Swiss cheese hit by US holey war

It is known as the "king of the cheeses" but Swiss Emmental, famous for its cherry-sized holes, is under threat.

Manufacturers in the Emme Valley have been rocked by a row over the size of the holes in their cheese. A number of American manufacturers have complained that Swiss Emmental, with holes or eyes ranging from 17.5 mm to 20.5mm, forces them to sell their brands at a lower price in the US.

Throughout the world Emmental cheese is graded A, B or C - the original Swiss product with larger holes is top of the range at A and is more expensive.

The US makers, who have only been producing the cheese for about 20 years, manufacture a cheaper commodity with 9.5mm holes. They are demanding the Swiss reduce their hole size or allow the US product to be listed as A grade with an increase in price.

The US Department of Agriculture has set a deadline of the end of next month for the Swiss to conform, otherwise they will try to reduce the foreign cheese to a lower grade.

However this move was today slammed by cheese connoisseurs who say that changing the hole size will ruin the taste of the product.

Julie Harbutt, the former owner of Jeroboams Cheese Shop in London and author of the World Encyclopedia of Cheese, says: "This is absolutely stupid. The holes are an indication that the cheese has ripeded correctly - that's why the Swiss have a certain size.

"For example, if the holes are elongated they know that it has ripened too quickly. It is graded by a man who hits the cheese with a hammer and can tell instantly if the sound is pure. This means the cheese will have the right texture and quality.

"The size of the holes are governed by law. It is like saying Granny Smith apples cannot be as green as they are. If they are not as green they will not have the same taste.

"If the Americans want to change the size of the holes why don't they make their's bigger? The answer to this is that they can't make cheese as well as the Swiss.