CurdNerds

Reports are flying about Kraft Foods wanting to amend the definition of Parmesan cheese. Currently one of the defining characteristics of American Parmesan cheese, according to the FDA, is a period of 10 months of aging. Kraft claims they have a way of recreating the taste and texture of Parmesan cheese in far less time, 6 months. I don't really want to know how they've managed to accomplish this, but the deeper issue at hand is the importance of a consistent and logical nomenclature for food.

What makes a Camembert so different from a Cheddar? Why is Vacherin Mont d'Or runny while Pecorino Romano needs be cut with an axe? Clearly all cheeses share the same basic raw ingredients: milk, coagulant, starter culture, and salt. But how these ingredients are combined, how the milk is treated (raw vs. pasteurized), what the cows are eating, how the curds are handled during manufacture, and how the final product is aged, all determine the type of cheese you end up with at the end of the process. This is why there are hundreds of varieties of cheese varieties just in France alone.

Over centuries, the French have developed a system of agricultural nomenclature (currently called Appelation d'Origine Contrôlée, or A.O.C.) that makes it illegal to make or sell produce under a certain name unless it complies with certain criteria. For instance, a blue cheese cannot be called Roquefort unless it is made from ewe's milk and aged in the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. A cheese can be almost identical to Roquefort but if it doesn't meet all of the proper criteria, it cannot be called Roquefort. Similar laws can be found in many European countries.

These laws benefit the consumer because without them, we could be duped into thinking our pasteurized Camembert that was made in Denmark was the same thing as the real deal that is made in Normandy with raw milk. The U.S. doesn't really follow the guidelines that the Europeans have set (it is common to find Camembert, Gruyère, and other name-controlled cheeses made in America), but apparently we have our standards too. But to redefine these standards, as Kraft wants the FDA to do, would be to create unnecessary confusion in the marketplace.

Clearly Kraft wants to be able to market their cheese as Parmesan because it is a well-known name. And they want to age it for 6 months rather than 10 because it is cheaper for them. But with an age of 6 months, it is simply a different kind of cheese. It may taste very similar to 10-month old Parmesan (Kraft Parmesan cheese is not known for its nuance of flavor), but it is different and it also gives Kraft an unfair market advantage over other producers who continue to age their cheese for 10 months.

Ultimately, Kraft could simply just make up any name they wanted for their 6-month cheese; why not call it Parmesino or something like that? That would maintain the familiar name without actually having to change the definition of Parmesan cheese.