Yavor Gechev, Chairman of the Bulgarian Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture, Food and Forestry, has announced a planned initiative under which a product containing 60% water should no longer be called “cheese.” The statement may make for an effective television headline, but it dangerously oversimplifies a complex technological and regulatory issue.
It is particularly concerning that such a claim comes not from a casual commentator, but from the chairman of the committee directly involved in shaping Bulgaria’s agricultural and food policies. A person in this position should be expected to put forward precise, scientifically grounded proposals—not slogans that automatically equate high moisture content with poor quality.
Water Content Does Not Determine Whether Cheese Is Genuine
Cheese is not defined solely by its water content. The milk used, the method of coagulation, the removal of whey, the dry-matter and fat content, the maturation period and the ingredients all matter.
Taking a single indicator and turning it into a universal dividing line between “real” and “fake” cheese is professionally indefensible. Different categories of cheese naturally contain different amounts of water. Fresh, soft and brined cheeses cannot be mechanically compared with hard and long-matured varieties.
Bulgarian regulations define cheese as a dairy product obtained through the coagulation of milk and the partial removal of whey. They already provide for a separate designation—“brined cheese with increased moisture content.” The real issue is therefore not whether the word “cheese” should be prohibited, but whether consumers receive clear and non-misleading information about the product they are buying. Ordinance on the Specific Requirements for Dairy Products
An Attack on Low-Fat Cheese
In many low-fat and fat-free cheeses, the reduced amount of fat naturally results in water accounting for a larger proportion of the product. This does not make them imitation or inferior products.
A low-fat, fresh or soft cheese can be made entirely from milk, using the correct production process and in full compliance with quality and food-safety requirements. Conversely, lower moisture content does not automatically guarantee high-quality ingredients, proper maturation or good nutritional characteristics.
An arbitrarily selected threshold of 60% could therefore place imitation products and entirely authentic cheeses in the same category. Such a measure would not protect consumers. Instead, it could mislead them into believing that every drier cheese is necessarily of high quality and every more moisture-rich cheese is somehow fake.
Legislation Should Not Be Written Through Television Sound Bites
As chairman of the parliamentary agriculture committee, Yavor Gechev has a genuine opportunity to turn this claim into legislation. That is precisely why his statements must be held to a higher standard of professional and political responsibility.
Before restrictions are introduced, there should be an impact assessment, laboratory evidence and consultation with food technologists, nutrition experts, producers and regulatory authorities. Otherwise, the law risks being built around a catchy phrase, while responsible producers and consumers are left to bear the consequences.
EU rules also reserve the designation “cheese” for products derived from milk without imposing a single universal moisture limit on every variety. Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013
What Is Needed Is Transparency and Enforcement, Not Slogans
If the genuine objective is to protect consumers, the solution is clear: labels should prominently state the precise category of cheese, its dry-matter and fat content, its maturation period and the presence of any non-dairy ingredients.
Fighting imitation products requires laboratory testing, traceability of raw materials, clear standards and meaningful penalties for producers who mislead consumers. Declaring water to be the main culprit is a convenient political slogan that distracts attention from the real problems.
A product does not become fake simply because it contains 60% water—just as it does not become high-quality merely because it contains less. Food legislation should be based on science, technology and the protection of informed consumer choice, not on catchy statements made for the cameras.