Eleven domains of information
About the Body of Knowledge
The American Cheese Society Body of Knowledge is a comprehensive framework that aims to encompass the interdisciplinary domains of information that comprise the knowledge base of the cheese industry.
Eleven Domains of Information are woven together to create the areas of knowledge that members of our industry are expected to draw upon during their career.
- Domain 1: Health, Regulations, Food Safety
- Domain 2: Operations
- Domain 3: Cheese History, Definitions, and Categorization
- Domain 4: Milk
- Domain 5: Cheesemaking
- Domain 6: Ripening
- Domain 7: Assessment and Evaluation
- Domain 8: Selling and Transporting
- Domain 9: Inventory Management
- Domain 10: Service
- Domain 11: Business Principles and Practices
This outline is tied to the ACS Certified Cheese Professional® Exam but is also used by ACS to:
- Grow ACS certification programs that establish standards for cheese professionals
- Guide ACS educational programming, including ACS Conference programming, regional and online education, and other professional development initiatives.
- Support content development by identifying where there are gaps in research and resources, and pointing to areas where new research and documentation can be developed.
Eleven Domains of Information
Expand each section to view areas of knowledge under each domain.
HEALTH
A. Health benefits
B. Health concerns
REGULATIONS GOVERNING CHEESE INDUSTRY PROCEDURES
A. Regulatory bodies
B. Registration and licensing
C. Milk
D. Import/export
E. Product labeling and dating
F. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)
G. Inspections, investigations, and targeted sampling
FOOD SAFETY
A. Food Safety Modernization Act
B. Food safety plan
C. Food defense plan
D. Recordkeeping
E. Third-party audits
F. Training programs
FACILITIES
A. Sanitary design
B. Zones
C. Climate-controlled environments
D. Milk processing and storage facilities
E. Cheesemaking facilities
F. Cheese ripening environments and aging facilities
G. Packing rooms
H. Finished product storage, preparation, and sale
EQUIPMENT AND UTENSILS
A. Technology
B. Climate control tools
C. Milk processing and storage
D. Cheesemaking and aging
E. Finished product storage, preparation, and sale
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
A. Development and maintenance of SOPs
B. Best practices
CLEANING & SANITATION PROTOCOLS
A. Standards of hygiene
PERSONNEL
A. Policies
B. Visitors
CRISIS MANAGEMENT/ DISASTER PLANNING
A. Recalls and withdrawals
B. Legal Counsel
C. First aid
D. Natural disasters
HISTORY OF CHEESE
A. Milk preservation
B. Economic history of cheese
C. Anthropology/ social history of cheese
D. Geography
DEFINITIONS
A. Codex Alimentarius
B. Code of Federal Regulations
C. Designations and name control
D. Other designations
CATEGORIZATION
A. Attributes that affect how a cheese may be categorized
SCIENCE OF MILK
A. Microbiology
B. Milk quality tests
MILK COMPOSITION AND YIELDS
A. Milk components
B. Intrinsic properties that affect composition and yield
C. Extrinsic properties that affect composition and yield
MILK SOURCE
A. On-farm production
B. Purchased
C. Milk pricing
SCIENCE OF CHEESEMAKING
A. Microbiology
B. Chemistry
INGREDIENTS
A. Milk treatment
B. Primary ingredients
C. Optional ingredients
CHEESEMAKING PROCESS
A. Pre-ripening
B. Milk ripening
C. Coagulation
D. Cutting or breaking curd
E. Intermediate steps
F. Salting
G. Concentrating curd solids
H. Acidification
I. Forming a curd mass
SCIENCE OF CHEESE RIPENING
A. Chemistry
B. Microbiology
RIPENING PARAMETERS
A. Climatic requirements
B. Adjusting care based on unique batch parameters
RIPENING PROCESS
A. Rind development
B. Managing rind flora
SENSORY EVALUATION
A. Grading systems/ schedules
B. Preparation
C. Evaluation environment
POINTS OF EVALUATION
A. Quality assurance and analysis
B. Defining cheese profiles
C. During ripening
D. Upon receipt
E. Before selling or serving
F. Competitions and judging
COMMUNICATING ASSESSMENTS
A. Documenting cheese assessments and evaluations
B. Sharing assessments and evaluations
C. Feedback loop
SELECTING SALES OUTLETS
A. Choosing sales routes
B. Selecting distributors/retailers
C. Working with distributors/retailers
SELLING CHEESE
A. Chain of custody
B. Recordkeeping
C. Format
PROCURING
A. Supply chain and sales channels
PACKING
A. Cheese preparation
B. Wrapping cheese
C. Documentation
D. Packaging materials
LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION
A. Modes of transportation
B. Maintenance and documentation of the cold chain
SOURCING (INVENTORY SELECTION)
A. Considerations
B. Supplier programs
RECEIVING
A. Receiving protocols
B. Unloading cheese
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
A. Ordering
B. Rotation
C. Controlling loss
STORAGE & SHELF LIFE GUIDELINES
A. Product lifecycle
B. Date marking and labeling
C. Requirements for cold storage
TYPES OF CHEESE SERVICE
A. Distribution
B. Retail / wholesale
C. Catering
D. Restaurant
CUSTOMER SERVICE
A. Role of cheese professional
B. Customer care
TASTINGS AND PAIRINGS
A. Composition
B. Cooking with cheese
C. Cheese boards
RESEARCH
A. Industry Statistics
B. Market research
ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE
A. Chart of accounts
B. Costing strategy
C. Reporting and profitability
HUMAN RESOURCES
A. Insurance
B. Wages and benefits
C. Management
D. Hiring practices
E. Employees
F. Training
MARKETING
A. Branding
B. Strategic goals
C. Sales
D. Marketing
E. Outreach and engagement
F. Cross-platform strategies
MERCHANDISING
A. Packaging and paper goods
B. Signage
C. Visual Merchandising
D. Merchandising hot zones
E. Impulse shopping
Eleven Domains of Information
Expand each section to view areas of knowledge under each domain.
HEALTH
A. Health benefits
B. Health concerns
REGULATIONS GOVERNING CHEESE INDUSTRY PROCEDURES
A. Regulatory bodies
B. Registration and licensing
C. Milk
D. Import/export
E. Product labeling and dating
F. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)
G. Inspections, investigations, and targeted sampling
FOOD SAFETY
A. Food Safety Modernization Act
B. Food safety plan
C. Food defense plan
D. Recordkeeping
E. Third-party audits
F. Training programs
FACILITIES
A. Sanitary design
B. Zones
C. Climate-controlled environments
D. Milk processing and storage facilities
E. Cheesemaking facilities
F. Cheese ripening environments and aging facilities
G. Packing rooms
H. Finished product storage, preparation, and sale
EQUIPMENT AND UTENSILS
A. Technology
B. Climate control tools
C. Milk processing and storage
D. Cheesemaking and aging
E. Finished product storage, preparation, and sale
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
A. Development and maintenance of SOPs
B. Best practices
CLEANING & SANITATION PROTOCOLS
A. Standards of hygiene
PERSONNEL
A. Policies
B. Visitors
CRISIS MANAGEMENT/ DISASTER PLANNING
A. Recalls and withdrawals
B. Legal Counsel
C. First aid
D. Natural disasters
HISTORY OF CHEESE
A. Milk preservation
B. Economic history of cheese
C. Anthropology/ social history of cheese
D. Geography
DEFINITIONS
A. Codex Alimentarius
B. Code of Federal Regulations
C. Designations and name control
D. Other designations
CATEGORIZATION
A. Attributes that affect how a cheese may be categorized
SCIENCE OF MILK
A. Microbiology
B. Milk quality tests
MILK COMPOSITION AND YIELDS
A. Milk components
B. Intrinsic properties that affect composition and yield
C. Extrinsic properties that affect composition and yield
MILK SOURCE
A. On-farm production
B. Purchased
C. Milk pricing
SCIENCE OF CHEESEMAKING
A. Microbiology
B. Chemistry
INGREDIENTS
A. Milk treatment
B. Primary ingredients
C. Optional ingredients
CHEESEMAKING PROCESS
A. Pre-ripening
B. Milk ripening
C. Coagulation
D. Cutting or breaking curd
E. Intermediate steps
F. Salting
G. Concentrating curd solids
H. Acidification
I. Forming a curd mass
SCIENCE OF CHEESE RIPENING
A. Chemistry
B. Microbiology
RIPENING PARAMETERS
A. Climatic requirements
B. Adjusting care based on unique batch parameters
RIPENING PROCESS
A. Rind development
B. Managing rind flora
SENSORY EVALUATION
A. Grading systems/ schedules
B. Preparation
C. Evaluation environment
POINTS OF EVALUATION
A. Quality assurance and analysis
B. Defining cheese profiles
C. During ripening
D. Upon receipt
E. Before selling or serving
F. Competitions and judging
COMMUNICATING ASSESSMENTS
A. Documenting cheese assessments and evaluations
B. Sharing assessments and evaluations
C. Feedback loop
SELECTING SALES OUTLETS
A. Choosing sales routes
B. Selecting distributors/retailers
C. Working with distributors/retailers
SELLING CHEESE
A. Chain of custody
B. Recordkeeping
C. Format
PROCURING
A. Supply chain and sales channels
PACKING
A. Cheese preparation
B. Wrapping cheese
C. Documentation
D. Packaging materials
LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION
A. Modes of transportation
B. Maintenance and documentation of the cold chain
SOURCING (INVENTORY SELECTION)
A. Considerations
B. Supplier programs
RECEIVING
A. Receiving protocols
B. Unloading cheese
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
A. Ordering
B. Rotation
C. Controlling loss
STORAGE & SHELF LIFE GUIDELINES
A. Product lifecycle
B. Date marking and labeling
C. Requirements for cold storage
TYPES OF CHEESE SERVICE
A. Distribution
B. Retail / wholesale
C. Catering
D. Restaurant
CUSTOMER SERVICE
A. Role of cheese professional
B. Customer care
TASTINGS AND PAIRINGS
A. Composition
B. Cooking with cheese
C. Cheese boards
RESEARCH
A. Industry Statistics
B. Market research
ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE
A. Chart of accounts
B. Costing strategy
C. Reporting and profitability
HUMAN RESOURCES
A. Insurance
B. Wages and benefits
C. Management
D. Hiring practices
E. Employees
F. Training
MARKETING
A. Branding
B. Strategic goals
C. Sales
D. Marketing
E. Outreach and engagement
F. Cross-platform strategies
MERCHANDISING
A. Packaging and paper goods
B. Signage
C. Visual Merchandising
D. Merchandising hot zones
E. Impulse shopping
How it came to be
History of the ACS Body of Knowledge
The ACS Body of Knowledge was first compiled in 2010, modified in 2012, and revised in 2017 to reflect the dynamic nature of the growing cheese industry.
The development of the American Cheese Society’s Body of Knowledge was led by Susan Sturman, Sasha Davies, and Sarah Spira, with input from: Robert Aguilera, John Antonelli, Kendall Antonelli, Kate Arding, Ray Bair, Matt Benson, Alyce Birchenough, Zoe Brickley, Tim Bucciarelli, Kim Bukowski, Vern Caldwell, Pav Cherny, Brian Civitello, Stephanie Clark, Nancy Clark, Taylor Cocalis Suarez, Sue Conley, Dennis D’Amico, Adeline Druart, Laure Dubouloz, Gordon Edgar, Ruth Flores-Norseland, Pat Ford, Tim Gaddis, Cathy Gaffney, Craig Gile, Michelle Haram, Emily Hershberger, Sara Hill, Shawn Hockert, Sarah Hoffman, Caroline Hostettler, Matt Jennings, Brenda Jensen, Jeff Jirik, Mateo Kehler, Brian Keyser, Paula Lambert, Emiliano Lee, David Leonhardi, Laura Logos Downey, Max McCalman, Eric Meredith, Emilio Mignucci, Gina Mode, Shelli Morton, Adam Moskowitz, Jodi Olsen Reed , Greg O’Neill, Vince Razionale, Jonathan Richardson, Louis Risoli, Dick Roe, Rich Rogers, Matt Rubiner, Kathleen Shannon Finn, Emily Shartin, Kari Skibbie, Peggy Smith, Marianne Smukowski, Dean Sommer, Meri Spicer, Jeremy Stephenson, Cathy Strange, Daniel Utano, Tom Van Voorhees, Cheryl Wilson Sullivan, and Daphne Zepos, with guidance from Joan Knapp of Knapp International Associates, credentialing specialists.
