Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – @BednarChuck
Scientists from a Swiss agricultural research center have poked holes in the longstanding theory that bacteria is responsible for creating the distinctive holes found in some types of Swiss cheese, discovering instead that tiny bits of hay present in the milk are the real culprits.
The research, which was conducted by experts from Agroscope, explained that the holes in Swiss cheeses occur when unclean buckets are used to collect milk used to make the dairy produce, BBC News and The Telegraph explained.
Furthermore, when milk extraction is performed with modern techniques, the holes vanish, Agroscope spokesman Regis Nyffeler told reporters. Forgoing use of the buckets typically used to make cheese makes all the difference, as those buckets contained small pieces of hay that had fallen into the milk and ultimately caused the appearance of the holes.
Important research, and that’s the ‘hole’ truth!
Agroscope officials told The Telegraph that scientists have been interested in Swiss cheese holes since at least 1917, when US scientist William Clark first published a research paper in which he concluded that the holes were caused by bacteria releasing carbon dioxide present in the milk.
However, the Swiss researchers noted that fewer holes had been appearing in the Emmental and Appenzell cheeses over the past 10 to 15 years, as old-school bucket milk-collection was phased out in favor of sealed milking machines, which eliminated the presence of minute hay particles in the milk used to produce these delectable dairy products.
Lest this research seem like much ado about nothing, Smithsonian Magazine points out that the US Department of Agriculture actually bases its grading system for Swiss cheese on the size and the characteristic of these holes, which are also commonly referred to as eyes.
They explained that its part of a program designed to promote the marketing of Swiss cheeses in the US. The holes can carry a variety of different designations, including “overset,” “collapsed,” “dead,” “nesty,” and even “frog-mouthed.” The really good stuff – the Swiss cheese that has eyes which are perfectly sized and uniform – receives a “Grade A” rating from the USDA.
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