Cottage cheese from the grocery shelf must contain no less than what percentage of fat?

Cottage cheese sold in grocery stores must contain no less than 4% fat to be classified within certain standards. This percentage reflects the product’s creaminess and the overall texture, ensuring it retains a sufficient fat content for typical flavor and mouthfeel that consumers expect. Lower fat percentages would significantly alter these characteristics, leading to a product that may not meet consumer expectations for cottage cheese. Higher percentages, while allowable, are not the minimum requirement for standard cottage cheese found on shelves. Thus, 4% is recognized as the baseline for fat content in this dairy product.