Bleu Cheese

[gfp]

Hmmm, I love bleu & have missed it because of the could-be-gluten warnings. But I just had a thought... these molds that grow on wheat... could they possibly be advantageous to Celiacs? Maybe they actually digest & destroy gluten! I'm thinking they might be analogous to the bacteria that make yogurt more digestible for the lactose intolerant. It's probably just wishful thinking, but maybe our bellies need some Roquefort!

Hm but we have LSD available now so no need for ergot...

Seriously though I have the same thoughts....

[TinkerbellSwt]

Wow.. i have learned a lot from this thread. I have always been wondering about the subject of bleu cheese. I love the stuff and was always afraid to try it. If I understood correctly, some bleu actually says wheat on it?

The ones that dont should be safe?

I might not be understanding this. Please someone simplify it for me? I get all kinds of confuzzeled.

[gfp]

Wow.. i have learned a lot from this thread. I have always been wondering about the subject of bleu cheese. I love the stuff and was always afraid to try it. If I understood correctly, some bleu actually says wheat on it?

The ones that dont should be safe?

I might not be understanding this. Please someone simplify it for me? I get all kinds of confuzzeled.

Basically it depends on the manufacturer.

For instance, some Roquefort is started of with a culture grown on rye bread whereas other's are naturally allowed to develop mould from the cave.

[lovegrov]

One more thought on bleu cheese. Many folks, including those who make cheese, very seriously doubt that "gluten" would even transfer in a culture grown on bread. And if it does transfer, the percentage of gluten in the culture would be miniscule and the amount of culture used is so tiny that the resulting gluten in the cheese would be so minor as to not be measureable. You get more gluten every time you eat a processed food or eat out.

I can't prove this is true, but it makes sense to me. Bleu cheese iosn't even a blip on my gluten radar.

richard

[gfp]

One more thought on bleu cheese. Many folks, including those who make cheese, very seriously doubt that "gluten" would even transfer in a culture grown on bread. And if it does transfer, the percentage of gluten in the culture would be miniscule and the amount of culture used is so tiny that the resulting gluten in the cheese would be so minor as to not be measureable. You get more gluten every time you eat a processed food or eat out.

I can't prove this is true, but it makes sense to me. Bleu cheese iosn't even a blip on my gluten radar.

richard

I lean towards this myself, its not actually the bread they are taking just a scraping off the bread and i think they mostly say this for "advertising".. for instance Roquefort Papillion make a big deal about the traditional rye bread but quite how often they go back the the bread is not mentioned... they can just take some of the mould from one of the other cheeses... and do this more or less indefinately.

On the other hand Societe guarantee both their Roquefort cheeses are natually infected for the caves ...two different sets of caves and hence 2 different strains of the penecilin.

I'm not seriously worried about the Papillon but given an equal choice take the other, especially since the Bargnaudes is my favorite anyway...

[eKatherine]

I read a recipe for making blue cheese at home where you innoculated the cheese curds with a slurry of your favorite blue cheese before hooping them.

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Soory it took me so long to chime in, but between the computer troubles and my crazy week at work, I have been swamped.

Ok, here is the "skinny" on the issue.

When Bleu cheese was origianlly made (and made in some expensive cheeseries - Stilton, Maytag, etc), the culture that produced the bacteria to make bleu cheese was started on bread. The mold that was made (cultured) was then introduced to a certain cheese and then the bacteria would reproduce and have a reaction throughout the cheese (thus turning the cheese moldy or blue).

In the late 90's (and early 2000's), thanks to the internet, Celiac urban lagends and myths abounded and this one was incredibly popular. Afterall, if the bacteria came from bread, then the entire cheese has gluten in it right?

Wrong...

Most bleu cheese manufacturers now acquire their mold/culture via a scientifically made medium which is manufactured in gross and which allows them to produce massive amounts of bleu cheese (tons and tons).

Think about it, what is cheaper? Making the bacteria on your own with bread and then having people carefully remove gthe mold and introduce to cheese by hand....OR buying/manufacturing your own bacteria and having computers/machines to introduce the process and manufacture tons of cheese at half the labor cost???

I know what you're saying....but Bronco, not everyone does that...some people still make bleu cheese the old-fashioned way, right?

That is correct!

Is it safe? -- This is the one that is up for debate.

Personally, I say yes. In a scientific sense, the likelihood that a bacteria grown from mold (which is breaking down the bread) and placed on/in/around cheese would somehow still have gluten left in it after the decomposition of both the bread and the cheese??? Seems remote to me. But we all make our own decisions.

anyway, I hope this somehow clears the issue up (though it could confuse the issue also - LOL)

For the record, I eat it all the time with no ill effects...

"they can take our bread, but they will never take our FREEDOM...or bleu cheese..."