The Death of Camembert

Shocking news from France: A pair of large cheese producers are turning their back on centuries of tradition, not to mention good taste, to introduce pasteurized(!) milk into their versions of Camembert.

According to the New York Times, cheese purists are aghast, and I say rightfully so:

Citing health concerns, the two companies, Lactalis and the Isigny Sainte-Mère cooperative, which together made 90 percent of the traditional raw milk Camembert in Normandy, began earlier this year to treat the milk used for most of those cheeses.

In doing so, they were forced to sacrifice their A.O.C. status (certifying the cheese as authentic Camembert), the first time in French history that Camembert producers voluntarily did so.

But they also have asked the French governmental food board to grant that status to their new Camemberts, arguing that the processing they use — either filtering or gently heating the milk — does not sacrifice the traditional taste and character of the cheese.

(Traditional producers) beg to differ, claiming that the move is a ploy by the dairy giants to make more cheese and profits while destroying a crucial part of French heritage.

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