The holes in the Swiss cheese mystery finally solved – L’Express

That is you butcher a. After a century of study and research, the mystery holes in certain Swiss cheeses such as Emmental and Appenzell, was finally pierced, announced Thursday, the very serious scientific authorities of the Swiss Confederation. The famous “holes” are caused by hay small particles that fall in milk during milking cows, the researchers found Agroscope, the Institute of Food Science based in Bern, together with those of the Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research).

These particles emit gases during fermentation, which then form holes in the cheese, the institute said in a statement. So, the enigma of the holes in the cheese, which “fascinates both children and adults,” is finally resolved, welcomes Agroscope.

The explanation of the origin of the disappearance of holes

The “holes” tend to disappear when the milk was extracted with more modern techniques , the researchers found. “This is the disappearance of the traditional bucket” under the udder of the cow, and replaced by more modern and more hygienic techniques, which is causing the disappearance of the “holes”, told AFP a spokesman for Agroscope.

“At all times, the phenomenon of formation of the holes has attracted the attention of science. In 1917 already, the American William Clark published a detailed review article on the formation of holes in Emmental “recalls Agroscope. In this article, Clark tried to explain with the knowledge of the time the riddle of formation of the holes, with the assumption that the holes formed by the action of carbon dioxide produced by bacteria.

tomography serving the search

Scientists, who continued to question the origin of these holes after Clark found that cheeses manufactured in the last 10-15 years had less holes. Agroscope Researchers then interviewed on changing methods of milking and reduced hay microparticles and bacteria in milk.

To study the development of the opening (number, size and distribution) during the refining lasting 130 days, scientists have employed apparatus within radiology, such as positron computer assisted. “The traditional milking in the barn with open buckets has been replaced in recent decades by closed milking systems,” said Agroscope, adding that these new techniques “are also completely removed the hay microparticles in Milk” . Therefore, “there are fewer holes in the cheese sprouts”.

A “great discovery”

“It is a discovery that was made completely by accident, like any great discoveries,” concluded the door Floor-Agroscope. The cheese now know that by varying the dosage of hay microparticles, it can virtually control the number of desired holes in its wheels.

In 2014, the average annual per capita consumption of cheese in Switzerland was 21.3 kilos. But statistics do not specify the share of holes in that weight.