Why cheese has holes has puzzled scientists for almost a hundred years. Now, however, we got the right answer. It was provided by Swiss researchers from the Agroscope Food Science Institute in Bern, who thus filled the remaining gap in knowledge about cheese. The culprits are the small particles of hay in the milk that get there during the milking of the cow and not the carbon dioxide secreted by the bacteria, as has been the prevailing theory until now.
Scientists have puzzled over why certain cheeses such as Emmental, Grojer, Raclette and Appenzeller have holes for almost a century, more precisely since 1917, when it's William Clark published a study that wrongly blamed the holes we see today on the carbon dioxide secreted by the bacteria in the milk. The researchers from Bern found the correct answer of the Agroscope Institute of Food Science, which says they are the cause of the holes small pieces of hay, which fall into the milk during the milking of the cow. These particles then release gases during fermentation, resulting in holes.
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Scientists have come to the revelation completely by chance, which is otherwise a regular practice when it comes to big discoveries. With more modern ones milking techniques the holes are disappearing (the trend of the last 10-15 years), which pointed the finger at the traditional system he milks the goats, which is not as hygienic as modern methods with machines. But the discovery clearly does not mean that the side of the bell is tolling the holes. Only cheesemakers will now be able to determine their own by dosing hay particles amount in cheese loaves.
More information:
agroscope.ch
