Parmigiano-Reggiano makers are putting edible microchips the size of a grain of sand into their 90-pound cheese wheels to combat counterfeiters::Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano makers are using microchips to verify the authenticity of their products and thwart scammers.
I got to admit, Italians inventing Cheese DRM, wasn’t on my 2023 Bingo card.
Physical products are the only ones that makes sense for DRM.
The chips use blockchain technology and trace the wheel of cheese back to where the milk that was used came from.
Cryptobros, Unite! We finally found a way for blockchain tech to be relevant for more than just ransomware! We authenticate cheese!
Someone’s gonna make a ton of money on CheeseCoin
Blockchain is also good for solving the Ship of Theseus problem. You can encode the entire history of the object into the object.
Blockchain has many cool uses and none of them are currency.
Maybe I’m a picker eater, but I think I’d rather have an inauthentic product than eating a microchip.
You wouldn’t even notice.
Nothing enhances that Mediterranean flavor quite like micro plastics
its funny that some ppl are paranoid that bill gates is trying to microchip them with a vaccine when they probably already have been by the fucking itailians
Not really putting them “into” their cheese, just the labels that bind with their outer casing of the cheese wheel. Still neat.
They are being placed on the casein label, a food-safe label commonly used in cheese production, which is placed on the cheese wheel.
Okay…
That still begs the question, why are they considered edible? Are people eating the labels? 🤔
Yes. Casein is milk protein. I buy a lot of aged cheese and sometimes I’m lazy cutting it up and leave some casein on.
Interesting. So how long before you become an official scannable wheel of cheese? 🤔
Probably because otherwise people would be like “yOuRe PuTtInG mEtAl IN mY cHEeSe”
Even if it’s just the size of a grain of sand, I don’t want to worry about biting down on that.
I would too, but it goes in the shell/outside that goes around the cheese wheel, not in the cheese itself
I’m just saying, there’s a reason we’re not allowed to have kinder surprise eggs in the US. If we can find a way to hurt ourselves with food we will. And then we will sue.
I mean… yeah. That is a very reasonable concern.
It is if it’s anywhere that’s eaten it is, but the outer rim of the cheese wheel doesn’t get eaten
Except it is very common to boil cheese rind for broth. And prolonged exposure high temperatures tend to break down pollutants into even more reactive forms as well as draw them out into solution. Worse if it’s in like a commercial steam oven or pressure cooker that can get much higher than 100 C, you know, like many professional restaurants make a point of using.
I doubt it will be that easy to identify and scrape off, because that would defeat the point, probably hidden deep within the layers. It says it can’t be read remotely so very unlikely it’s just an off the shelf RFID sticker you can easily see and peel off. I also doubt a lot of people will know it’s there and that it needs to be removed in the first place, or they’ll take their word for it that it’s edible even though they are absolutely in no position to make that claim and have definitely not done the rigorous medical research/testing to actually justify a claim like that.
I guess in that case I should probably seek out the counterfeit versions of it since they’re now apparently better than the originals.
What?
Where in the article did it mention that the counterfeit versions are better than the originals? I didn’t see a comparison of quality at all (maybe I missed it?).
I think it’s more than the counterfeit versions have gotten so good and/or cheap that the genuine manufacturers feel the need to compete by placing microchips in their cheese rather than improve their own or bring down the price.
Counterfit parm is trash. Not even close to authentic parm.
rather than improve their own or bring down the price
Improve it how? Authentic parm is in ultra-high demand BECAUSE IT’S SO GOOD. The price is due to the demand. They can’t make it fast enough. Why would they lower the price when they are already selling all they make? You lower the price when people aren’t buying.
You’re talking about market economics on a site full of tankies.
The conspiracy theorists are going to run wild with this one.
Next up. Improve your wireless network with cheese.
If I can make cheese good enough to pretend that it’s another brand, I’m gonna just slap my own label on it
It’s not a brand name but a regionally protected signifier. Like champagne.
Ah yeah the appellation system. couldn’t you just call it “Champagne-style wine”?
You can make great cheese, but you can’t fake 900 years of experience and the brand recognition that goes along with it. That’s why people illegally put the parm label on cheese that is not parm.
TIL that counterfeit fucking cheese is a thing.
Well one wheel of the cheese costs $1000
if people who is eating them cant tell the difference than whats the point
Probably to protect the “brand” at places that actually care about advertising what kind of cheese they have
They make counterfeit Rolex so good, you need an expert and a microscope to tell the difference. Why not cheese.
It’s almost like luxury goods are a scam and purely for bragging rights of having the brand, and not that the actual object is unique or the best!
You really don’t want to buy counterfeit food.
One of the biggest reasons for avoiding counterfeit food is the higher risk of contaminants.
Semiconductors are a pretty serious contaminant.
I would rather buy the cointerfeit version of this cheese if that comes without microchips
OMG! That’s what those crystals are!
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TIL there’s a global market in fake cheese. Which is to say, real cheese that someone slapped a fancier label on.
I’m sure all the steps we took to reach this point were logical ones, but we still find ourselves in a very strange place.
Just wait until you hear about olive oil.
Considering they charge arm an a leg for the damn thing no wonder. Also wait until you find out there are fake eggs mass produced in China. That will mind-stop you.
I’m concerned. At least fake cheese is real cheese. What’s lower cost than using hens to produce eggs?
Even lower cost, mass production, fuck knows. Am concerned as well.
You should pressure-wash your asshole.
Thank you for taking an interest.
Legally it’s only cheese if it comes from the “Formaggi” region in Italy. Otherwise it has to be called “bad milk product”.
The microchips aren’t edible because they want you to eat them. They’re edible because they know some idiot eventually will eat one.
