Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Parmigiano Reggiano makers embedding tiny trackers in rind to fight cheese fraud

foodandwine.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

131–140 of 317 posts

Re: Parmigiano Reggiano makers embedding tiny trackers in rind to fight cheese fraud

#131

Post by OJFord »

ace2358 wrote: post #119
matthewmcg wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you can get good canned tomatoes (I like the Flora brand San Marzano D.O.P, about $5.50 for a 28oz can), this is a great 20 minute recipe that will usually beat any pre-made sauce: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015987-classic-marinara...

Canned tomatoes? Yikes. If you’re trying to beat premise sauces at least get some local fresh tomatoes and have a go and making it from scratch. The acidic flavour of canned tomatoes is horrible in my opinion compared to fresh tomatoes.

If you can actually get 'local fresh' tomatoes, yes absolutely, but the rest of the time (the vast majority of the year, for a start) canned are going to beat the socks off them.

(Also there's canned and there's canned.. it's worth paying for unless you just want red broth.)

Re: Parmigiano Reggiano makers embedding tiny trackers in rind to fight cheese fraud

#132

Post by djur »

robonerd wrote: post #90
peoplefromibiza wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe it's the latter. > the FDA investigated a cheese factory in Pennsylvania and found that the cheese it was selling as “100% grated parmesan” was actually cut with fillers like wood pulp and contained exactly 0% real Parmesan cheese, using instead cheaper varieties like Swiss and cheddar. That particular producer was busted and heavily fined due to a tip-off from a former employee, but similar practices are s…

> cut with fillers like wood pulp Label fraud aside, I really don't understand the vitriol that gets directed against grated cheese being sold with cellulose. It's only there to make the cheese shake out better (which it does well, you can buy grated cheese without cellulose to compare it to) And besides, there's nothing wrong with cellulose in the first place. You eat loads of cellulose every time you eat lettuce. S…

It's not that the cellulose is harmful, but that it might be used as filler in quantities far in excess of what is necessary for preventing caking. Calling it "wood pulp" is pointless scaremongering, I agree.

Cellulose on pregrated cheese is also supposed to impair melting, but I've always questioned how strong this effect might be. I've used grated cheese that melts wonderfully and grated cheese that might as well be plastic, and that's generally been correlated with the price of the cheese. Maybe cheaper cheese has more cellulose, but in my experience it's also drier and more rubbery, and melting is influenced by moisture content.

Re: Parmigiano Reggiano makers embedding tiny trackers in rind to fight cheese fraud

#134

Post by perihelions »

gregsadetsky wrote: post #128
perihelions wrote: post #2

I found technical details about the device: https://www.isenet.it/product/pharmaseq-products/ It's tiny (500 microns), passive, photocell-powered (you point a laser at it), and encapsulated in an inert SiO2 coating.

Fascinating -- https://p-chip.com/solutions/ And the patent -- https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/bf/71/15/70b4303...

Looks like it's the same company (if anyone else was confused like me):

- "...p-Chip acquired PharmaSeq in the fall of 2021"

https://p-chip.com/meet-massimo-baio-long-time-team-member-a...

Re: Parmigiano Reggiano makers embedding tiny trackers in rind to fight cheese fraud

#135

Post by OJFord »

djur wrote: post #124
chrisseaton wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And American Cheddar and British Cheddar.

There's plenty of great American cheddars that are as good as anything I've had from the UK.

I don't believe it's not doable, but all I've seen of North American supermarkets is 'cheddar-style' processed cheese and similar abominations; is food-buying just different, does anyone wanting half-decent cheese go to a cheesemonger or farmers' market or something?

Re: Parmigiano Reggiano makers embedding tiny trackers in rind to fight cheese fraud

#136

Post by op00to »

ace2358 wrote: post #119
matthewmcg wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you can get good canned tomatoes (I like the Flora brand San Marzano D.O.P, about $5.50 for a 28oz can), this is a great 20 minute recipe that will usually beat any pre-made sauce: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015987-classic-marinara...

Canned tomatoes? Yikes. If you’re trying to beat premise sauces at least get some local fresh tomatoes and have a go and making it from scratch. The acidic flavour of canned tomatoes is horrible in my opinion compared to fresh tomatoes.

We have access to some of the best tomatoes in the world, but adhere to the rule of canned tomatoes only for sauce! The acidity is key.

Re: Parmigiano Reggiano makers embedding tiny trackers in rind to fight cheese fraud

#137

Post by pengaru »

djur wrote: post #125
qalmakka wrote: post #81

Well I hope there's a way to remove those trackers, I always put the rinds in soups and stuff so it would piss me off a lot to learn there's some non-food related stuff in it.

Presumably it's embedded in the wax, which is already non-food and can be cut off.

Parmigiano-Reggiano doesn't have any wax encasement, it's just cheese - the rind is simply oxidized from age.

Re: Parmigiano Reggiano makers embedding tiny trackers in rind to fight cheese fraud

#138

Post by o_1 »

jfengel wrote: post #115
andrewxdiamond wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Information is the only way to shed light on lies. If you have to hide information, you’re just adding to the lies

It's the only way, and it usually doesn't work. Lies win, because reality is fighting with one hand tied behind its back. Truth is nearly always boring because it's forced to be consistent. Lies have no such limitations. Truth does have the advantage that it appeals to people who aren't complete dumbfucks. Which is to say, a tiny minority.

Things like truth and lies aren't constants. Generalizing how they come into existence is a self-fulfilling story.

Re: Parmigiano Reggiano makers embedding tiny trackers in rind to fight cheese fraud

#139

Post by djur »

eecc wrote: post #63

Oh no! A secret delight is to cut the leftover rind in reasonably safe pieces and abundantly microwave them. Once cooled down they become deliciously crunchy and puffy.

This transponder is "smaller than a grain of salt", so it probably doesn't matter, but in any case it's embedded in the casein label in the wax. If you're really worried about it and have a rind with part of the label on it, scrape off the wax.

Re: Parmigiano Reggiano makers embedding tiny trackers in rind to fight cheese fraud

#140

Post by OJFord »

djur wrote: post #125
qalmakka wrote: post #81

Well I hope there's a way to remove those trackers, I always put the rinds in soups and stuff so it would piss me off a lot to learn there's some non-food related stuff in it.

Presumably it's embedded in the wax, which is already non-food and can be cut off.

Parmesan is not waxed. The rind is just the result of salting and exposure, and perfectly edible (boil it in stock for example).
Post reply on HN