Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS OCTOBER 2014 www.gourmetnews.com EDITORIAL 8 Epoisses, Mimolette, Re- blochon and Brie de Meaux are all celebrated French cheeses, beloved throughout the world as iconic representations of the country's centuries- old artisan cheesemaking traditions. Unfortunately, these four cheeses are united by another common thread as well – you will not find them in the United States. For a variety of rea- sons, the U.S. government has not per- mitted for import or sale in this country authentic varieties of these four cheeses. As a result, those who crave to indulge in a creamy ripe reblochon or salty sharp mimolette will have to travel else- where to indulge. Excepting true cheese connoisseurs, the absence of a handful of French cheeses from the American marketplace is noticed by most consumers in this country merely as a slight nuisance – if it is noticed at all. However, what would American consumers do if the list of banned cheeses in this country were to grow? What if Americans no longer had access to Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano or Dutch Gouda or English Cheddar? And worse yet, what if American cheese pro- ducers themselves were prohibited from crafting the products for which they are most well-known and which are most in demand among their customers? In August, Wisconsin-based Uplands Cheese Co. announced that it would not be producing its beloved Rush Creek Re- serve in 2014. Inspired by the French Vacherin Mont d'Or, Rush Creek Reserve is a 60-day-aged raw cow's milk cheese attractively bound in spruce bark. Each fall, many cheese lovers anxiously await the arrival of this product at their local cheese shops, and this year they will simply be out of luck. The reason: as the FDA considers revising the rules regard- ing the safe aging of raw milk cheeses, Uplands worries that by the time they bring Rush Creek Reserve to market, it could be made illegal. Currently, cheesemakers, cheesemon- gers, affineurs and distributors in this country are in an interesting position. Federal regulators are dead set on shap- ing the way cheese is made in the United States. And too often, it seems that deci- sions are made in the absence of real sci- ence and without considerate consultation with those whom they are regulating. It is time for those facing regulation to join forces and to develop a unified voice with which to shape the policies that in turn shape them. Only by combining the resources of an indus- try and working together for a common goal can the cheese contingent effec- tively lobby legislators and effect change in this country. Of course, cheesemakers are not the only specialty food professionals af- fected by legislation and regulation in this country. As specialty food in general skyrockets in popularity among U.S. consumers, it is clear that the industry will increasingly become a target for new laws. And it is vitally important that food industry professionals stay on top of the issues that are important to their business and work hard to communicate their concerns directly to those in power. In the words of Kimberly Hould- ing, Executive Director of the American Olive Oil Producers Association, "If you have somebody in Washington or at least you're speaking as a unified indus- try voice, you can get ahead of some of those issues and prevent some of those things." GN — Lucas Witman, Editor 520.721.1300 lucas_w@oser.com WWW.GOURMETNEWS.COM PUBLISHER Lee M. Oser ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Kim Forrester Paul Harris paul_h@oser.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lorrie Baumann lorrie_b@oser.com EDITOR Lucas Witman editor@oser.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS David Bernard Amber Gallegos GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Yasmine Brown Vicky Glover ACCOUNT MANAGERS Jules Denton Lynn Hilton CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER Caitlyn Roach caitlyn_r@oser.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Product Wrap-up & Classified Sales Tara Neal tara_n@oser.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Jamie Green jamie_g@oser.com PUBLISHING OFFICE 1877 N. Kolb Road P.O. Box 1056 Tucson, AZ 85715 520.721.1300 Fax 520.721.6300 SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Gourmet News P.O. Box 30520 Tucson, AZ 85751 520.721.1300 G OURMET N EWS ® PRESIDENT Lee M. Oser MEMBER OF: Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ, and ad- ditional mailing office. Gourmet News (ISSN 1052-4630) is published monthly by Oser Com- munications Group, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715; 520.721.1300. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited mate- rial or prices quoted in newspaper. Contributors are responsible for proper release of proprietary classified information. ©2014 by Oser Communications Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is expressly prohibited. Back issues, when avail- able, cost $7 each within the past 12 months, $12 each prior to the past 12 months. Back or- ders must be paid in advance either by check or charged to American Express, Visa, or Master Card. Gourmet News is distributed without charge in North America to qualified profession- als in the retail and distribution channels of the specialty foods and hardgoods trade; paid sub- scriptions cost $65 annually to the U.S. and Canada. All foreign subscriptions cost $150 an- nually to cover air delivery. All payments must be made in U.S. funds and drawn on a U.S. bank. For subscriber services, including subscription information, call 520.721.1300. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gourmet News, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715. FROM THE EDITOR

• Cover