Calcium lactate crystals
Small white crystals that appear on the surface or cut face of aged cheddar and Gouda.
Also: calcium lactate, lactate crystals
Calcium lactate crystals are tiny white specks or patches that form when lactic acid in a cheese combines with calcium and comes out of solution. They usually appear on the cut face of block cheddar or the outside of aged Gouda, often after the cheese has been stored cold for a long time, and can be mistaken for mould. They are harmless and give a slight gritty crunch. They are a different thing from the tyrosine crystals found inside very old Gouda, Parmigiano and Comté, which are clusters of an amino acid set free as proteins break down. Cheesemongers tend to welcome both as signs of age, although very heavy lactate crystals are seen as a cosmetic fault.