep your cell
membranes healthy, as well as building strong bones
and releasing energy from food
* Based on a 30g portion of Cheddar cheese
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The table below shows the percentage of an adult’s nutrient
needs** provided by one match-box sized piece of Cheddar
cheese (30g):
Nutrient
Female
Male
Vitamin B12
47
47
Calcium
32
32
Phosphorus
28
28
Protein
17
14
**Reference Nutrient Intake