Cottage cheese is a very useful dairy product that contains a large amount of minerals, vitamins and other useful components that are necessary for the body to maintain its normal level of life. However, when choosing this product, you should remember that only one that is made on the basis of natural components is useful. What is the best cottage cheese? How to choose it right from the trade counter? Let's consider all this in our article.
Signs of good cottage cheese
You can determine the quality of the proposed fermented milk product by turning your attention to its specific characteristics.
The consistency of the product speaks of the decent quality of the product - it should be grainy. As for the normal color of cottage cheese, milky white is considered such. Also an important indicator of product quality is the tenderness of its taste - the softer it is, the more natural the product. If the product is made from natural milk, it will have a creamy aftertaste that may be slightly sour.
To determine a good cottage cheese, it is enough to take a small amount of the product and rub it with your fingers. If after the procedure, a greasy mark remains on the fingers, this indicates the naturalness of the product.
Natural fermented milk product can be determined by smell - it must have a yeast or milky aroma.
How to choose cottage cheese in the market
Practice shows that the choice of good cottage cheese on the market with knowledge of the main quality indicators of this product is not a difficult task. Its simplicity is due to the fact that in this situation there is a great opportunity to study its color, taste, and consistency, and then draw the appropriate conclusions.
When choosing cottage cheese on the market, you should refrain from buying a product that has pink veins and spots of the same color - this is a sign of the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in it, which can harm the health of the person who consumed it. You do not need to take a product that is too sweet or very acidic - this indicates the beginning of its fermentation or the presence of sugar in the composition, the presence of which should be excluded. You must also refrain from acquiring cottage cheese, which has a pungent odor.
How to choose cottage cheese in a store
Standing at the store counter, it’s quite difficult to decide which cottage cheese to choose, since manufacturers offer goods in sealed form. How to be in this situation? What methods can determine the best quality product?
When choosing cottage cheese in a store, you need to pay attention to the packaging, which contains enough information about the composition of the product, as well as the date of its manufacture. So, preference should be given only to the cottage cheese, from the time of manufacture of which no more than two weeks have passed. It is worth refraining from buying a product whose packaging has an expiration date or, due to any circumstances, is difficult to consider.
As for the composition of good cottage cheese, only sourdough and milk can be present in it. All other additives indicate partial unnaturalness of the product. Experts in the field of healthy nutrition note that the presence of calcium chloride and rennet is allowed in high-quality cottage cheese. The purchase of cottage cheese, which contains sorbic acid (designated E 202), vegetable fats, milk powder, and other types of preservatives, is strictly contraindicated.
When choosing a product in a store, you need to pay attention to its grain size. It can only be assessed if the packaging is transparent. Also, when choosing, it is desirable to give preference to those manufacturers who have already managed to establish themselves in the market on the positive side. Let us further consider the list of the best brands of cottage cheese that you should pay attention to when choosing a product for personal consumption. Among them there are many familiar to you and already loved. The rating offered to your attention is based on data provided by Roskachestvo specialists.
Best cottage cheese - President
For children, which cottage cheese is best to buy in a store? Many nutrition experts recommend feeding babies a product made by President. According to them, it is completely natural and contains a lot of useful components that a growing body needs for normal development. On the portal Roskachestva cottage cheese "President" has a very high score - 77 points.
As for the positive qualities of cottage cheese, they consist in the absence in its composition of vegetable fats, as well as preservatives. Moreover, the cottage cheese produced by this company is completely natural and has a high calcium content, which is especially beneficial for the health of not only a child, but also an adult. The only disadvantage of President cottage cheese is that its taste is not particularly pronounced, but this is probably good for feeding a baby.
"Vkusnoteevo"
According to the version of the portal mentioned, the best product of the type in question is the one produced by Vkusnoteevo. His overall rating is 76 points, which is an excellent indicator.
Among the advantages of this product, experts highlight the lack of starch, vegetable fats and preservatives in its composition. Moreover, it tastes good, is natural, healthy and completely safe. Specialists do not provide product flaws.
"Tradition"
According to experts in the field of nutrition, the best cottage cheese is the one that is produced under the name "Tradition" by the company "Clean Line".
Having studied this product in detail, experts came to the conclusion that in its structure there are no preservatives, starch and vegetable fats completely, therefore the product is completely safe for consumption. Speaking about the shortcomings, experts say that the pure line curd has a low calcium content, which is so necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. The content of mold, yeast, as well as beneficial bacteria is within acceptable limits.
As practice shows, consumers most often choose a product of the specified brand, which has a fairly high fat content - 9%, presented in packages weighing 200 g.
"Brest-Litovsk"
Choosing cottage cheese in the store, you can turn your attention to a product called "Brest-Litovsk", produced by the Savushkin Product company, which is the largest Belarusian producer.
Curd "Brest-Litovsk" is created exclusively from natural pasteurized milk using sourdough. Having studied the features of this product, experts made conclusions in which they indicated that it does not contain starch and vegetable fats, and in all respects it fully complies with the stated safety requirements. Curd "Brest-Litovsk" there are some disadvantages. One of them is the increased level of carbohydrate content, and the second is the presence of some comments regarding organoleptic indicators.
This product is served in an opaque package covered with yellow polyethylene, which is why a visual assessment of the quality of the curd is simply impossible. The manufacturer indicates a rather long shelf life of the product - 31 days.
Ostankino
The best fat-free cottage cheese is recognized as a product called "Ostankino", which as a result of research has been recognized as natural. According to experts, its composition is completely absent preservatives, vegetable fats, as well as antibiotics of any type. The product is not only useful, but also completely safe. Experts called its lack of bright taste a significant drawback.
In the reviews about the Ostankino curd left by consumers, it is said that this product is great for bodybuilders, as well as for athletes. Moreover, its use is permissible for those who adhere to a diet for weight correction.
The worst brands of cottage cheese
Having considered the list of brands producing good cottage cheese, you should pay attention to those manufacturers who offer a product of dubious quality. Among these (according to the same portal of Roskachestvo) are: "Blagoda", "Red Price", "Dairy Kingdom", "Svitlogorye", as well as "Village House". As the results of the studies showed, in these products was discovered not only the presence of unacceptable components, but also an increased content of bacteria, which is unacceptable in a useful product.