A few days ago I saw a report on the threatened status of Camembert, which I had first heard about in an article in the New York Times. Camembert is traditionally made with raw milk produced in the region around Camembert (Normandy), but a controversy about the use of raw milk has arisen. Large food corps make Camembert with pasteurized milk which doesn't necessarily come from Normandy, and the traditional cheese makers don't want them to be able to call this "Camembert". (Like French makers of Champagne not wanting American vineyards to call their sparkling wine from California Champagne.) The food industry defends itself saying if people want to buy their cheaper less-than-authentic Camembert, they should have the right.
I do see their point, and you could say the traditional cheese makers will still have customers, just like butchers still sell meat after the invention of Spam. But they've really been pushing an argument that cheese made from raw milk is dangerous for public health. It may become very difficult for raw milk to be used in the future as an ingredient.
And that's a shame, because even if I don't really like Camembert, I do love cheese and all the varieties in France. The cheese aisle in the US is so depressing because of the restrictions, and I don't ever want to see cheese-making methods changed in France. All this noise about the dangers of raw milk is just nonsense. My mom used to drink a cup of warm milk straight from the cow on her grandparents' farm when she was little. I'm sure the food industry doesn't want anyone to research the number of food poisoning cases from cheese either, because there probably are none (aside people eating old cheese they forgot in the back of the fridge; that doesn't count). They're hoping raw milk Camembert will become so rare as a result of restrictions, that they will control a larger part of the market with their pasteurized imitation cheese.
In the same vein, I bought some fruit yogurt the other day and was so pleasantly surprised with how delicious it was. I'm not a huge yogurt fan in the States, but it is so tasty here in France. I rediscovered my love of yogurt!
Long live raw milk, higher bacteria counts, and delicious cheese (and yogurt).
1 comment:
This definitely strikes a cord. Cheese....the reason I'm in France. Or is that for love? anyway, up here in the North we have maroilles which is apparently the stinkiest most bacteria ridden of them all. And they say it's threatened by the EU regulations. Iùve heard this repeatedly over the past 10 years. Yet,it's still here for us to enjoy it's creamy,old gym sock smelliness. I hope no one messes with french cheese 'cause I may have to leave the country otherwise.
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