Wisconsin cheese makers say new FDA rule stinks

People, the end of Limburger cheese is at hand!

Or so the cheesemakers of Wisconsin are warning today after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said they have to stop aging cheese on wooden boards, the Wisconsin State Journal says in an editorial against the order today.

It’s aimed at Monroe, Wisconsin, the only place in America where Limburger is made, the Journal says.

Cheese makers says the order could kill off many forms of cheese in Wisconsin.

A minimum of 20 million pounds of cheese rests on wooden boards in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Cheese Makers. And our state’s specialty cheeses are shipped around the world, helping Wisconsin’s economy and jobs. It’s part of the reason state exports have been up.

The bacteria on the wood plays a big role in creating popular cheeses such as aged cheddar and Parmesan. But the FDA just cited several New York cheesemakers for using wooden boards to age their products, despite state law there permitting the traditional process.