Cheddar cheese surface, SEM

Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a fractured surface of a piece of cheddar cheese. Also seen are small yeast cells contaminating this piece of cheese. Cheddar cheese is a hard cheese prepared from cow's milk by process called cheddaring, a method originally from Cheddar in Somerset, England. Cheddaring refers to an additional step in the production of Cheddar-style cheese where, after heating, the curd is kneaded with salt, then is cut into cubes to drain the whey, then stacked and turned. Cheeses are a good source of calcium, but contain high levels of fat. Cheese is high in cholesterol content, a near insoluble sterol (fat) found in animal fat and tissue. A high intake of dietary cholesterol is associated with atheroma, a condition where the walls of the arteries are blocked by deposits of fatty plaques. Blood circulation is restricted, which may lead to thrombosis. Magnification: x535 when shortest axis printed at 25