Did anyone see this news? It is about the US banning import of a certain French cheese called Mimolette because it said it was unfit for human consumption…
wow! Any thoughts?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/world-europe-23195183
There are big free trade talks going on at present and the different countries are positioning themselves. Chain has slapped some quotas or taxes on French wines as a result of the French anti dumping action on solar panels.
Is that President Poutine?
Poutine is one of our weapons of mass destruction. Please spread the rumour. We're working on the cheddar next but we're not quite there :-)
Go to New York City for excellent imported and home made cheese.
Good point Donna.
From NPR (National Public Radio -America) article:
"The mites munch on the rind for a few years and then are removed — usually with a blast of compressed air and a bit of hand-brushing — before Mimolette is sold. But there are always a few hiding behind. And now the FDA is cracking down.
According to the FDA’s Patricia El-Hinnawy, there’s no official limit, but the target is no more than six mites per square inch. For Mimolette, that’s a near impossible standard."
To me it is also ludicrious that this cheese is banned from entering America soil. The FDA’s reason for the ban (more than 6 mites per square inch) and the small risk of allergic reactions to these mites is (in my opinion) simply a bureaucrat that for some undisclosed reasons, does not think outside the box of rules.
There is probably something else behind the scenes that is not open to public eyes. What I do know know…
What I find weird is that the whole ‘lot’ of this cheese was banned rather than taking a look at different samples which might have had less mite contamination. And also, why the sudden ban when this cheese was imported previously?
There is another cheese called Marzu Casa from Sardinia, Italy, a sheep cheese made also from cheese flies that is illegal in Italy. The maggots from the cheese fly have to be eaten alive inside the cheese and if not and the cheese is eaten with the maggots larvea dead, they can cause intestinal problems and allergic reactions (apparently). Oh la la!
Oh come on Donna. From the nation that brought the world Poutine. At least you Canadians can produce decent Cheddar- type cheese.
To balance my condemnation of the cheese I have "tasted" in North America, I should be fair and say that I have tasted the very finest steak and some wonderful oysters (Key West, FL) and enjoyed fantastic customer service in my admittedly limited travels in both the US and Canada - but cheese? I'm afraid I have to stand by my initial comment (though it is true I did not visit any French restaurants or delis)
I think that the problem with the ban is that the rest of us are horrified that good food can be banned, just because they do not understand it.
They had a go at Roquefort too, but that was totally political.
I was fascinated to read how a link to an article about the ban of certain cheese in a particular country became a pretext for bashing an entire culture and for sharing conspiracy theories. I'd like to point out that if one's culinary experiences are limited to fast-food restaurants, then yes, one could be under the impression that the process cheese on the burgers is the only cheese available in the US. As for Massachusetts having only one French restaurant, I think I heard a rumour that a second one is being opened in Boston as we speak ;-) I think some us forget that membership on this site is not limited to British ex-pats. If I were to start a discussion about how chip butties and steak and kidney pie were a symbol of the dearth of culture and gastronomical expertise of the British, as ridiculous as it sounds (to some but not all readers ;-), I would be inundated with outraged comments and would have needlessly wounded the sensibilities of some readers. We need to be careful about making generalizations and spreading rumours. And now that I've reminded you of how important it is to be aware of your audience, I will go back to wire-tapping these conversations and reporting back to Big Brother, Monsanto, MacDonalds and Homeland Security. Have a nice day :-)
No it's not, it's like a really well ripened Gouda and delicious. But what can you expect of a country that brought the world canned cheese and the Kraft Cheese Slice. Goodness knows what they think of Maroilles or Le Vieux Lille. But I guess theyr'e happy with anything that's "free of bacteria", fattening and without flavour of any kind except that of sugar.
From the sounds of it, far more people would be out of a job if they stopped spying on everybody. Does that justify not stopping it?
That response, Alexander, is like saying "don't stop making weapons, 'cos it'll put people out of work"!
McDonalds is just part of the insidious saturation of the world by the USA's "non-culture"!
Naturally, there is already a Facebook page for this: https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheMimolette
Cheese in the US, what fun.
When I lived in France, I took a US based colleague to a nice restaurant in Divonne-les-Bains. When I visited him, he took me to the only French restaurant in Massachusetts. After the main course, I asked for cheese. The owner said that when he first opened, he had a varied cheese board but there was no demand, so he gave up. For me he offered to go to the supermarket across the road and buy some. I declined.
Some cheeses are banned in Australia, because they need bacteria, which have been deemed to be harmful in some circumstances.
Does anybody have the brass balls to order all branches of MacD to close because of the health hazard to our children (as well as others) by supplying people with fried, fortified fat?
The US can ban Mimolette for as long as it likes. All the more for us in France. The American attitude toward food is incomprehensible to me. They export their junk food to the world but can't import a wholesome and delicious cheese.
yes its disgusting ! the cheese i mean
The US doesn't allow unpasteurised milk products. So many decent French cheeses, including Brie de Maux, are not imported. There is a rather ghastly pasteurised version, but my personal experience of cheese in North America is dire - Tasteless, yellow garbage served melted on inedible hamburgers.