On New Year’s Day I read a CBS News report sent to me by a friend and fellow cheese lover about some rather large thefts in Italy of Parmigiano Reggiano. The aging facilities throughout the region are out in the countryside with very low tech (until now) security. Having been in one such casein cathedral as recently as last spring, I remember what a vast number of whole wheels of this magnificent cheese there were, costing hundreds of dollars each. In the warehouse CBS was shooting at, they said there was around $120 million worth of cheese gold. So far, somewhere in the vicinity of $120,000 worth of cheese has been stolen, with the perpetrators likely being backed by organized crime in Italy. No surprise there. The cheeses, of course, will flood the black market, some perhaps finding their way into legitimate retail cheese shops, but most will probably be exported far and wide. The toll will be heavy on the producers and cooperatives from whom the cheese was stolen. I only hope they have all stepped up their security (the segment showed one producer with newly installed heavy iron bars on the warehouse windows), in which case the thieves will move on to the next target. Balsamic vinegar producers, bar the doors!
Aside from feeling sympathy for the cheese producers who were hit (typically cooperative maturing sites responsible for safeguarding he cheeses), I am reminded once again that cheese is big business – whether it involves a single artisan hand making each cheese or a large factory churning out thousands of wheels a day.
We here at Gourmet Business Fine Cheese & Charcuterie feel privileged to be able to write each month about this industry and the broader realm of specialty foods in general. 2017 marks the beginning of our seventh year publishing this journal (our premier issue was in July, 2011). To kick o the New Year, we’re very pleased to have with us some heavy hitters in the cheese and charcuterie business, Schuman Cheese and Columbus Meats, sharing their thoughts about the industry as well as their own businesses. There is plenty more too, and I’m excited about entering another year of reporting on an industry we love, offering information on products, merchandising, and operations. I hope you’ll join us.
Happy New Year everyone!
James Mellgren
Managing Editor, Fine Cheese & Charcuterie
jmellgren@gourmetbusiness.com