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Canadian Grade Compendium: Volume 4 – Dairy Products
Dairy Product Grade Requirements

Grades and Grade Names

1. (1) The grade and grade name for butter, calorie-reduced butter, dairy spread, light butter or lite butter, whey butter and cheddar cheese is Canada 1 (see Volume 9, Import Grade Requirements for grade names used for imported dairy products).

(2) The grades and grade names for dry milk products are Canada 1 and Canada 2.

2. (1) If the foods set out in section 1 are graded and the grade name is applied to the food, the grade name must be displayed as shown in the schedule of dairy product grade names.

(2) The figures in the schedule of dairy product grade names, referred to in subsection (1) may be white, or any uniform colour.

Grade Requirements for Butter and Butter Products

3. Butter, calorie-reduced butter, dairy spread, light butter or lite butter and whey butter graded Canada 1 must have

  • (a) typical and desirable flavour, and in the case of cultured butter, slightly acidulous;
  • (b) smooth texture;
  • (c) firm body;
  • (d) any moisture in the product reasonably well incorporated;
  • (e) uniform colour that is characteristic of the product; and
  • (f) salt that is dissolved, if it is added to the product.

Grade Requirements for Cheddar Cheese

4. Cheddar cheese graded Canada 1 must

  • (a) have typical and desirable flavour and aroma;
  • (b) have reasonably compact and firm body;
  • (c) have smooth texture;
  • (d) have a clean, smooth and unbroken surface;
  • (e) have, except in the case of marbled cheddar cheese, a characteristic uniform colour ; and
  • (f) be uniform in size and regular in shape.

Grade Requirements for Other Dairy Products

5. (1) A dairy product named in the heading of a table to this section graded Canada 1 must

  • (a) meet the requirements of the grade Canada 1 as set out in that table;
  • (b) be uniform in composition and colour;
  • (c) be free from hard lumps;
  • (d) be white or cream in colour or, in the case of whey powder, acid-type whey powder and a combination of skim milk powder and whey powder, be light in colour;
  • (e) be wholly free from black or brown particles visible to the naked eye except in the case of whey powder, acid-type whey powder and a combination of skim milk powder and whey powder, which must be substantially free from brown or black particles visible to the naked eye;
  • (f) when reconstituted, have unobjectionable flavour and odour, except in the case of whey powder, acid-type whey powder and a combination of skim milk powder and whey powder, which may have a slightly cooked or slightly scorched flavour and odour; and
  • (g) not contain a pH adjusting agent, except in the case of acid-type whey powder.

(2) A dairy product named in the heading of a table to this section that is graded Canada 2 must meet

  • (a) the requirements of the grade Canada 2 as set out in that table; and
  • (b) the requirements set out in subsection (1) other than paragraph (1) (a), except that its flavour and odour, when reconstituted, may lack freshness.
Table 1 – Skim Milk Powder (Spray-Dried)
Grade Requirements Canada 1 Canada 2
Maximum Milk fat 1.2% 1.29%
Maximum Moisture 4.0% 5.0%
Minimum Titratable Acidity 0.11% 0.11%
Maximum Titratable Acidity 0.15% >0.15%
Maximum Solubility Index 1.0 mL 2.0 mL
Maximum Solubility Index for skim milk powder that bears the words "High Heat" or the abbreviation "High Temp." 2.0 mL 2.5 mL
Maximum Standard Plate Count 50,000/g 100,000/g
Maximum Coliform organisms 10/g 10/g
Maximum Sediment Disc 2
(15.0 mg)		 3
(22.5 mg)
Table 2 – Skim Milk Powder (Instant Process)
Grade Requirements Canada 1 Canada 2
Maximum Milk fat 1.2% 1.29%
Maximum Moisture 5.0% 5.0%
Minimum Titratable Acidity 0.11% 0.11%
Maximum Titratable Acidity 0.15% >0.15%
Maximum Solubility Index 1.0 mL 2.0 mL
Maximum Standard Plate Count 50,000/g 100,000/g
Maximum Coliform organisms 10/g 10/g
Maximum Sediment Disc 2
(15.0 mg)		 3
(22.5 mg)
Table 3 – Partly Skimmed Milk in Powder Form (Spray-Dried)
Grade Requirements Canada 1 Canada 2
Minimum Milk fat 1.3% 1.3%
Maximum Milk fat 25.9% 25.9%
Maximum Moisture 4.0% 5.0%
Minimum Titratable Acidity 0.11% 0.11%
Maximum Titratable Acidity 0.15% >0.15%
Maximum Solubility Index 1.0 mL >1.0 mL
Maximum Solubility Index for partly skimmed milk in powder form that bears the words "High Heat" or the abbreviation "High Temp." 2.0 mL
Maximum Standard Plate Count 50,000/g 100,000/g
Maximum Coliform organisms 10/g 10/g
Maximum Sediment Disc 2
(15.0 mg)		 3
(22.5 mg)
Table 4 – Whole Milk Powder (Spray-Dried)
Grade Requirements Canada 1 Canada 2
Minimum Milk fat 26.0% 26.0%
Maximum Moisture 2.5% 5.0%
Maximum Moisture for whole milk powder that has been made more soluble by an instantizing process 3.5%
Minimum Titratable Acidity 0.11% 0.11%
Maximum Titratable Acidity 0.15% >0.15%
Maximum Solubility Index 1.0 mL >1.0 mL
Maximum Standard Plate Count 50,000/g 100,000/g
Maximum Coliform organisms 10/g 10/g
Maximum Sediment Disc 2
(15.0 mg)		 3
(22.5 mg)
Table 5 – Whole Milk Powder (Gas Packaged)
Grade Requirements Canada 1 Canada 2
Minimum Milk fat 26.0% 26.0%
Maximum Moisture 2.50% 5.0%
Maximum Moisture for whole milk powder that has been made more soluble by an instantizing process. 3.5%
Minimum Titratable Acidity 0.11% 0.11%
Maximum Titratable Acidity 0.15% >0.15%
Maximum Solubility Index 1.0 mL >1.0 mL
Maximum Standard Plate Count 30,000/g 50,000/g
Maximum Coliform organisms 10/g 10/g
Maximum Sediment Disc 2
(15.0 mg)		 3
(22.5 mg)
Maximum Oxygen, calculated to atmospheric pressure. This determination is to be made 7-10 days after final gas packaging 3.0% 3.0%
Table 6 – Buttermilk Powder (Spray-Dried)
Grade Requirements Canada 1 Canada 2
Minimum Milk fat 2.0% <2.0%
Maximum Milk fat 12.0% 12.0%
Maximum Moisture 4.0% 5.0%
Minimum Titratable Acidity 0.08% 0.08%
Maximum Titratable Acidity 0.18% >0.18%
Maximum Solubility Index 1.25 mL >1.25 mL
Maximum Bacteria 50,000/g 200,000/g
Maximum Coliform organisms 10/g 10/g
Maximum Sediment Disc 3
(22.5 mg)		 4
(32.5 mg)
Table 7 – Whey Powder (Spray-Dried)
Grade Requirements Canada 1 Canada 2
Maximum Milk fat 1.2% >1.2%
Maximum Moisture 4.5% 5.0%
Maximum Moisture for non-hygroscopic whey powder 5.0%
Maximum Bacteria 50,000/g 200,000/g
Maximum Coliform organisms 10/g 10/g
Maximum Sediment Disc 2
(15.0 mg)		 3
(22.5 mg)
Table 8 – Acid-Type Whey Powder (Spray-Dried)
Grade Requirements Canada 1 Canada 2
Maximum Milk fat 1.2% >1.2%
Maximum Moisture 4.5% 5.0%
Maximum Moisture for non-hygroscopic whey powder 5.0%
Minimum Titratable Acidity 0.30% 0.30%
Maximum Bacteria 50,000/g 200,000/g
Maximum Coliform organisms 10/g 10/g
Maximum Sediment Disc 2
(15.0 mg)		 3
22.5 mg)
Table 9 – A Combination of Skim Milk Powder and Whey Powder (Spray-dried)
Grade Requirements Canada 1 Canada 2
Maximum Milk fat 1.2% >1.2%
Maximum Moisture 4.2% 5.0%
Minimum Titratable Acidity 0.11% 0.11%
Minimum Titratable Acidity if the whey used comes from the manufacture of swiss cheese, and is labelled to indicate that the whey is from swiss cheese 0.09% 0.09%
Maximum Titratable Acidity 0.16% >0.16%
Maximum Bacteria 50,000/g 200,000/g
Maximum Coliform organisms 10/g 10/g
Maximum Sediment Disc 2
(15.0 mg)		 3
(22.5 mg)
Table 10 – Edible Casein
Grade Requirements Canada 1 Canada 2
Maximum Milk fat 1.5% >1.5%
Maximum Moisture 10.0% >10.0%
Minimum Titratable Acidity 0.20% >0.20%
Maximum Bacteria 50,000/g 100,000/g
Maximum Coliform organisms 10/g 10/g
Maximum Sediment Disc 2
(15.0 mg)		 >2
(>15.0 mg)
Minimum Protein (dry basis) 95% 90%
Table 11 – Edible Caseinates (Spray Dried)
Grade Requirements Canada 1 Canada 2
Maximum Milk fat 2.0 % dry basis >2.0 % dry basis
Maximum Moisture 5.0 % >5.0 %
Minimum Titratable Acidity 0.20 % >0.20 %
Maximum Bacteria 50,000/g 100,000/g
Maximum Coliform organisms 10/g 10/g
Maximum Sediment Disc 3
(22.5 mg)		 >3
(>22.5 mg)
Minimum Protein (dry basis) 88% < 88%
Maximum pH for calcium and magnesium edible caseinates 7.5 > 7.5
Maximum pH for other edible caseinates 7.0 > 7.0

Schedule – Dairy Product Grade Names

Outline of a maple leaf with the following text written and centered inside: the word CANADA in uppercase bold text, which is slightly curved, and below that, the number 1. The text CANADA 1 is the bilingual grade name of the dairy product.

Outline of a maple leaf with the following text written and centered inside: the word CANADA in uppercase bold text, which is slightly curved, and below that, the number 2. The text CANADA 2 is the bilingual grade name of the dairy product.

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