The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) denies rampant reports by the European media that the U.S. has placed an import ban on mimolette, a popular French cheese.
The U.K.’s Guardian and French journals reported that approximately half a ton of mimolette cheese was refuse entry into the U.S. by FDA inspectors in New Jersey in March due to concerns that the cheese was infested with mites.
Mimolette, which is traditionally manufactured in Lille, France, indeed houses microscopic mites as it matures, which are brushed off before sale and consumption. In fact, mites are deliberately introduced to the cheese during manufacturing to refine is flavor.
Reports claim the shipments of mimolette have been detained due to high concentration of the mites present on the cheese, an allergen concern for consumers.
“The FDA does not have any information about specific import refusals, but we can tell you that, in general, there is no ban on importing mimolette cheese into the U.S.,” Pat El-Hinnawy, FDA media officer, told the Dairy Reporter. “However, it’s important to note that all food products exported to the U.S. must meet U.S. food standards.”
Benoit de Vitton, the North American representative for French cheese exporter Isigny Sainte-Mere, told Agence France-Presse that the company has been importing mimolette to the U.S. for approximately 20 years, but the FDA has been giving them a “hard time” since the beginning of March.
“We do surveillance sampling of imports; when we find a violation of U.S. law, we may take action to refuse the product entry into the U.S.,” Hinnawy told the Dairy Reporter.
