The Emmentaler Switzerland organisation wants to use hay flower powder to create larger holes in Emmental cheese. The Federal Administrative Court must decide whether this is allowed in Switzerland. The holes in Emmental cheese are getting smaller and smaller. Years ago, Swiss researchers discovered that this was due to hygiene: In the past, hay dust got into the milk during manual milking. Bacteria formed and produced gases, which led to the characteristic holes. Since modern milking machines have been used, the holes have shrunk because the machines draw the milk so cleanly from the udder that fewer hay particles get into the milk. This is also a quality problem, because the smaller the holes in the cheese, the more likely it is that gaps and cracks will form. This realisation is not entirely new. It had already been noticed earlier that Emmental cheese made from summer milk has smaller holes than that made from winter milk. The cows ate hay in winter and dust-free grass in summer.
