Vacherin Fribourgeois granted Swiss A.O.C.
Vacherin Fribourgeois, a mild cow’s milk cheese, has just been granted a Swiss A.O.C. (Appellation of Controlled Origin), making it the eighth Swiss cheese to be awarded the prestigious label. The Swiss news site Edicom reports that production will consequently increase by 4% in 2006.
The road to the upper echelon of cheese hierarchy was not a simple one, as the local newspaper La Gruyère explains in their in-depth coverage of the event. In 1997, the government refused the AOC because some of the cheese was made with pasteurized milk. This time around, the Cremo company, which accounts for around half of the production, replaced pasteurization with bactofugation.
Those of you familiar with A.O.C.s for wine may be surprised to learn they apply to other foods. In France, the label is granted to olive oils, meats, honeys and even lentils; Switzerland recognizes certain cardoons.
