What's going on with cheese?

[ilovebagpuss]

So sorry, to ask such a dull question but I can't take it anymore. Why is all cheddar suddenly disgusting slimy blocks of plastic cheese? OK I'm not talking M&S but Sainsburys, Aldi and Lidl "extra mature" is all disgusting.
I've spent about 3/4 quid on a block and it's too foul to eat. It's not off or mouldy its just non tasting rubber.
Can anyone explain why this is? Shortage of something ?

Netflix needs to look into this. Going by this thread, an upcoming documentary Cheespiracy would be very popular.

Wasn't Liz Truss into cheese? Maybe it's her fault...

I was genuinely wondering this 😂

agree, "cheese matters". We need a campaign.

Thank you @SparklyAntlers for answering kindly. This has shown how much I have hidden from political issues for too long.

Thank you to @JuneOsborne for confirming it isn't a brexit thing, its probably a manufacturing thing, and it needs to stop!

We need a cheesemaster to lead this rebellion!

Bleurgh, no wonder it's tasting rubbish if not actually matured and just flavour added
Shouldn't there be a standard that if cheese is described as mature it really has been matured? I know it's not a geographic area but it should mean something!

You want Cornish Cruncher from M&S.

Ok this may sound weird but the way you are all describing cheddar not melting properly reminds me of cheddar cheese in the US, where I used to live

People make fun of Americans for using fake American cheese on everything but that's mostly because it melts really nicely, unlike a lot of American cheddars which get really oily and gloopy

Also basic American cheddars are rubbery not crumbly

Hmmmmmm

I have asked the godminster worker and dairy farmer and wyke farm producer.i have had no reply!I am still here.i was hoping someone proffessional or in the Eu law business of food production would answer for us.
And my family are shit at replying to WhatsApp. Think farming family who don't really "do" that malarkey.

Someone must know.like know know for fact the actual reason.

I'd also noticed that cheese hasn't been melting properly but thought I must have been doing something wrong! So the last time I bought cheese I splurged at M&S and bought Cornish cruncher vintage cheddar - I did baulk at the price but my mind was focussed on properly melty bubbling cheese. I've just had a taste test in the interests of this thread and it tastes good, Nice texture but I've yet to melt it.

I hate cheese but am so invested in this thread I'm tempted to buy cheese just purely to see if it melts!

Topped my frittata with grated Asda extra mature cheese today.... didn't melt properly under the grill, sort of went dark and oily, not liking this...

SO pleased to see this thread - I thought I was losing my sense of taste! Made cheese scones over the weekend and they weren't cheesy at all - also noticed that the cheese was really rubbery when I grated it. Plus, cheese toasties used to be a lunchtime treat and now they are an oily, tasteless disappointment too.

Cannot live without a good sharp cheddar so I'm going to have to splash out on something a bit bitier, I think.

I bought some Davidstow vintage at Aldi earlier. It is more expensive but it tastes like cheese ought to and I just can't take the spooky texture of the other stuff anymore. Haven't tried melting it yet.

That's what I'm thinking. Like palm oil and artificial sweeteners etc....someone must know.

Relieved to see it's not just me. So much of it seems waxen and with a lot less cheesiness, if you see what I mean.

They would have to state that on the ingredient list wouldn't they though.
Could be cheaper ingredients?
Less time maturing it due to cost and turnover?storage.
Animal feed pellets now having to be made with diff ingredients.cheaper?palm oil due to Ukraine?
What cows eat hugely effects how their milk tastes.
Is the pasteurization different?

I don't mean the ingredients are different

i mean, like with palm oil, someone will know. Is it storage, processing etc....for no one on MN to know the Secret of the Cheese is very odd.

I am going on the theory that our cheddar has moved more towards American style as suggested earlier. I wonder if they've move towards the American production techniques:

"American cheese is made with milk, whey, milk and whey proteins, food coloring, flavorings, emulsifiers and salt. The ingredients are blended and heated with emulsifiers (like potassium phosphate, sodium or citrate) and poured into moulds to solidify. A stabilizing agent like polysaccharide xanthan gum is sometimes added to prevent separation of the ingredients.

Cheddar cheese is made with cow’s milk. After heating, the curd is kneaded with salt, cut into cubes to drain the whey, then stacked and turned. It is then matured at a constant temperature, e.g. in caves, for 3 to 18 months."

www.diffen.com/difference/American_Cheese_vs_Cheddar_Cheese

It's definitely a fairly recent thing as in last couple of years, because I used to buy the Sainsburys own mature cheddar and the Aldi one and they were like proper tasty cheddar. Maybe not as delicious as more expensive cheddar but still lovely for sandwiches and cooking.
I think people are right with either a more USA type production or just not sitting for long so a very young cheese.

Yes, I think it's this - especially as we're probably now buying cheese made from milk taken from cows in the summer. Buying older cheese is probably the answer but it will be more expensive.

most supermarket cheese is factory produced and is not very old. a couple of months for mild cheddar - the droughts and lack of lush green grass could have affected the current lot.

A bit bored so I've just checked the ingredients of three cheeses in our fridge...

Leerdammer
'Original' 45% FIDM (fat in dry mass - sounds nice already)
Ingredients: milk, salt, cultures(milk), vegetarian coagulant.

Tesco Creamfields (I imagine they are a small artisan cheesemaker?)
Mature Cheese (just 'cheese', I wonder why I bought it!)
No ingredients specified, it states 'Made using British and Irish milk'

Sainburys Mary Ann's Dairy (Another artisan cheesemaker I guess?)
Mild Cheddar Cheese
Ingredients: Cheddar Cheese (Cows' milk) who would have thought that - cheddar cheese is made from cheddar cheese! I suppose Baked Beans are made from baked beans, and wine, well, that must be made from wine.

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles 'Cheese' is a thing in ingredients legislation - you don't have to break it down any further. If it contains anything that's replacing milk/cream in the production of the cheese then it's not 'cheese' under the regs and has to be declared differently. So at least you know there's not been any weird other fats added to it. Like PP I'm wondering if the cows have been fed lots more soya / palm oil than normal because of the drought and it's affected the cheese that's now made its way to stores.

I'd noticed my very exclusive lidl and tesco Creamfields cheese was oily/waxy but thought DP had been leaving it out of the fridge! Whatever's up with it it's not very pleasant.

Davidstow is the best cheese, well worth paying more.