EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:
    >
    > Juliana L Holm wrote:
    >
    >
    >>This is not a customs issue, it is a Department of Agriculture issue. And
    >>unless you got caught, which is unlikely but possible, you would not have
    >>any problem.
    >>The ecosystem might have a problem, if a foreign bacteria or small insect
    >>hitched a ride in on your cheese.
    >>I suspect the person who brought in the coconuts from the Caribbean to Florida
    >>had no problem. Florida's palm trees are now sick and dying because a pest,
    >>invisible to the naked eye, came in on those coconuts, possibly was in the
    >>discarded shell.
    >
    >
    > And who imported "killer bees"? They seem to have invaded all on their
    > own. We live in one world, and people travel between countries. So do
    > birds, insects and aquatic creatures, none of whom recognize territorial
    > boundaries. I'm all for "protecting" our environment (which in many
    > cases Europeans seem to be doing more effectively than we) but a bit of
    > unpastuerized cheese for personal consumption hardly seems enough to go
    > ballistic about!

Not quite. The killer bees were quite deliberately manufactured. Now,
they moved north on their own. And starlings were carefully imported.
Most of the other real pests were brought through commercial ventures.
It's amazing what comes out of the water ballast of ships so your basic
comment is quite fair.

Frank Matthews

David Gascon wrote:
    >

    > >
    > > There are lots of situations where imported pests have taken over and destroyed
    > > our native species. Is it really worth the risk to bring a hunk of cheese that
    > > is forbidden back? I don't think so, and I think that people who know this
    > > risk and go ahead and bring forbidden agricultural products in are terribly
    > > selfish.
    > >
    > > Just MHO, but a strong one.
    > >
    > > Julie
    >
    > The ones I've read about mainly hitched rides on cargo vessels, IIRC -
    > often in the packaging of the cargo (incl. wooden crates).

I'm not sure they were considered an "invading undesireable" but I
remember those ugly white spiders one would occasionally find in bunches
of bananas from South America. (According to the grown-ups who'd scrape
me off the ceiling when I'd encountered one, they were not native to the
U.S., but had hitch-hiked in with the fruit.)

Gomez Adams wrote:

    > I will be in France in March and I want to bring some unpasteurized
    > French cheese back to the US. I would normally try to put it in my
    > luggage, however, I have heard that the new scanning equipment will
    > think that it might be an explosive. Would it be better to try to put
    > it in a carry-on? Anyone had any experiences with cheese and the
    > airlines?

When I was bringing fresh Belgium chocolate to Australia (24 hour trip,
with a stop near the equator), I was strongly advised by the person who
sold it to me to check it, because the hold is much colder than cabin,
and it will travel better at that temperature.

It won't look like a bomb - cheese will be transparent to x-ray, and
unless the foil is very thick, they will be able to see through it. If a
lump of cheese looks like a bomb, then every suitcase would have to be
opened - they'd be looking for wires, power supply and detenators, not
dairy products.

Note: I have not taken cheese across the atlantic since 9/11 (or before)
but it's not in anyway like explosives.

joan
--
Joan McGalliard, UK http://www.mcgalliard.org

    > Belgian chocolates are perfectly acceptable to bring into the US. There
    > is nothing harmful in chocolates. Unpasturized milk cheese is a different
    > story.

I beg to differ. Do you know that Belgian chocolates contain harmful
chemicals that lead to/assist the process of artheriosclerotic plaque
formation. If this is not an immediate health hazard, then I wonder if you
and other readers should speak with ICU patients with terminal heart disease.

My mother is 85 years old and she grew up drinking unpasturised milk and
eating "cottage cheese madre from that milk. Her mother lived to be 97. Her
oldest brother is 90.

Oh, never mind those details....

Surely unpasturized French (or otherwise) cheese does not have the same
harmful pathogens as Belgian chocolates. If they do, then perhaps the
antidote is a half litre bottle of a nice red wine - each and EVERY day.

I think that North American bureaucrats have much too much time on their
hands when they come up with missives such as "ban the import of unpasturised
milk products". I say HUMBUG!!! Ban MacDonalds hamburgers before banning
products from Europe that have been used in Europe for a hundred years and
more - to the satisfaction of countless European folks.

Just my opinion of course....

Ken

    > Best to ask before you go.

You asked, I told ya....

Ken Pisichko wrote:

    > I beg to differ. Do you know that Belgian chocolates contain harmful
    > chemicals that lead to/assist the process of artheriosclerotic plaque
    > formation. If this is not an immediate health hazard, then I wonder if you
    > and other readers should speak with ICU patients with terminal heart disease.
    >
    > My mother is 85 years old and she grew up drinking unpasturised milk and
    > eating "cottage cheese madre from that milk. Her mother lived to be 97. Her
    > oldest brother is 90.
    >
    > Oh, never mind those details....
    >
    > Surely unpasturized French (or otherwise) cheese does not have the same
    > harmful pathogens as Belgian chocolates. If they do, then perhaps the
    > antidote is a half litre bottle of a nice red wine - each and EVERY day.
    >
    > I think that North American bureaucrats have much too much time on their
    > hands when they come up with missives such as "ban the import of unpasturised
    > milk products". I say HUMBUG!!! Ban MacDonalds hamburgers before banning
    > products from Europe that have been used in Europe for a hundred years and
    > more - to the satisfaction of countless European folks.
    >
    > Just my opinion of course....

I'm too much addicted to agree with you about chocolate (or coffee,
although you don't mention that), but nutritionally oriented doctors
certainly endorse your defense of "raw" milk. It contains health
promoting elements which the pasteurization process destroys, it is more
digestible, keeps longer without souring, and tastes better.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to find in this country unless you keep
your own cow - the few dairies that market it are constantly being
harrassed by the FDC and other law enforcement agencies.

    >
    > Ken
    >
    > >
    > > Best to ask before you go.
    >
    > You asked, I told ya....

Good Lord! I meant there was no harmful pests that might damage the
AGRICULTURE or ENVIRONMENT of the US in chocolates not the damage done to
the INDIVIDUAL. We were talking about PESTs being brought in to the
country via smuggled foods, not the diet of the individual doing the
smuggling. Customs hardly cares if you ruin your health with the products
you bring in.




Ken Pisichko wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    >
    >
    >
    >> Belgian chocolates are perfectly acceptable to bring into the US.
    >> There is nothing harmful in chocolates. Unpasturized milk cheese is a
    >> different story.
    >
    > I beg to differ. Do you know that Belgian chocolates contain harmful
    > chemicals that lead to/assist the process of artheriosclerotic plaque
    > formation. If this is not an immediate health hazard, then I wonder if
    > you and other readers should speak with ICU patients with terminal
    > heart disease.
    >
    > My mother is 85 years old and she grew up drinking unpasturised milk
    > and eating "cottage cheese madre from that milk. Her mother lived to
    > be 97. Her oldest brother is 90.
    >
    > Oh, never mind those details....
    >
    > Surely unpasturized French (or otherwise) cheese does not have the
    > same harmful pathogens as Belgian chocolates. If they do, then perhaps
    > the antidote is a half litre bottle of a nice red wine - each and
    > EVERY day.
    >
    > I think that North American bureaucrats have much too much time on
    > their hands when they come up with missives such as "ban the import of
    > unpasturised milk products". I say HUMBUG!!! Ban MacDonalds hamburgers
    > before banning products from Europe that have been used in Europe for
    > a hundred years and more - to the satisfaction of countless European
    > folks.
    >
    > Just my opinion of course....
    >
    > Ken
    >
    >> Best to ask before you go.
    >
    > You asked, I told ya....
    >
    >
    >

On Thu, 30 Jan 2003 17:07:08 GMT, Gomez Adams
wrote:

    >I will be in France in March and I want to bring some unpasteurized
    >French cheese back to the US. I would normally try to put it in my
    >luggage, however, I have heard that the new scanning equipment will
    >think that it might be an explosive. Would it be better to try to put
    >it in a carry-on? Anyone had any experiences with cheese and the
    >airlines?

I am amused that you think French cheese would set off a bomb detector

The little beagle at the baggage roundabout would probably get you.

I do not have URLs for sites,but a few years ago the USDA was allowing cheese to
come in if it was packaged by the manufacturer but not if it was in a retail
package. I would suspect a good chance of getting a camembert through, if it was
sealed and boxed. But do by all means put it on your customs declaration.
--
"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
- Abraham Lincoln

Ken Pisichko wrote:

    > >
    > Surely unpasturized French (or otherwise) cheese does not have the same
    > harmful pathogens as Belgian chocolates. If they do, then perhaps the
    > antidote is a half litre bottle of a nice red wine - each and EVERY day.
    > I think that North American bureaucrats have much too much time on their
    > hands when they come up with missives such as "ban the import of unpasturised
    > milk products". I say HUMBUG!!! Ban MacDonalds hamburgers before banning
    > products from Europe that have been used in Europe for a hundred years and
    > more - to the satisfaction of countless European folks.

What's wrong with having a label that warns consumers that the product is
unpasteurized and that you could possibly become quite ill as a result of eating
it? I would suggest that the reason that producers are reluctant to pasteurize
the milk products is that they get a superior product with the raw stuff. Having
sample both, I have to say that I prefer the non pasteurized..

OTOH, some of those bureaucrats are acting in the best interests of the people. I
give the US credit for banning thalimanide. While other countries were quick to
adopt it as treatment for morning sickness, a US health "bureaucrat" foresaw
problems, and probably prevented hundreds of thousands of babies from being born
with deformities.

Dave Smith wrote:
    >
    >
    > What's wrong with having a label that warns consumers that the product is
    > unpasteurized and that you could possibly become quite ill as a result of eating
    > it?

Are you implying that Europeans do not inspect their cattle for diseases
that might be transmitted in milk products? (Salmonella seems to be
much more prevalent in the "pastuerized" US than it is in Europe.)

    > I would suggest that the reason that producers are reluctant to pasteurize
    > the milk products is that they get a superior product with the raw stuff.

Perhaps because they're STARTING with "a superior product"?

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote:

    > Dave Smith wrote:
    > >
    > >
    > > What's wrong with having a label that warns consumers that the product is
    > > unpasteurized and that you could possibly become quite ill as a result of eating
    > > it?
    > Are you implying that Europeans do not inspect their cattle for diseases
    > that might be transmitted in milk products? (Salmonella seems to be
    > much more prevalent in the "pastuerized" US than it is in Europe.)

Not at all. I was really upset when I first heard that my government was thinking of
banning the import of unpasteurized cheeses because I love freshly grated Parmesano
Remaggio, mouldy cheeses and other unpasteurized products. I accept that there is a
risk to them and feel that if people are warned that there is an inherent danger to
using unpasteurized product they can make their own informed decisions.

    > > I would suggest that the reason that producers are reluctant to pasteurize
    > > the milk products is that they get a superior product with the raw stuff.
    > Perhaps because they're STARTING with "a superior product"?

Sorry, but I am not an agricultural specialists. The milk is coming from cows and
other milk producing mammals that are basically the same as the cows here. They are
dealing with recipes that have been successful for generations, and they did not
pasteurize milk back then. I do not doubt that pasteurizing the milk that goes into
the cheese has a significant effect on the cheese.

This is an excellent story -- though now 2 years old -- on unpasteurized
cheese in the U.S.. Where to get it, what unpasteurized really means, what's
legal, what's illegal and how to get the illegal stuff....

http://archive.salon.com/travel/food...ese/print.html


"Gomez Adams" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I will be in France in March and I want to bring some unpasteurized
    > French cheese back to the US. I would normally try to put it in my
    > luggage, however, I have heard that the new scanning equipment will
    > think that it might be an explosive. Would it be better to try to put
    > it in a carry-on? Anyone had any experiences with cheese and the
    > airlines?

On Sun, 02 Feb 2003 21:23:27 -0500, in rec.travel.europe, Dave Smith
arranged some electrons, so they looked like this :


... Not at all. I was really upset when I first heard that my government was thinking of
... banning the import of unpasteurized cheeses because I love freshly grated Parmesano
... Remaggio,

Do you mean Parmigiano Reggiano ?

... ... > > I would suggest that the reason that producers are reluctant to pasteurize
... > > the milk products is that they get a superior product with the raw stuff.
... >
... > Perhaps because they're STARTING with "a superior product"?
...
... Sorry, but I am not an agricultural specialists. The milk is coming from cows and
... other milk producing mammals that are basically the same as the cows here.

Maybe, but the cows don't have the same pastures, and the climate is not the same, either.

=====
Le verbe "aimer" est le plus compliqué de la langue. Son passé n'est jamais simple, son présent n'est qu'imparfait et son futur toujours conditionnel.

Joan McGalliard wrote:
    >
    > Gomez Adams wrote:
    >
    > > I will be in France in March and I want to bring some unpasteurized
    > > French cheese back to the US. I would normally try to put it in my
    > > luggage, however, I have heard that the new scanning equipment will
    > > think that it might be an explosive. Would it be better to try to put
    > > it in a carry-on? Anyone had any experiences with cheese and the
    > > airlines?
    >
    > When I was bringing fresh Belgium chocolate to Australia (24 hour trip,
    > with a stop near the equator), I was strongly advised by the person who
    > sold it to me to check it, because the hold is much colder than cabin,
    > and it will travel better at that temperature.

This is probably true for chocolate, but I think the hold is well below
freezing, and cheese doesn't take well to freezing.

Barbara

    > This is probably true for chocolate, but I think the hold is well below
    > freezing, and cheese doesn't take well to freezing.

Depends on the cheese. Cheddar freezes brilliantly.

Chocolate does not freeze well either.

Frank Matthews

Barbara Vaughan wrote:
    >
    > Joan McGalliard wrote:
    >
    >>Gomez Adams wrote:
    >>>I will be in France in March and I want to bring some unpasteurized
    >>>French cheese back to the US. I would normally try to put it in my
    >>>luggage, however, I have heard that the new scanning equipment will
    >>>think that it might be an explosive. Would it be better to try to put
    >>>it in a carry-on? Anyone had any experiences with cheese and the
    >>>airlines?
    >>When I was bringing fresh Belgium chocolate to Australia (24 hour trip,
    >>with a stop near the equator), I was strongly advised by the person who
    >>sold it to me to check it, because the hold is much colder than cabin,
    >>and it will travel better at that temperature.
    >
    >
    > This is probably true for chocolate, but I think the hold is well below
    > freezing, and cheese doesn't take well to freezing.
    >
    > Barbara