(a) The terms whole milk ricotta cheese or whole milk ricotta shall mean cheese manufactured according to the following method: milk (which may be standardized and/or adjusted by a membrane filtration or evaporation process) and milk solids are mixed with an acidifying agent, the same being one or a mixture of two or more of the following: culture of harmless lactic acid-producing bacteria, a vinegar, fermented whey or acid whey powder (in an amount not to exceed 2.50 percent by weight of the total milk), lactic or citric acid, to which may also be added salt. Sufficient rennet may be added to set the milk and milk solids. The mixture is heated with the aid of direct steam injection until a temperature of about 180°F is reached, and it is held near that temperature until the curd separates. The curd is removed by skimming, or the whey is drained or siphoned off. Additional curd may be obtained from the whey by the further addition of an acidifying agent prescribed above, or by further heating or both. The curd may be whipped or beaten to obtain a finer texture. Any other procedure and ingredients approved by the commissioner may be used, provided the materials are safe and suitable and the resulting product has the same physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics as the product made by the prescribed procedure.

(b) Such cheese shall contain not more than 80 percent moisture and not less than 11 percent milkfat in the finished product. There may be added thereto, as optional ingredients, harmless stabilizer, emulsifier and/or food color or whitener approved by the commissioner.