It’s a wrap…

Hello Cheese Enthusiasts! 

Photo courtesy of Culture Cheese Mag

Paper?...Plastic?...or Parchment?? Seems like everyone has an opinion on how cheese is supposed to be wrapped. Oh, I fully admit it was one of the biggest questions that I received while working behind the cheese counter…and who could blame them?...Cheese was, and still is, expensive.

For the last several years, I attended (and cheered on) some of the nation’s best cheesemongers at the Cheesemonger Invitational events on the West Coast. (You can read all about my experience here). I can tell you the parchment paper was flying that night…it looked something like the department store giftwrap counter on December 24th. These mongers were able to fold and wrap with all of the precision of an origami master. They were being judged on their speed, technique, and tightness of their wrap.

Back when I worked the cheese counter, our options were limited. Mostly “plastic wrap” (which could also go by the name of “cling wrap” or “stretch film”). These were wraps that kept the air out, the moisture in, and gave a good visual of the cheese for the consumer. Once the cheese was wrapped, a quick press on a heat pad where all the edges joined and sealed together with a price tag.

When I left my cheese counter, I went to work for a larger supermarket chain. Wanting to put a better cheese-cutting operation in place, they “upscaled” the plastic wrap by bringing in a thicker cellophane material from Europe that was in precut sheets that were perforated, with holes so small, they were only detectable if you held them up to the light. 

While these two materials are still in use today, the industry is making a slow shift towards other materials that are better for the cheese and will leave the cheese tasting as the cheesemaker intended.

So before we get into all of the different brands and styles of the modern cheese wraps…”What is wrong with plastic wrap anyway??”

The problem is that cheese is a living, breathing thing…

It needs some air, but not too much. Bloomy rind cheese like Brie and Camembert give off ammonia as part of the ripening process…if the wrap is too tight, it can suffocate it. 

These soft ripened cheeses also hate moisture…it can kill the bloomy rind, so a wrap too loose can let moisture in. 

In most cases, the cheese’s rind is its only form of protection. Once a wheel has been cut into pieces, the cheese will start losing moisture.

…and then there are the lights. The majority of cheese cases have fluorescent lights in (or close by). The lights can create light oxidation in the cheese.

So you can see, plastic wrap is not ideal. In fact many have claimed that they can “taste” the plastic film on the cheese.

So to learn about Light Oxidation, I turn your attention to my friend, and food scientist, Pat Polowsky and his wonderfully cheesy website – Cheese Science Toolkit for a scientific explanation of what is going on …

“Light Oxidation is the most prolific cheese defect that occurs in the marketplace. It’s something cheesemakers have very little control over. However, it is a problem of pandemic proportions in the cheese retailing world.”

Definition – As the name implies, light oxidation involves both light and oxygen. For our purposes light oxidation refers to the chemical reaction of fat molecules with oxygen, catalyzed by light. In other words, oxygen attacks the fat in cheese with the help of light; also known as lipid oxidation, lipid peroxidation, photo oxidation, and oxidation. Lipid is the technical term for fat. The end products of oxidation are a menagerie of bad-tasting chemical compounds, not to mention a bleached appearance.

Image courtesy of Cheese Science Toolkit

“This can contribute off-flavors like “cardboard”, “crayon-like”, or “plastic”. In fact, many people misattribute a plastic-y taste in cheese to the plastic wrap it’s wrapped in. The plastic itself is pretty inert. What they’re actually tasting is light oxidation!”

Thanks Pat!!....That really helps! 

But now that we know this, how can we prevent this from happening to our cheeses at home?

Well, luckily there are three really good producers of cheese wrap out there. I would like to take a few minutes to introduce you to them:

Formaticum – Mark Goldman had been in the cheese industry for just a few years when he decided to take a trip across France. Stopping in all of the cheese shops, he noticed that they all used a form of parchment type paper to wrap the cheese in. Realizing that this was an opportunity to bring this technology back to the United States, he spent the rest of his trip researching all of the different ones that he could find. He realized that it not only looks good, but protects flavor and allows for proper oxygen exchange, letting cheese breathe.

With a mission in mind to protect the flavor of the cheese and honor the cheese that these cheesemakers have so tirelessly cared for, Formaticum was born in Brooklyn, NY in 2006. Today, they produce a full line up of papers, bags, and labels. All are perfectly designed to protect your cheeses.

Bee’s Wrap started with a question: “How could we eliminate plastics in our kitchen in favor of a healthier, more sustainable way to store our food?”...What founder, Sarah Kaeck, discovered was a lost tradition and made it new again. By infusing organic cotton with beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin, Sarah created a washable, reusable, and compostable alternative to plastic wrap. 

Since 2012, Bee’s Wrap has called Middlebury, VT its home and they are proud to be one of the greenest options available as a cheese wrap, recognized as a Certified B Corporation. Their wraps are washable, reusable, fully biodegradable and not only wrap cheese, but fit over bowls, etc. I have the Medium Wrap 10” x 11” and really enjoy it. The natural warmth of your hand helps seal the edges together.

The final one that I want to introduce you to is Ovtene. 

I got to meet and speak with Salvatore Giglia, President at Ovtene at one of the American Cheese Society annual conferences. Ovtene had such a wonderful and compelling story, I thought that I would share some of the highlights from this 2017 interview with him about the company and their unique product:

“In 2005, Alberto Tomasini was troubled by how swiftly certain foods became less palatable, dried out, deteriorated, and eventually became inedible. Inspired by the functions of the egg he began researching at the University of Udine Food Sciences in Italy, and eventually developed the material known as Ovtene. This material has the capacity to keep nearly any perishable food item fresh for much longer by retarding bacterial and mold growth”.

“After being highly successful in Italy, the product moved into other European countries for grocery and food production packaging. In 2012, we began thinking of North America, the next largest producer of fine foods and its consumption. In 2016, after much positive exploratory research of the North American market, the FDA approved the product, at which point we launched six of our products into the grocery and food markets in the USA”. – Source: https://saynotofoodwaste.org

I never forgot the part about the “inspiration coming from the egg” – Natures perfect packaging – It is hard enough to protect the contents, it is permeable, and has a high mineral content. I went on to learn that Ovtene is recyclable, reusable and responsible… Ovtene is produced without the use of water or trees (in comparison it takes 20 gallons of water to manufacture 2.2 pounds of paper).

Ovtene is primarily composed of calcium carbonate and other trace minerals. Due to its unique physical structure, Ovtene is resistant to liquids and permeable to gases. This creates an ideal microclimate against the proliferation of molds and other agents that deteriorate fresh food products.

 My friend who works behind the cheese counter at a local retailer further sold me on the product when he let me see and taste two pieces of cheese from the same block – one wrapped in traditional plastic wrap, the other in Ovtene. Both had sat in refrigeration side by side for the same amount of time. The taste comparison was immediate and the discoloration was extremely noticeable.

 Pat Polowsky, you were sooo right.

 If you are a foodie, a cheesemonger, or just like to protect your cheese investments, I hope that you will take the time to search these out in your area – They are all worth it!

 That’s it for this week….It’s a wrap! 

All my best,

Trevor