In the United States, it is illegal to sell raw milk (unpasteurized) cheese unless it has been aged for at least 60 days. Fortunately, the aging process for Brie meets that criteria, so raw milk Brie is available for sale. The French have a view of raw milk that dramatically contrasts with the US. For example, the US is adamantly pro-pasteurization, a process that kills all of the bacteria. In contrast, many prominent French cheese makers believe that while this kills harmful bacteria like listeria and e. coli, it also kills the good bacteria that contribute to a more complex flavor. The French method of cheese making, which instead focuses on killing the harmful bacteria while preserving the flavorful bacteria is based on the French government’s guide to cheese microbiology, a work not yet translated to English, and the research of many prominent French scientists. Although, the French regularly consume raw milk cheese without adverse effects, it is only legal to sell in the US after it has been aged for at least 60 days (Fulton, 2014).
However, whether the milk for the cheese is raw or pasteurized, it still comes from dairy cows. Unfortunately, dairy cows can contribute to global warming. According to the EPA, globally, livestock are the “largest source of methane from human-related activities.” In fact, a single cow up to 500L of methane a day. About six percent of their ingested energy is released as methane, a number significantly higher than any previous estimates. About two percent of the global greenhouse gasses produced are methane. However, this problem can be addressed by changing the livestock diet. Concentrate feed rather than silage helps reduce the amount of methane produced by cows (Ross, 2013).