ABSTRACT

Cheddar is a low-moisture hard-pressed cheese that originated in Somerset, England. The historical development of Cheddar from traditional farm production in the 16th century to industrial-scale manufacture has been reviewed by Rance (1). Cheddar cheese is produced extensively throughout the world today. The United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand are the main producers (2,3). During 1999 the total production of Cheddar worldwide exceeded 1.9 million tons.