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SWISS CHEESE

‘Insane waste’: Half a tonne of ‘unwanted cheese’ looking for a new home in Switzerland

Half a tonne of this Swiss cheese, renowned for its tangy taste and creamy texture when melted, may end up in the trash — unless you save it.

Published: 16 April 2021 14:20 CEST

‘Insane waste’: Half a tonne of ‘unwanted cheese’ looking for a new home in Switzerland

Maybe this man can save the rejected raclette. Photo by Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Because of inadequate packaging, a retailer returned the raclette to the manufacturer, who ended up with half a tonne of cheese he couldn’t sell.

There was nothing wrong with the cheese itself, so instead of throwing it out, the cheesemaker contacted Frischer Fritz, an organisation which fights against food waste, and asked them to take the 130 wheels of raclette off his hands.

READ MORE: How Switzerland plans to beat its butter shortage (again)

“This is such an insane waste”, said Sandra Kissling, the organisation’s founder.

Frischer Fritz took to social media to find buyers for the cheese, which has pieces of vegetables added to it.

But Kissling said takers are not exactly queueing up in front of the organisation’s shop in Thun, canton Bern, or on its online platform.

The packaging may not be attractive but the cheese is excellent. Frischer Fritz / Facebook

To make it easier to sell, the cheese was cut into 800-gramme portions, although larger chunks are also available — whole wheels weighing 6kg sell for 65 francs.

READ MORE: Swiss cheese exports swell amid pandemic cooking frenzy

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Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP

The Swiss government announced on Thursday that from 2025, all Swiss dairy products will not contain milk from cows, goats or any other animal in Schedule II of the Swiss Molkereigesetzgebung (dairy legislation).

As a consequence, all Swiss chocolate, cheese, butter and ice cream must be made from vegan milk – or indeed any other kind of non-dairy liquid – from 2025.

Swiss cheese, known locally as Emmentaler, is one of the country’s best-known exports, while the country’s most famous chocolate makers include Toblerone and Lindt.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin on Wednesday evening responded to criticism that the decision would undercut the country’s valuable dairy sector.

“I certainly can’t see any holes in this plan,” Parmelin said.

“Switzerland has always been a fan of moving with the times – women have been able to vote here for a good few years now. We’ve seen where things are headed – and we want to get there first.

“If you close your eyes, pinch your nose and chew really quickly, you can’t even tell the difference.”

Christian Hofer, Director of the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG), said the decision was inevitable.

“Cows have the right to vote in at least eight Swiss cantons – nine if you count Ticino,” Hofer told The Local.

“If we didn’t make this decision now, we’d face a bovine referendum on the issue.

“The cows are revolting. I mean, not taking part in a revolution, but they’re just kind of gross. Let’s let them do cow things.”

A spokesperson for Swiss chocolate manufacturer Toblerone told The Local that the difficulty with vegan chocolate was that it just wasn’t as pointy.

“We try and get the peaks right, but it’s less Matterhorn and more Zürichberg,” the spokesperson said.

“Our export customers, the Americans in particular, like ‘em pointy, so I’m not sure what we’re gonna do”.

Attempts to contact representatives from Lindt were met with soft, gentle sobbing.

Just for those who might not have spotted it, the above report is of course an April Fools story and should therefore not be taken seriously.

Swiss cheese and chocolate are not changing and will stay milky and delicious… at least for now.

Did we trick you? Do you know of any other good April fools pranks in Switzerland? Let us know at [email protected]

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