The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week announced it will not permit American cheesemakers to age cheese on wooden boards.Cheese makers have been aging cheese that way for centuries. The Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research studied the issue and concluded thus (pg 9):
Finally, considering the beneficial effects of wood boards on cheese ripening and rind formation, the use of wood boards does not seem to present any danger of contamination by pathogenic bacteria as long as a thorough cleaning procedure is followed.Downer cows, pink slime and a certain amount of rat shit and insect parts is acceptable in food, but not properly aged cheese?
I'd guess that the congresscritters from the dairy states will be fixing this one, soon enough.
Update: The FDA has reversed course, while claiming that they did no such thing.
1 comment:
Yea, I saw the thing about cheese. WTF? Isn't there something dangerous that they can shut down instead? I can't remember a scare about cheese in my lifetime. Not to be said for meat and eggs and vegetables of course. Mystifying.
w3ski
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