Our final presentation!

Hello everyone!

Below the link to our final presentation of part 1!

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B5Xq6-Xvl2wrd3BpUkpIMUVoVUU

Presenting our market research report!

Finally part 1 of the project! Presenting our findings about Dutch raw milk cheese in Italy. We are very contented about the final result and curious what you think of the market research report! Hope you like it so enjoy reading it!

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B5Xq6-Xvl2wrSkl4SDNQeG5yUVU   

Impressive video about a project of Slow Food in Africa

Deadline last Friday!

Hi dear blog readers,

Last Friday we had to hand in the project before 4 pm. Normally it is a bit of a stressful day, but we only had to finish some small points. The project was almost finished the day before the deadline. This was just part 1 of the whole project. Now we have delivered the market research, next period we have to deliver a marketing communication plan. We put our effort in it and we hope it turns out in a good grade. And of course most important that this report will hopefully help small Dutch farmers in promoting their cheese in Italy!

Greets, group 3

And the best cheese in the world is...

The Netherlands produces the world's best cheese

09 March 2012, by James Shaw

On Wednesday night, the World Champion Cheese Contest produced a shock winner in their search to discover the best cheese in the world. They crowned a low-fat Gouda named Vermeer, from Friesland Campina, as champion, which fended off strong competition from traditional winners Switzerland.

Friesland Campina didn't even send a representative to the competition, such was their surprise, and the cheesemaker's plant manager, Piet Nederhoed, had to be woken up at 1am to be told the good news.

Critics lavished compliments on the Dutch entry. Dan Konz, a cheese grader from Minnesota, said the winning Vermeer stood out for its "nice, smooth, clean flavour. It had nice body and mouth-feel. A very clean taste."

The contest is held once every two years in Madison, USA, and features 2.500 entries from over 20 countries. There are subtle variations in cheese based on their region of origin, year of creation and the techniques employed by master craftsmen. Cheeses are judged for their flavour, texture, body and colour by world experts.

The Netherlands is famous for its Gouda cheese, a position that will only be enhanced by winning the world's top spot.



Other finalists

Of the finalists, seven were from the US, and five were from Switzerland, including the two runners-up; second-place Kaserei Grundbach, a company in Wattenwill that entered a smear-ripened semi-soft winner kase; and SO Appenzeller Kase of Appenzell which took third place with its Appenzeller cheese.

Source: http://www.iamexpat.nl/read-and-discuss/expat-page/news/the-netherlands-produces-the-worlds-best-cheese 

Serious Cheese: On Raw-Milk Cheese

By Jamie Forrest

A few weeks back, J. Gordon left a comment on my post regarding France's raw-milk cheese war: "Could someone explain the difference between pasteurized cheeses and raw milk cheeses? Does pasteurization just destroy the flavor of cheese?... Despite the near-illegality of raw milk and its rare consumption, several hundred people a year become ill from drinking raw milk, with the occasional death. Is cheese safer, or is the taste difference very significant?" The raw-milk debate isn't going away anytime soon, so I thought it would be a good time to answer questions like those above and lay down my take on the matter.

Raw Milk vs. Raw-milk Cheese

Drinking raw milk is a public health issue. Milk can contain some seriously dangerous bacteria, including Listeria, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella. Before pasteurization became the norm, raw milk consumption was linked with even more serious diseases like typhoid, scarlet fever, and tuberculosis. But making cheese out of raw milk is really a separate issue. For various reasons, raw-milk cheese produced under strict standards of cleanliness is far safer than raw fluid milk.

And yes, raw-milk cheese does taste better--dramatically so. The complex mix of organisms naturally occurring in raw milk leads to a depth of flavor that pasteurized cheeses can't really approach. That's not to say that there aren't any pasteurized cheeses that are excellent, nor are all raw-milk cheeses revelations, but the trend is undeniable.

Factors that Influence Bacterial Growth

As explained by UVM Professor Catherine W. Donnelly in Chapter 9 of the book American Farmstead Cheese, there are a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence how hospitable a given cheese is to bacterial growth. High salt content, high acidity, and the presence of antimicrobial substances in the cheese are all factors that can influence the number of bacterial pathogens. How the milk and cheese are handled both on the farm and in the processing plant also affects bacterial growth.

It's all Relative

Given that, certain cheeses are less risky than others: semi-firm and firm, aged cheeses like the blues, Swiss, cheddars, and most Italian cheeses are considered safer than soft cheeses like ricotta, Brie, Camembert, etc. Moreover, cheeses made at small operations are less risky than those from bigger plants. (Incidence of Salmonella is much lower among farms with fewer than 100 animals than those with more than 100.)

Pasteurization Not a Magic Bullet

There is a theory that pasteurization can in some ways actually be more problematic than using raw milk. Pasteurization kills off any beneficial bacteria that are naturally present in raw milk. These beneficial bacteria could be an important defense against pathogenic growth, especially in a medium such as milk whose high water-content, relatively low acidity and high sugar levels make for a bacteria-friendly environment. Pasteurization also has the appearance of a magic bullet technique, which could lead producers to cut corners by using inferior milk or accepting shoddy procedures with regard to cleanliness. The science hasn't been done yet to bear all this out, but the theory is compelling.

Cleanliness is Next To Godliness

So ultimately Dr. Connelly recommends an approach to raw-milk cheese that involves stricter manufacture along with better bacterial testing throughout. I tend to agree because it would be a shame if the FDA decided to shut down raw-milk cheeses altogether. What about you? Where do you stand in this debate? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/03/serious-cheese-on-raw-milk-cheese.html

Why Slow Food defends raw milk cheese

Slow Food Manifesto

in Defense of Raw Milk Cheese

Raw-milk cheese is more than a wonderful food, it is a deeply embedded expression of our finest traditions. It is both an art and a way of life. It is a culture, a heritage and a cherished landscape. And it is under threat of extinction. Under threat because the values it expresses are in opposition to the sanitation and homogenization of mass produced foods.

We call - on all food-loving citizens of the world to respond now to the defense of the unpasteurised cheese tradition. A defence of a food that has for hundreds of years inspired, given pleasure and provided sustenance but is now being insidiously undermined by the sterile hand of global hygiene controls.

We call - for an end to all discriminatory regulations from the European Union, World Trade organisation, United States' Food and Drug Administration and other government institutions that needlessly restrict citizens' freedom of choice to purchase these foods, and threaten to destroy the livelihood of the artisan craftsmen who produce them.

We deplore - attempts by regulatory authorities to impose unattainable standards of production, in the name of protecting human health.

We believe - that such impositions will have the adverse effect of that intended. The bacteriological health of our unpasteurized dairy products is destroyed by over-zealous sterilisation procedures. So will the health of human beings be destroyed through a diet of sterile food. Without any challenge, our immune system will fail and our medication become ineffective.

Moreover the unique flavor and aroma of the cheese are conserved by non-pasteurisation.

We therefore call - upon those who have it in their power to safeguard the diversity and complexity of our regional foods and the health and stability of our rural communities to act now and ensure a flexible, fair and appropriate regulatory framework; sensible controls and a positive disposition concerning the future.

Be aware - that once the knowledge, skills and commitment of this culture have been lost, they can never be regained.

Source: http://www.slowfood.com/rawmilk/eng/36/manifesto