How Swiss cheesemakers saved the holes in Emmental cheese
Keystone-SDA
After years of problems with holes in Emmental cheese, Swiss cheesemakers are now allowed to use ‘perforation powder’.
Swiss milk has become too clean. In the past, when the cows were still milked by hand, there were always hay particles from the barn in the milk, according to experts.
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These formed holes during the cheese fermentation process. With automatic milking machines, however, the milk goes directly from the udder into a tank for cooling, without hay particles.
Ground organic hay flowers
The perforation powder consists of 100% organic hay flowers. Brunner uses just the tip of a knife to produce more than 600 kilograms of cheese. “This has improved the holes in my cheese,” he says.
The Emmentaler Switzerland association had to go to court for the use of perforation powder. “Hay flower powder is currently the only and best solution against the disappearing holes,” the Federal Administrative Court summarised.
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The Federal Office for Agriculture, which has strict regulations for agricultural products, did not want to authorise its use. It feared an industrialisation of production. This is why the path has only been clear since the court’s judgement in 2025.
“I’m very happy that this powder exists,” says master cheesemaker Andreas Brunner (58). “I’ve had fewer and fewer holes over the years.”
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Adapted from German by AI/ac
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