A cheesemaker in a vegan maelstrom

➜ The French creamery Chevenet was the victim of hidden-camera video filmed, secretly and without permission, by a militant vegan group. The accusations it contained of animal mistreatment were eventually proven false.

Normandy AOPs will be measuring their impact

➜ Beyond their gustatory qualities, what do dairy AOPs offer in terms of societal good, landscapes, natural ecosystems ? Together, the AOPs based (...)

Morbier, a line in the sand for the line in the cheese

➜ After ten years of legal battles, the Morbier AOP finally has reason to believe that the ash line that distinguishes this cheese will be (...)

White book on the Risk/Benefit analysis of Raw Milk Cheese : progress report

➜ ➜ You are now about halfway through preparing the White Book. What have you done thus far ? SM : We conducted a comprehensive review of the (...)

Dry matter, tools for consistency

➜ Cheesemakers have to ensure a stable, consistent product. How does one limit variances when working with a living raw material that changes over time ?

Geo, The all-terrain vehicle

➜ Widely used in cheesemaking, Geotrichum candidum plays an important role in affinage, contributing to both the visual and aromatic qualities of the cheese. But that’s not all it can offer.

Dischamp : An upgraded creamery

➜ Guided visit. The Auvergnat creamery invested in an entirely new site to produce and ripen its Cantals at the beginning of the year. Objectives : lightening the burden of labor and increasing quality control.

➜ 3.5 days to make a Cantal

➜ A spacious boutique

Cheesemaking on the farm… hands-free

➜ An entirely automated system has been invented to help dairy farmers add value to their milk with a minimum investment of time, and without having any prior cheesemaking knowledge.

Sustainable ambitions for AOPs

➜ CNAOL, which houses under its umbrella all French dairy AOPs, held its annual meeting in the AOP zone of Mont d’Or and Morbier in Labergement-Sainte-Marie on September 29 and 30. CNAOL’s President Hubert Dubien, himself a dairy farmer for Fourme de Montbrison, provides a recap.

Greenhouse gasses : Can dairy farming be virtuous ?

➜ Accused of contributing to global warming, dairy farmers have the means to reduce their carbon footprint significantly, starting with taking advantage of pasture-based grazing systems and their role as “carbon sinks”.

Mont d’Or speaks up

➜ Proposing to increase its production zone by 50%, the AOP hopes to be able to ensure future milk supplies for its producers in the face of summertime droughts.

Best cheeses : the French outclassed ?

➜ Slice it whichever way you like, French cheesemakers are still setting the pace in the race for gastronomic excellence. By Rory Stone