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

List members -
I went to France (via the web-darn it) and asked an expert
[log in to unmask] the following:

>Is roquefort cheese gluten free (no wheat, rye or barley used in
>production)?  Rumor has it that bread crumbs are used in the
>production of roquefort.    Thousands are awaiting your answer.

And received the following reply:

>Sorry to take so long to get back to you:  we got hit pretty hard
>by the storms that rocked France right after Christmas, and it's only
>now that I'm starting to catch up on my correspondence.
>
>The blue veines that run through roquefort are a strain of bacteria
>called penicillium roqueforti. This bacteria is found naturally and
>is a cousin of the penicillin bacteria used in the medical world.
>Legend has it that the cheese was originally discovered by a shepherd
>who had left his cheese sandwich to chase after a nymph... when he
>got back after his unsuccessful attempt, the cheese was moldy, but he
>was so hungry that he ate it anyway, and found the result to be very
>good... who knows what the reality is/was.
>
>In any case, Roquefort has been commercialized for well over a
>century. Most makers (including Roquefort Societe, Papillon,
>Gabriel Coulet) use lab fabricated penicillium roqueforti (the
>cheese is "injected" with the bacteria during the maturation process.
>The roquefort maker Carles sticks to the traditional method: mold is
>grown on rye bread, then extricated from the bread, and mixed into
>the cheese curd before it is put into the moulds.  This is why the
>former, industrial blue cheeses, when cut, often have a needle type
>pattern in the blue veining, while the more traditional blue
>cheeses do not have any particular pattern that shows up in
>the blue of the cheese.
>
>Whether this means that all roquefort is gluten free or not is
>beyond my knowledge. My guess is that the bacteria change the
>structure of the sugar molecules (just as vinegar is not alcoholic,
>even though it is made from wine), and so it is probably safe to say
>that roquefort is gluten-free - but don't quote me as saying so...
>
>I'm curious: why do you say thousands are awaiting my answer?
>
> Katherine Carlson
>
>President, Art of Food, LLC
>http://artofcheese.com

My response:

Dear Katheryn -

I apologize profusely for not responding sooner.  We were gone the
month of January and upon return I had over 800 e-mails.  In going
through them quickly, I saved yours to read later and forgot about
it!   For shame.

Most of those 800 e-mails are from a list serve related to celiac
(coeliac) disease or gluten intolerance.  The list is over 3000
member families and we share information such as you have provided.
That's why thousands are waiting for your answer!

From what you have stated, roquefort/blue cheese will be off
limits to us which is a real shame.  While we can't be certain that
gluten survives the process you relate, we can't eat anything unless
we know *positively* that it is gluten free.

Has (or can) any testing be done to the cheese to see if it is
gluten free?  We would sure appreciate knowing - and thus, possibly
being able to eat roquefort and blue cheese again.

Again... thousands (of possible consumers) are awaiting your reply.

Diane Holmes
PS   France is my favorite place in the whole world.  I love your
country and its people.