FDA May Begin Restricting Use Of Wooden Boards To Age Cheese

Wisconsin cheese makers are worried that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may not let them use wooden boards to age their cheese anymore.

The FDA recently expressed ongoing concerns about whether wooden boards were acceptable to use in the cheese-making process, after problems were discovered at an unsanitary dairy plant in New York.

Dodgeville-based Uplands Cheese Company creates award-winning cheeses, including Pleasant Ridge Reserve. It’s strong and creamy and aged for over a year on wooden boards, which help control the ripening process.

Uplands Cheese co-owner Andy Hatch says if the agency forces them to change its process, the company would be put in a very difficult position.

“What we’re doing is based on old, traditional practices, which doesn’t mean that they’re antiquated or unsafe,” said Hatch. “Ripening cheese on wood is something that’s been done for hundreds of years and it’s the foundation of developing cheese with character.”

According to the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, there are currently about 30 million pounds of cheese aging on wooden boards in the state.

Marianne Smukowski, the dairy safety and quality coordinator with the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, said she hopes the FDA works with scientists and the industry to get the issue sorted out.

“Typically, everyone does a pretty darn good job of cleaning and sanitation of wood boards,” said Smukowski. “With these smaller factories, if they didn’t, they may not be able to sell product. If they don’t sell product, then they can’t remain in business.”

The FDA said in an email that it plans on working with the artisan cheese makers to determine what kind of cheeses can be safely aged on wooden boards.

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection inspectors examine facilities multiple times each year. A spokesman said they’re waiting for the FDA to clarify its rules on wooden boards.