NYT: The Food and Drug Administration is questioning the use of wooden planks to age some cheeses.
NYT: The Food and Drug Administration is questioning the use of wooden planks to age some cheeses.
For some styles of cheese, wood is an essential part of the process. It aids in the control of moisture that helps form rinds on big wheels of English Cheddar and small, delicate washed-rind cheeses. It also provides an amenable surface for the microbes that add flavor and character to cheese.
But the wrong bacteria can sicken consumers, which is what the F.D.A. was trying to control with its initial decision.
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