US bans ‘putrid’ French cheese as transatlantic espionage row may hurt trade
After more than a tonne of mimolette cheese has been held up in customs for 3 months, US officials have effectively banned the French speciality, calling it “putrid” and “unfit for food.”
The move comes days after France furiously reacted to revelations
the US spied on its embassy in Washington.
The US Food and Drug Administration says its inspectors found too
many cheese mites per square inch crawling on the cheese, raising
allergy concerns. But the agency hasn’t explained why it banned
the cheese after decades of few problems, the Washington Post
reports.
“The only thing we can do is cite our regulations, which show
very clearly that our job is to protect the food supply,” the
Washington Post quotes FDA spokeswoman Patricia El-Hinnawy.
FDA says there is no official ban but it requires an official
maximum level for mites of just six per square inch,
connexionfrance.com reports. The US representative of the cheese
exporter Isigny Benoît de Vitton says it has no chance of meeting
the requirement. Taking the crust off the cheeses and covering
them in wax would affect the price, which is already €80 per
kilo, connexionfrance.com quotes Benoît de Vitton.
The move has provoked outrage among mimolette fans, who call the
ban unwarranted and are worried about what it means for the fate
of other cheeses that rely on mites as part of the ageing
process, according to the Washington Post.
The transatlantic cheese row has developed ahead of the ambitious
free-trade talks between Europe and the US next week. President
of France Hollande indicated the talks could be called off unless
the alleged bugging of the French embassy in Washington was
stopped immediately and US guarantees were provided, the Guardian
reports.