Managing pH and drainage kinetics ➜ Predictions. The relative positions of the pH curve and the drainage curve contribute to the characteristics of the finished product. Should one curve go out of sync with the other, defects or changes in the finished product may result. ➜ Managing mismatched rates of change Washed Rind : Getting good natural color ➜ The color and external appearance of a cheese are two important criteria for consumers buying washed rind cheeses. The quality of natural (...)
Health benefits… Yet to be quantified ➜ While scientists are increasingly convinced that a diet deprived of microbes contributes to ‘modern illnesses’ the ability to measure their benefits and balance them against the risks incurred has become a significant challenge. New ideas are emerging. On the ground, action at the source ➜ How to reconcile hygiene, safeguarding useful flora, and economic efficiency ? While the sanitarian logic in force for the past few decades is starting to show its limits, another approach is emerging : managed microbial ecology. Saint-Nectaire in a clearer light ➜ Study. Why do certain farmstead producers have recurrent hygiene issues ? The Saint-Nectaire sector undertook an ambitious study looking at all dimensions of the issue, to find answers to this question. The conclusions demonstrate the pertinence of a global and well thought out approach starting from the pasture right through to the finished cheese. ➜ “Symbiosis with the environment”
The ‘Omics’ revolution ➜ Genes. Metagenomics, metatranscriptomics : these tools for exploring the genome are shining a new light on the structure and evolution of the microbial ecosystems that make up cheese. How can cheese professionals take advantage of these new discoveries ? ➜ Understanding cheese alchemy
From Comptoir : A warm welcome for the gourmet ➜ Etienne Boissy, 56, MOF 2004, former associate of Hervé Mons in Lyon, and Bénédicte Dartois, 52, opened From Comptoir in the summer of 2019.
Vacherin d’Abondance : The rescue ➜ Persistence. On the heights of the Abondance valley in Haute-Savoie, a handful of producers are preserving or renewing the process of making this unusual cheese, made only during a few weeks each winter.
Spain, the reconquest ➜ Trends. After having practically disappeared, artisan and farmstead cheese production has taken on new life and is exploring new, more creative approaches.
Betting on Bleu-Blanc-Cœur milk ➜ Enriched. The Bleu-Blanc-Cœur (Blue-White-Heart) program aims to increase Omega 3 levels in milk via animal feed. The end result : a healthier product for the consumer, but also better animal health, and creamier textures in cheese as well.
