Standing Up for a WI Way of Life

2014: The U.S. Food And Drug Administration Called Wooden Boards Unsanitary. “The future of many cheese operations in Wisconsin and elsewhere and the unique tastes of popular cheeses like aged cheddar and Parmesan are hanging in the balance after a recent decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that alters how cheeses are aged, industry experts say. Wooden boards, which have been an integral part of aging a wide variety of cheeses by producers around the world for more than a century, were called unsanitary by an FDA official after the agency cited several New York operations for using them.” [Wisconsin State Journal, 6/10/2014]

Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association: More Than 33 Million Pounds Of Cheese In Wisconsin Ages On Wood. “Wisconsin, which leads the nation in cheese production, also permits the use of wooden boards to age cheese as long as producers follow industry procedures for keeping them sanitary. More than 33 million pounds of state cheese ages on wood, according to John Umhoefer, the executive director of the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association.” [Wisconsin State Journal, 6/12/2014]

Baldwin Wrote A Letter To The FDA Commissioner Saying That Changes In Cheese Board Policy Would Have “Serious Ramifications For Wisconsin’s World-Renown Cheese Makers Who Have Safely Aged Their Cheeses On Wooden Boards For Generations.” “The FDA heard from several other Wisconsin officials, including Gov. Scott Walker, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison. Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross also talked to FDA officials. […] In a letter to FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg, Baldwin said any changes in the FDA’s cheese board policy would have ‘serious ramifications for Wisconsin’s world-renown cheese makers who have safely aged their cheeses on wooden boards for generations.’ ‘Changes in the FDA’s cheese board policy would have serious ramifications for these businesses, and, if the federal government intends to change these policies, cheese makers should be fully integrated into the process,’ Baldwin continued.” [Wisconsin State Journal, 6/12/2014]

Headline: “Editorial: Keep Your Government Hands Off Our Cheese.” [Racine Journal Times, Editorial, 6/17/2014]

Wisconsin State Journal: The FDA “Backed Off Its Claims That The Boards Were Unsanitary And Posed A Risk Amid A Flurry Of Protests By Elected Officials From Wisconsin And Elsewhere.” “Cheese producers won’t have to lose the wooden boards used to age their cheese after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration backed off its claims that the boards were unsanitary and posed a health risk amid a flurry of protests by elected officials from Wisconsin and elsewhere. The FDA issued a statement Wednesday that said it’s going to work with the artisan cheese producers to determine whether certain types of cheese can be aged safely on wooden shelving. The aging process gives cheeses their unique flavor and appeal. ‘Historically, the FDA has expressed concern about whether wood meets this requirement and has noted these concerns in inspectional findings,’ the FDA said. ‘The FDA is always open to evidence that shows that wood can be safely used for specific purposes, such as aging cheese.’” [Wisconsin State Journal, 6/12/2014]