<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Hello Listmates,

  I figured now was as good a time as any to post my findings on Blue
Cheeses, as I don't think there will ever be a definitive answer to this
question "Do Blue Veined Cheeses Contain Gluten"?

  As far as the responses I received from list members, it was about 50/50
as to what the opinion is in this matter.

  The information I received from cheese makers, was
about the same.  It seems that the two largest producers of Blue Veined
Cheeses: Roquefort and Stilton, use very different methods to manufacture
their products.  Those who continue to product Roquefort in the 'traditional
method' needle the cheese wheels and allow them to age in cavernous rooms
with airborne mold spores which are actually started on Wheat Bread.  I
could not find any Roquefort producers who had done specific Gluten
Testing, nor any who seemed to have educated information on the subject of
the potential amounts of Gluten carried by the spores.
All of the Stilton producers I received information from, informed me that
the mold
cultures they currently use are created in laboratories and added to the
cheese in a controlled setting.

The following is a copy of a letter I received from Long Clawson Dairy UK,
a Stilton producer:

"I have been asked by Martin Harris our sales and marketing manager to
contact you regarding the blue mould used in the manufacture of our Blue
Stilton cheese.

I am unable to get a great deal of information from our blue mould supplier,
as their process is obviously confidential.

I can however confirm that the method of blue mould cultivation used by our
supplier consists of growing the blue mould using a mixture of wheaten
flour, rye flour and salt which has been fermented with lactic acid
bacteria and yeasts.

Hence, there is the potential for a small amount of gluten carry over within
the minute amount of blue mould that we place into our vats.

I can confirm that only 4g of blue mould is used in the production of one
vat of blue stilton, the vat contains some 4588 kg of milk, therefore only
4g of blue mould go in to a batch weighing 4,588,000g.

This would equate to less than 1 part per million, even if the blue mould
consisted of 100% gluten.

Obviously it does not as the vast majority is blue mould with a trace amount
of gluten carry over, subsequently we can say that the gluten content of our
Stilton is negligible.

I can therefore see no reason as to why blue stilton cheese should not be
suitable for persons restricted to a gluten free diet".


  As far as purchasing specific cheeses in North America, I have received
confirmation from
Boar's Head 1-800-366-2627 (in the US) and Kraft Kitchens 1-800-567-5723
(in Canada) that their Blue Veined Cheeses are Gluten Free.   Please
contact the numbers I have provided if you would like to confirm this for
yourself.

  I hope this is of some help to those of you who were waiting for my
findings in this matter.

  Cheers,

  Lisa R Shaw
Made By Mona Enterprises
http://www.madebymona.com
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