Agrarian
France is known for its cheese specialties. The production of certain traditional varieties is subject to strict regulations in some cases. (File photo)
Keystone
Due to this summer’s drought, France has relaxed the strict production rules for certain types of cheese. As an exception, farmers who produce the traditional cheeses Abondance, Beaufort, and Comté are now allowed to feed their cows more forage grown farther away.
Today at 04:45
Today at 04:45The three cooked pressed cheeses made from raw milk bear the so-called Protected Designation of Origin. This Europe-wide designation is intended to protect distinctive regional products. As a result, strict rules apply to their production.
Abondance and Beaufort are produced in the French region of Savoie. Due to the drought, farmers are now allowed to give their cows more hay. Normally, the animals are supposed to be fed mainly on pasture grass. Farmers are also allowed to use more hay from outside the designated foraging area. For Comté, which is produced in the Jura Mountains, France allows farmers to use green corn grown elsewhere.
France’s soil has dried up
According to the weather service Météo France, France’s soil is drier than it has ever been since records began in 1959. Drought conditions have been spreading since June and have been exacerbated by a severe lack of rain and high temperatures. More than three-quarters of France has been affected by drought since mid-August. Since early July, soil dryness across the country has reached a record high on average.
In total, there are nearly 50 types of cheese in France that are listed as protected designations of origin. For a product to receive this designation, every step of the production process must take place within the product’s precisely defined region of origin and be carried out according to a clearly defined procedure. This includes, for example, the origin of the feed and how long the animals graze.
Dining and Cooking