Cheese, please

Migros’ Gruyère cheese ripens for months in massive underground caverns. The Gruyère cheese wheels from Freiburg account for just a small part of the thousands of tons of cheese produced and packaged each year by the Migros subsidiary Mifroma.

Deep in the mountain near the village of Ursy, in the middle of the hilly landscape of Fribourg, they lie in their thousands. Over a period of five to 15 months, they are turned and washed with salty water on a daily basis. They rest here at a constant temperature of 12 degrees and a humidity of 95 percent. The rock material of the hills around Gruyères is excellent for ripening and maturing cheese. In the caverns belonging to the Migros subsidiary, which was founded in 1964, 35,000 huge Gruyère cheeses can be found.
In manufacturing Gruyère, Migros follows an old tradition. According to the legend, even the Roman emperor Aurelius was able to enjoy the local cheese. Cheese production, however, has been documented in the area only since the 12th century. A document from that time shows the Earl of Gruyère agreeing to support the monks of Rougemont abbey in the supply of cheese.
Today, Gruyère cheese boasts the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, a designation of protected origin label. Dozens of conditions are connected with the AOC label that the manufacturer Mifroma has to fulfil. These conditions refer to the geographical origins, the form, the smear (which is actually the rind), the weight of the whole cheese, and the number and shape of the holes.
Mifroma has been responsible for Migros’ entire range of cheeses since 2003. It covers the five companies Elsa, Mifroma, Mifroma France, Dörig and Mifroma USA, which annually produce, refine and pack more than 28,000 tonnes of milk and cheese products, including soya products, cottage cheese and salad sauces.