By Tere Dunlap and Associated Press
tdunlap@themonroetimes.com
MONROE - Some cheesemakers in Green County say they will continue business as usual while they wait for state and federal agencies to shake out conflicting regulations on the use of wooden boards for aging their final cheese products.
Master Cheesemaker Myron Olson, owner of Chalet Cheese Cooperative in Monroe, said he will continue to use wooden boards for his Limburger production "until someone comes along and grabs the last board out of my hands."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently cited several New York cheese producers for using wooden boards in aging their cheese. The agency claimed the boards spread contamination.
Now Wisconsin is looking at its own state regulations allowing the aging practice, which is common and often necessary for aged cheese. Wisconsin allows cheese operations to use wooden boards if they follow protocol approved by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
"Quite a few cheesemakers in Wisconsin use wooden boards," Olson said.
John Umhoefer, executive director at Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, reported that about 20 million pounds of cheese are made each year on those boards, Olson added.
"It's what we've been doing (at Chalet) for over 100 years, since 1885," and anyone getting sick "has never been an issue," he said.
Olson said the USDA and the FDA inspects his facility once or twice a year, and he adheres to state protocol and industry precautions for cleanliness. To earn certification as a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, applicants - cheesemakers with 10 years of licensed experience - must go through training and rigorous testing and participate in the program's quality assurance component of plant and product inspection.
Wooden boards can play an integral part in a factory's creation of a specific cheese.
Certain families of bacteria are prevalent in or peculiar to particular types of cheese. But a factory will often develop an individual strain of bacteria from the family for its own specific brand of cheese.
Olson said the bacteria on the wood at Chalet Cheese Cooperative, the only American producer of Limburger cheese, plays a big role in creating the smell and taste of the cheeses aged on it.
The Roelli Cheese Haus in Shullsburg uses wooden boards to age 85 percent of its cheeses.
"It's a potential game-changer for the face of artisan cheeses in the United States," owner Chris Roelli told the Wisconsin State Journal. "I obviously have a lot riding on this, because my niche is on cellar-curing cheeses (on wooden boards), so I'm worried about it."
"The bacteria are alive and well on and in the boards," Olson said, and their long life of growing on the board is so strong, it beats out any other bacteria in competition.
Boards are used for years and centuries, and in Europe, so much cheese is aged on boards that the industry would falter if the boards were outlawed, Olson said.
Not all cheese factories use wooden boards.
Master Cheesemaker Bruce Workman, owner of Edelweiss Creamery in Monticello, crafts the 180-pound wheels of Emmentaler Swiss cheese. He said he likes curing on wooden boards, but he gave up the boards about three years ago, because they take up so much space.
"But you can't recreate the flora in wood, the flavors and distinct characteristics," he added.
State government reactions
Losing the wooden boards in the cheese industry could potentially cause "the biggest jobs and agriculture crisis" in the state, according to Wisconsin Senator Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center.
"There are over 1,200 licensed cheesemakers in Wisconsin, and I have nearly 20 in my senate district alone. I've visited them all," Schultz said in a statement released Tuesday. "If this issue isn't addressed pronto, it could cripple one of the most vital economic development industries in the state."
Schultz said Wisconsin's political leaders, legislators and federal delegation need to speak with one voice to work with the FDA, Congress and the Obama administration to come up with a solution that will allow the use of wooden boards in aging cheese to continue.
"It's my understanding DATCP Secretary Brancel is reviewing Wisconsin law and looking at what the FDA has done, and I applaud him for taking a lead," Schultz said. "What we need is a bipartisan approach which puts politics a far second and the cheese industry and Wisconsin workers first."
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that DATCP spokesman Jim Dick said officials there are still seeking clarification on the FDA ruling before making any statements.
"Until then, there will be no change in Wisconsin's inspection policy," Dick said.
The FDA cited several New York operations, despite state laws that permit wooden boards.
Monica Metz, the branch chief for the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition's Dairy and Egg Branch, wrote in her analysis to the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets' Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services that the reports showed that the porous structure of wood made it susceptible to the colonization of bacteria on the surface and inside the wood.
But Metz's analysis, made public by the American Cheese Society, didn't include the entire findings of one of the reports. The University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Dairy Research analysis said that report concluded that while some wood can hide some bad bacteria, it can be eliminated as long as a thorough cleaning procedure is followed.
Unlike manufacturers of fruits, vegetables and meats, dairy producers have had few incidents of listeria outbreaks over the years, said Marianne Smukowski of the UW-Madison Center of Dairy Research. "And none have been traced back to aging cheese on wood boards," she added.
Smukowski said she believes the FDA made its finding partly in response to the enactment of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, which shifts the focus from responding to contamination crises to preventing them, and that it can create overreactions from the FDA.
The Food Safety Modernization Act was signed into law by President Obama but passed on a bipartisan vote in Congress with Republicans controlling the U.S. House and Democrats controlling the U.S. Senate.
"It's an election year, and I'm very concerned politician's first responses are going to be (finger-pointing) in the name of scoring political points," Schultz said. "That's not helpful. We're a small state. I've been around long enough to see this with milk pricing and other Ag issues. If we don't stick together, the people of Wisconsin are going to get it stuck to them."
Schultz said he stands ready to work with anyone to assist on the issue, but his hands are somewhat tied since the potential ruling is coming from a federal agency.
"I'm just lending another voice of support and trying to bring awareness (to) the potential impact this could have if we don't work together," Schultz said.
tdunlap@themonroetimes.com
MONROE - Some cheesemakers in Green County say they will continue business as usual while they wait for state and federal agencies to shake out conflicting regulations on the use of wooden boards for aging their final cheese products.
Master Cheesemaker Myron Olson, owner of Chalet Cheese Cooperative in Monroe, said he will continue to use wooden boards for his Limburger production "until someone comes along and grabs the last board out of my hands."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently cited several New York cheese producers for using wooden boards in aging their cheese. The agency claimed the boards spread contamination.
Now Wisconsin is looking at its own state regulations allowing the aging practice, which is common and often necessary for aged cheese. Wisconsin allows cheese operations to use wooden boards if they follow protocol approved by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
"Quite a few cheesemakers in Wisconsin use wooden boards," Olson said.
John Umhoefer, executive director at Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, reported that about 20 million pounds of cheese are made each year on those boards, Olson added.
"It's what we've been doing (at Chalet) for over 100 years, since 1885," and anyone getting sick "has never been an issue," he said.
Olson said the USDA and the FDA inspects his facility once or twice a year, and he adheres to state protocol and industry precautions for cleanliness. To earn certification as a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, applicants - cheesemakers with 10 years of licensed experience - must go through training and rigorous testing and participate in the program's quality assurance component of plant and product inspection.
Wooden boards can play an integral part in a factory's creation of a specific cheese.
Certain families of bacteria are prevalent in or peculiar to particular types of cheese. But a factory will often develop an individual strain of bacteria from the family for its own specific brand of cheese.
Olson said the bacteria on the wood at Chalet Cheese Cooperative, the only American producer of Limburger cheese, plays a big role in creating the smell and taste of the cheeses aged on it.
The Roelli Cheese Haus in Shullsburg uses wooden boards to age 85 percent of its cheeses.
"It's a potential game-changer for the face of artisan cheeses in the United States," owner Chris Roelli told the Wisconsin State Journal. "I obviously have a lot riding on this, because my niche is on cellar-curing cheeses (on wooden boards), so I'm worried about it."
"The bacteria are alive and well on and in the boards," Olson said, and their long life of growing on the board is so strong, it beats out any other bacteria in competition.
Boards are used for years and centuries, and in Europe, so much cheese is aged on boards that the industry would falter if the boards were outlawed, Olson said.
Not all cheese factories use wooden boards.
Master Cheesemaker Bruce Workman, owner of Edelweiss Creamery in Monticello, crafts the 180-pound wheels of Emmentaler Swiss cheese. He said he likes curing on wooden boards, but he gave up the boards about three years ago, because they take up so much space.
"But you can't recreate the flora in wood, the flavors and distinct characteristics," he added.
State government reactions
Losing the wooden boards in the cheese industry could potentially cause "the biggest jobs and agriculture crisis" in the state, according to Wisconsin Senator Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center.
"There are over 1,200 licensed cheesemakers in Wisconsin, and I have nearly 20 in my senate district alone. I've visited them all," Schultz said in a statement released Tuesday. "If this issue isn't addressed pronto, it could cripple one of the most vital economic development industries in the state."
Schultz said Wisconsin's political leaders, legislators and federal delegation need to speak with one voice to work with the FDA, Congress and the Obama administration to come up with a solution that will allow the use of wooden boards in aging cheese to continue.
"It's my understanding DATCP Secretary Brancel is reviewing Wisconsin law and looking at what the FDA has done, and I applaud him for taking a lead," Schultz said. "What we need is a bipartisan approach which puts politics a far second and the cheese industry and Wisconsin workers first."
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that DATCP spokesman Jim Dick said officials there are still seeking clarification on the FDA ruling before making any statements.
"Until then, there will be no change in Wisconsin's inspection policy," Dick said.
The FDA cited several New York operations, despite state laws that permit wooden boards.
Monica Metz, the branch chief for the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition's Dairy and Egg Branch, wrote in her analysis to the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets' Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services that the reports showed that the porous structure of wood made it susceptible to the colonization of bacteria on the surface and inside the wood.
But Metz's analysis, made public by the American Cheese Society, didn't include the entire findings of one of the reports. The University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Dairy Research analysis said that report concluded that while some wood can hide some bad bacteria, it can be eliminated as long as a thorough cleaning procedure is followed.
Unlike manufacturers of fruits, vegetables and meats, dairy producers have had few incidents of listeria outbreaks over the years, said Marianne Smukowski of the UW-Madison Center of Dairy Research. "And none have been traced back to aging cheese on wood boards," she added.
Smukowski said she believes the FDA made its finding partly in response to the enactment of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, which shifts the focus from responding to contamination crises to preventing them, and that it can create overreactions from the FDA.
The Food Safety Modernization Act was signed into law by President Obama but passed on a bipartisan vote in Congress with Republicans controlling the U.S. House and Democrats controlling the U.S. Senate.
"It's an election year, and I'm very concerned politician's first responses are going to be (finger-pointing) in the name of scoring political points," Schultz said. "That's not helpful. We're a small state. I've been around long enough to see this with milk pricing and other Ag issues. If we don't stick together, the people of Wisconsin are going to get it stuck to them."
Schultz said he stands ready to work with anyone to assist on the issue, but his hands are somewhat tied since the potential ruling is coming from a federal agency.
"I'm just lending another voice of support and trying to bring awareness (to) the potential impact this could have if we don't work together," Schultz said.