The Power Of A Group

Several months ago I wrote about a variety of food products either imported or domestic, that were recently banned from the American market. I wondered when I wrote it how some products that had been sold here for years became banned, and what kind of politics might be involved. Not being an investigative reporter, I did not pursue this thought, but now another product that is near and dear to my heart was close to being banned by the FDA. It was only the food community coming together to protest, that save artisan cheese aged on wooden boards from being banned by the FDA.

The move would have devastated the American artisan cheese industry. Products included in the ban would have been Parmigiano Reggiano, among others. Not surprisingly, the American Cheese Society immediately issued a statement promising a fight, noting that over 60% of cheesemakers use wooden boards for aging. There have not been any foodborne pathogen issues as a result of aging cheese on wooden boards. The FDA said that the porous nature of wood used to age cheese made it susceptible to absorbing bacteria. How have we survived for decades eating cheese aged using this process? What was behind this potential ban?

The FDA has the authority to ban such cheeses under the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 initiated by the Bush administration as part of its anti-terrorism policies. Are they kidding? The FDA banned the import of raw milk cheese aged less than 60 days in 2013, even though it allows the sale of raw milk cheese in the United States. Does this make any sense?

For now, we cheese lovers are safe. The FDA will engage with the artisanal cheese-making community to determine whether certain types of cheese can safely be made by aging them on wooden shelving. Cheese makers have been using this process for decades, even centuries, and now all of a sudden the FDA thinks it's unsafe? I have to think there's more to this decision than meets the eye. Thank goodness the Cheese Lobby has clout. If this interests you, take a look back at a story from last year (in my blog archives) about banned food. It was called "Forbidden Food," and it was published on June 12, 2013. Very interesting.