Transcriber’s Note Italic text displayed as: _italic_ Issued February 26, 1912. 1434 Reprinted with slight changes, June, 1916. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. FARMERS’ BULLETIN 487. CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES IN THE DIET. BY C. F. LANGWORTHY, PH. D., _Chief of Office of Home Economics, States Relations Service_, AND CAROLINE L. HUNT, A. B., _Expert in Nutrition, Office of Home Economics_. [Illustration: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE] WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1916. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, STATES RELATIONS SERVICE, _Washington, D. C., June 10, 1916_. SIR: Since cheese is one of the important agricultural products of the United States and a foodstuff used in a larger or smaller quantity in nearly every American home, it seemed desirable to study its relative nutritive value and the ways in which it may be prepared for the table. Although it is so generally liked, there seems to be a widespread belief that it is not well digested and that it is a cause of physiological disturbances. Neither of these beliefs is substantiated by the results of the extended series of digestion experiments undertaken as part of the nutrition investigations of the Office of Home Economics. Indeed, cheese was found to be very thoroughly digested, ranking with other staple foods in this respect. Moreover, experiments made with the respiration calorimeter did not indicate that it was less easy of digestion than a comparable amount of meat. In the studies of the digestibility of cheese the Bureau of Animal Industry cooperated with the States Relations Service and was also of great assistance in securing, for experimental purposes, cheese made and cured under controlled conditions. Supplementing the experiments as to the nutritive value of cheese, many tests were made of methods of preparing cheese for the table, the main purpose being to suggest dishes and combinations of such a character that the cheese might replace other nitrogenous material and fat when this seemed desirable. The bulletin was prepared by C. F. Langworthy, chief of the Office of Home Economics of the States Relations Service, and Miss Caroline L. Hunt, who has had wide experience in the study of both scientific and practical problems in nutrition. The recipes were collected from many sources and in the majority of cases were studied experimentally by Miss Hunt. Acknowledgement should be made to teachers of home economics in agricultural colleges and other educational institutions, to housekeepers, and others who have supplied data of great value in preparing the bulletin. Respectfully, A. C. TRUE, _Director_. Hon. D. F. HOUSTON, _Secretary of Agriculture_. CONTENTS. Page. Introduction 5