SCD Ingredients: Cheese; The good, the Bad, and the Why

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Cheeses’ History: 

Cheese is arguably one of humanity’s greatest culinary inventions and has been around since about 1,200 B.C. The first cheese was rather salty and sour. Think feta or rustic cottage cheese. As sheep became more domesticated, cheese became more popular. A common enzyme used to make cheese, Rennet, is naturally present in the stomachs of sheep. Often, the stomachs and bladders would be used to store liquids, including milk. With no refrigeration, heat and rennet in the stomach would curdle the milk, making the earliest forms of cheeses. Since then, however, cheese has become a staple and comes in just about every possible type and style. Over 1,800 to be exact!

How It’s Made: 

Modern cheese as we think of it did not occur until 1815 when the first cheese factory was built in Switzerland. Shortly thereafter a scientist named Louis Pasteur found that the process of heating milk that led to pasteurization made milk products much safer. At the same time, people figured out how to mass produce rennet. As these processes helped preserve, less salt was needed which led to less abrasive, more creamy cheeses. 

The process of making cheese can be broken down into six basic steps. First up is acidification. A culture is added which will convert lactose into lactic acid. This changes the acidity and starts the process of changing into a solid. The second is coagulation. This is where rennet is usually added and begins the process of solidifying. Next up are curds and whey. As solidification occurs the solid parts are called curds and the liquid is whey. The curds will be cut and eventually the liquid drained, leaving the curds to become cheese. Next is salting. As the name implies this step is mainly adding salt. It acts as a preservative, adds flavor, and often helps form the rind, or outside. Second, to last is shaping. This is where the cheese takes on its familiar shapes and is usually pressed into a mold. The last step is ripening. This ripening is referred to as affinage. The temperature and humidity are closely monitored until optimal ripeness is reached.          

Cheese & SCD:

While cheese offers protein and nutrition, the lactose some varieties contain can be problematic for those with IBD or IBS. In fact, according to Breaking the Vicious Cycle the foundation for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, states that the lactase enzyme in the gut is the last to be restored after complete gut healing. As with any diet, navigating what is allowed, and reading the fine print can be overwhelming. Not to worry! In this week’s blog post we will break down what cheeses are allowed freely and in limited quantities, as well as those to avoid. The good news? Just because you are embarking on SCD, doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy cheese! (After the intro phases of course!)

Now before we get to the fun part, there are a few simple rules that will help you understand the reasoning behind what cheeses are allowed:

  1. Cheeses must be aged for a minimum of 30 days to ensure they are lactose-free. This time frame ensures that all the lactose sugars have been broken down by the microbes in the cheese, eliminating lactose altogether..

     

  2. Be sure to always purchase allowable cheeses in block form. This is important as pre-sliced and shredded cheeses contain anti-clumping agents that contain starch that should be avoided.


  3. Raw or unpasteurized cheeses will automatically meet the 30 day aging requirement, as the FDA requires these cheeses to be aged for 60 days. However, just because it is aged for 60 days does not automatically make it SCD legal. Be sure to read all labels and only purchase ones with SCD allowable ingredients.    

Allowable cheeses: 

Use freely:

Cheddar (mild & medium) 

Colby 

Gruyere

Havarti

Swiss 

Dry Curd Cottage Cheese (farmer’s cheese) 

Use Occasionally:  

Asiago

Blue

Brie

Camembert 

Edam

Gorgonzola 

Gouda

Limburger

Manchego 

Monterey (jack)

Muenster

Parmesan

Port du Salut

Roquefort

Romano

Stilton  

NOT Allowed: 

Cottage cheese

Cream cheese

Feta

Gjetost

Mozzarella

Neufchatel

Primost

Ricotta

Pre-packaged shredded

Pre-sliced 

I hope this helps answer the question of not only which cheeses you can have safely on SCD, but why you can have them as well. Remember that the cheeses used on occasion shouldn’t be tried until you aren’t experiencing any symptoms (similar to beans and lentils). If you have any additional questions on cheese and SCD feel free to email me at [email protected]!    

Want to check out my sources? Click, HERE, HERE, & HERE! I also used information from Breaking the Vicious Cycle.

Note: * This is NOT an affiliate post. I do not receive anything for promoting or recommending things. *Â