A Trader Joe's shopper is spreading the word about a new French cheese in stores. And the tiny creatures that help create its distinctive flavor.
Some shoppers might be put off by the revelation. However, the cheese enthusiast insists it's worth trying despite its unconventional production process.
Content creator Meg Quinn (@ainttooproudtomeg) introduced her followers to Mimolette. Mimolette is a French cheese that has recently appeared at Trader Joe's locations. Quinn's video was viewed 557,000 times.
The bright orange cheese, which Quinn describes as having a cantaloupe-like appearance, comes with an unexpected detail about its creation.
"There is a new cheese at Trader Joe's. And it has bugs in it, like, actual bugs living on the rind of this cheese," Quinn says. "But it is delicious. So hear me out."
Quinn explains that the cheese's distinctive characteristics come from an intentional part of the aging process.
"They purposely put little microscopic cheese mites on the rind, otherwise known as flower mites, to create little holes and burrow themselves in to aerate the cheese during its aging process," she says.
These cheese mites, which are deliberately introduced to the rind, help create both the beautiful orange color and the rich nutty flavor that Mimolette is known for. The process may sound unusual to American consumers unfamiliar with this traditional French cheesemaking technique. But it's a practice that has been used for centuries in European cheese production.
Quinn, who says she's been a fan of the cheese for years, notes that she typically purchases it at Whole Foods.
"This is the first time it's ever been at Trader Joe's. So grab it while you can," she says, suggesting the product may be a limited-time offering.
The cheese's timing couldn't be better for holiday entertaining.
"It's this beautiful orange color, which makes it perfect for your Halloween and Thanksgiving cheese boards," Quinn points out in the video.
She also mentions in her caption that she has a French Cheese Board Guide and a Trader Joe's Budget Board Guide available for followers looking to create impressive spreads for the holiday season.
Despite the potentially off-putting information about the production process, Quinn maintains that the taste is worth it.
"But you may just wanna forget this fun fact and go ahead and enjoy the cheese because it is really delicious," she suggests.
The presence of cheese mites on Mimolette has been a point of contention in the U.S. before.
In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration began blocking shipments of the French cheese at U.S. ports. That left thousands of pounds stranded in warehouses, NPR reported. According to the FDA, there was no official limit. But the target was no more than six mites per square inch -- a standard that proved nearly impossible for aged Mimolette to meet.
The crackdown sparked outrage among cheese enthusiasts and importers. Benoit de Vitton, North American representative for Isigny, one of the largest producers of Mimolette, estimated that he had about a ton of cheese sitting in FDA warehouses in New Jersey.
"They say the product, because of the mites, it is not proper for human consumption," de Vitton told NPR.
The FDA's position was that the mites could pose health risks, including potential allergic reactions. However, cheese experts pushed back on the concerns.
Rachel Dutton, a microbiologist who runs a cheese lab at Harvard University, noted that while there have been some reports of mite allergies, they appear restricted to people who have come into contact with large numbers of mites, not typical consumers eating cheese.
Dutton explained that cheese mites are actually beneficial to the cheesemaking process. By eating into the rind, they increase aeration and surface area where other microbes can work, and they can contribute their own earthy flavors.
"Cheese is absolutely alive," Dutton said, noting that molds, bacteria, yeasts, and mites all help make cheese what it is.
Individual cheese mites are microscopic and invisible to the naked eye. They're found on many aged cheeses with natural rinds, including clothbound cheddars and Stilton. For Mimolette specifically, the mites munch on the rind for a few years before being removed -- usually with a blast of compressed air and hand-brushing -- though a few always remain.
The controversy eventually subsided, and Mimolette returned to U.S. markets by late 2014.
Ironically, de Vitton noted that Mimolette itself is rumored to have been created because of import issues in the 17th century, when France was at war with Holland and the king didn't want Dutch Gouda coming into France.
"Don't look up Casu Martzu if you think this is bad lol," a top comment read.
"If I go a party and find out I'm eating bug cheese, I'm calling the cops," a person said.
"They're microscopic yall you probably eat ones like em all the time," another wrote.
BroBible reached out to Quinn for comment via email and Instagram direct message.