Would the federal government ban a process that has been used for thousands of years? You cheddar believe it. Artisan cheese manufacturers often age their cheese on wooden boards which can give the cheese unique flavors as well as gouda bacteria. For years this practice has been approved by state regulatory agencies but now the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is feta-d up with it and recently labeled it as unsafe. The FDA claims that wood surfaces are too porous and retain harmful bacteria, a claim which directly contradicts research showing that wooden boards are often safer than glass or plastic. In spite of this, the FDA is pushing forward and even imported cheeses are not exempt, which means that American markets will lose access to a large number of different cheeses. These regulators must be muenster-s to limit consumer choice and make cheese aficionados bleu.
“Corporate cheese makers like Leprino and Kraft will be able to weather this regulatory storm — they don’t make cheese, they manufacture cheese, and as such they do not follow the centuries old artisan techniques. But for small businesses and artisan cheese makers, wood boards are in fact essential to the making of cheese.”
Update: The FDA has backed down from these restrictions after public backlash.
