EN ISO 5534:2004 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 5534:2004 - "Cheese and processed cheese - Determination of the total solids content (Reference method)" - specifies the reference laboratory procedure for measuring the total solids content of cheese and processed cheese. Prepared by ISO/TC 34 with IDF collaboration and adopted by CEN, this method is the accepted benchmark for quality control and official testing of cheese moisture/solids using a gravimetric drying technique.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Principle: Gravimetric determination - a weighed test portion is mixed with sand and dried in a forced-ventilation oven; mass loss after drying gives total solids (expressed as % by mass).
• Drying conditions: Oven temperature maintained at 102 °C ± 2 °C. Specific drying cycles are defined (pre-dry, main dry and subsequent re-heatings) to reach constant mass.
• Test portion & sample prep:
  • Typical test portion ≈ 3.0 g of homogenized or grated cheese.
  • Remove rind/mould before grinding; avoid moisture loss during preparation.
  • Use quartz or sea sand with defined particle-size range and suitability test.
• Reagents & apparatus:
  • 25% dilute HCl for sand treatment (if needed), distilled or demineralized water, quartz/sea sand, flat-bottomed dishes, stirring rods, analytical balance (readability 0.1 mg), desiccator, forced ventilation drying oven.
• Weighing and calculation:
  • Mass notation m0…m4 defined in the standard; total solids wt calculated from dish and sample masses. Results reported to two decimal places.
• Quality and precision:
  • Repeatability (within-lab) - difference >0.35% occurs in not more than 5% of cases.
  • Reproducibility (between-lab) - difference >0.55% occurs in not more than 5% of cases.
• Reporting: Lab report must include sample ID, sampling method (if known), reference to EN ISO 5534:2004, operating details, and results.

Applications and users

• Who uses it:
  • Dairy laboratories and in-house QC teams at cheese manufacturers.
  • Regulatory agencies and standards bodies for official determinations.
  • Research institutions and product development teams assessing moisture/solids.
• Why use it:
  • To obtain a validated, reference method for total solids - critical for product labelling, compliance, yield calculations, shelf-life assessment, and standardization of recipes.
  • To support inter-laboratory comparability and certified test reporting.

Related standards

• ISO 707 (sampling of milk and milk products) - recommended sampling guidance cited.
• FAO/WHO Code of Principles Standard A‑8 - note on certain processed cheese preparations.
• Joint ISO/IDF/AOAC collaborative methods for milk and dairy analysis.

Keywords: EN ISO 5534:2004, total solids content, cheese testing, reference method, drying oven, analytical balance, dairy quality control.