milepig

The FDA in their wisdom and apparently without any research has been trying to ban cheese aged on wooden boards. Not only would that pretty much kill the growing artisanal cheese producers here in the US, but effectively ban in import of, um, pretty much all European cheeses.

They don't seem to realize that some things, like cheese, taste the way they do because of using processes like aging on wood. I wonder when they'll catch on that some of the best wine's use the natural yeasts from the air and try to spot that as well.

It looks like they're backing off for the moment, but still. KEEP YOUR MITTS OFF MY CHEESE!!!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorym...eese-industry/

robyng

The government pretty much ruined a lot of cheeses for me when it started to enforce the ancient laws prohibiting the importation of raw cheeses.

http://jimdrohman.com/blog/2011/04/2...se-in-america/

60+ day old Epoisses smells like ammonia and tastes awful . Robyn

Kagehitokiri

no matter how many times it happens, people always think regulations will NEVER apply to them in any way - "not in my back yard" etc

ou81two

The thing that Forbes was talking about isn't even a problem anymore. In terms of food regulations, I can't even remember the last time anyone I know got sick from food. We can also safely fly giant tin cans through the sky at almost the speed of sound and the regulations make it so safe that I'm far more prone to having an accident happen on the way to the airport.

You should be thankful for the many regulations that are in place that make your life easy that you know nothing about.

EuropeanPete

Of course a lot of them simply cut off international competition making things marginally easier for domestic producers, but starve the rather worldy American public from enjoying the breadth of produce they would like to have.

robyng

I think the "raw cheese" rules are enforced somewhat uniformly regardless of country of origin. To the extent that they are enforced. Enforcement being more likely when I try to buy cheese from France that goes through customs than when I'm buying at my local dinky farmers' market. It got so bad for the French outfit I used to buy from - http://www.fromages.com/en/ - that it won't ship non-conforming cheese to the US these days.

The irony is that I'd much rather buy raw cheese from a major French (or any country) producer that knows what it's doing than from a local "ma and pa" who are making raw cheese from their 3 goats in their non-inspected kitchen and bringing it to the local farmers' market. I am in a couple of the "high risk" groups when it comes to raw milk products - one being that I'm a senior - and don't want to risk my health in terms of buying things from "amateur hour" producers. Robyn

milepig

This makes for a good read:

http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader...merican-cheese

cblaisd

Since the FDA has indeed backed off
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorym...r-aged-cheese/
I have changed the title of the thread to make it more accurate.

cblaisd
Co-Moderator, Dining Buzz