France relaxes strict cheese-making rules after prolonged drought
Summary
France has temporarily loosened strict rules for making some famous cheeses because a long drought cut the grass supply for cows. The government is allowing farmers to use feed from outside their usual regions to help produce cheeses like Abondance, Beaufort, and Comté.Key Facts
- France relaxed cheese-making rules due to a severe summer drought.
- The rules affect cheeses from eastern mountain regions, such as Abondance, Beaufort, and Comté.
- Farmers can feed cows with grass and hay brought in from outside their traditional areas.
- Other cheeses like Cantal, Bleu d'Auvergne, and Rocamadour may also get similar exceptions.
- The National Institute for Origin and Quality (INAO) approved temporary changes to protect other local foods affected by the drought.
- Products like Calvados, cider, Crémant d'Alsace wine, lamb, and plums will also benefit from these changes.
- These exceptions come from French and European laws allowing flexibility during extreme weather events.
- The drought challenges the long-held idea that certain foods must come from specific local areas, called “terroir.”
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