Pasteurized process pimento cheese is the food which conforms to the definition and standard of identity for pasteurized process cheese with fruits, vegetables, or meats, and is subject to the requirement for label statement of ingredients, except that:

(a) Its moisture content is not more than 41 percent, and the fat content of its solids is not less than 49 percent.

(b) The cheese ingredient is cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, colby cheese, granular cheese or any mixture of two or more of these in any proportion.

(c) For the purposes of this section, cheddar cheese for manufacturing, washed curd cheese for manufacturing, colby cheese for manufacturing, and granular cheese for manufacturing shall be considered as cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, colby cheese, and granular cheese, respectively.

(d) The only fruit, vegetable, or meat ingredient is pimentos in such quantity that the weight of the solids thereof is not less than 0.2 percent of the weight of the finished pasteurized process pimento cheese.

(e) The optional ingredients designated in §133.169(b) and (d)(6) are not used.

[42 FR 14366, Mar. 15, 1977, as amended at 58 FR 2894, Jan. 6, 1993]