European Raw Milk Ban

With winter comes the season of raclette and fondue, as well as the craziness of the busy Christmas months. It's a hectic time here with pallets of cheese arriving almost faster than we can deal with them.

This year, we will have an additional obstacle to navigate. I have just had a second letter from a supplier letting me know that many of our regular European cheeses made with raw milk will not be available for some time. This means everything from Brie de Meaux and Tomme de Savoie, to the eagerly awaited seasonal cheese Vacherin Mont d'Or, which is made only in winter and which we usually receive only in December. So many people are going to be disappointed, myself included.

In Europe at this time, an outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease has occurred among cattle in a few small areas of France and Italy. It is a viral infection that affects cattle, causing significant decreases in milk yield, and is therefore of particular concern within the dairy industry.

Insects spread LSD, and until now, an outbreak has never been seen in Europe. It was first discovered in Zambia in 1929 and has spread north as far as Israel, where an outbreak in 1989 was successfully brought under control. Although there have been outbreaks in India and other countries in the southern hemisphere more recently.

Although there is no risk to humans, due to the highly contagious nature of the disease, strict measures are being put in place to contain the problem and quarantine the affected animals.

It is, of course, very distressing for the farmers and their herds. Some dairy breeds are especially susceptible to the disease, including Jersey, Guernsey and Friesian.

It's hard to know the whole story, but so far, there has been a suspension of trade for raw milk cheeses made after May 23, 2023. This is affecting Switzerland, Italy and France so far.

Almost all the firm cheeses we buy from those countries are made with raw milk, but no mention of firm cheeses being unavailable has been made yet. We aren't sure if that's because they are older cheeses, made before May 23, or if the concern is only with soft cheeses. So far, this is leaving a lot of things up in the air. We know for sure that many of our best sellers will not be available, but we are unsure if this list will expand or not.

We've been able to order for the season with some of this helpful information, but we know that it is possible that many things may be missing. Importing cheese is somewhat of a mystery all the time, but this is making it more difficult than usual. There is very little we will be able to do about it if things don't arrive as we were expecting.

We also have no idea how long this will last. If they have contained the problem and are dealing with the spread, could it be resolved within months, or is the timeline unknown? It must be distressing for people in the farming and dairy industries in Europe, and I'm sure they are very concerned about the well-being of their animals.

For us, many questions are challenging to answer, so we will have to wait and see as more information becomes available.

The World Health Organization and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency both have good sites with information on LSD and its repercussions.

Fingers crossed that things are brought under control quickly.