Cutting the Curd

Episode 192: Current Events in Cheese

Episode Summary

This week on a brand new Cutting the Curd, host Greg Blais takes on current events in the cheese realm and welcomes Susan Sturman and Stephanie Ciano to the program to shed light on whats going on. A Cutting the Curd veteran, Susan Sturman is the Director of the Anglophone Program at Academie Opus Caseus and is a Co-Chair of the 2015 Annual Conference at the American Cheese Society. Stephanie Ciano is the Vice President of Sales and Purchasing at Crystal Food Import Corporation, specializing in cheese imports. Talking to Greg about some of the recent happenings with the International Cheesemonger Confederation, Susan explains how the ICC is helping to represent all retail cheesemongers in order to promote and defend their business interests, especially with recent, controversial FDA regulations and the Russian food embargo. Stephanie joins in on the discussion, adding from what she has dealt with as a cheese importer on both situations. After the break, the talk turns to domestic cheese and what it takes to abide by the guidelines and produce cheese in the United States. This program was sponsored by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Until were all really honest and people arent doing bad stuff to good food, were going to need those labels because theyre our protection. [18:52] -- Susan Sturman on Cutting the Curd I hit road blocks everyday as an importer with all the products that I have that are on FDA holds. Youre looking at a quarter of a million dollars at any given time that weve got on hold.[32:20] -- Stephanie Ciano on Cutting the Curd

Episode Notes

This week on a brand new Cutting the Curd, host Greg Blais takes on current events in the cheese realm and welcomes Susan Sturman and Stephanie Ciano to the program to shed light on what’s going on. A Cutting the Curd veteran, Susan Sturman is the Director of the Anglophone Program at Academie Opus Caseus and is a Co-Chair of the 2015 Annual Conference at the American Cheese Society. Stephanie Ciano is the Vice President of Sales & Purchasing at Crystal Food Import Corporation, specializing in cheese imports. Talking to Greg about some of the recent happenings with the International Cheesemonger Confederation, Susan explains how the ICC is helping to represent all retail cheesemongers in order to promote and defend their business interests, especially with recent, controversial FDA regulations and the Russian food embargo. Stephanie joins in on the discussion, adding from what she has dealt with as a cheese importer on both situations. After the break, the talk turns to domestic cheese and what it takes to abide by the guidelines and produce cheese in the United States. This program was sponsored by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.




“Until we’re all really honest and people aren’t doing bad stuff to good food, we’re going to need those labels because they’re our protection.” [18:52]

Susan Sturman on Cutting the Curd

“I hit road blocks everyday as an importer with all the products that I have that are on FDA holds. You’re looking at a quarter of a million dollars at any given time that we’ve got on hold.”[32:20]

Stephanie Ciano on Cutting the Curd