This system has helped people for decades
Crime exists almost everywhere, from the worlds of online dating to avocado farming. But there's one growing area you might not have guessed: the luxury cheese sector. Black market criminals are targeting this industry for several reasons that we'll explore in this gallery. Food-related crimes come at a devastating cost for producers everywhere.
Curious to know why cheese is being targeted by black-market criminals? Click through now to find out.
Food-related crimes cost the global food industry between US$30 and $50 billion a year and can include smuggling, counterfeiting, and out-and-out theft.
Many of these food-related crimes have targeted the luxury cheese industry. One such example happened in the days before Christmas of 2023 when over US$64,000 worth of cheese was stolen near Worcester in the UK.
Stealing cheese dates back to 1998 when nine tons of cheddar were stolen from a storeroom in Somerset, England.
In 2016, over US$102,550 worth of Parmigiano Reggiano was stolen from a warehouse in northern Italy.
Cheese has become more valuable in the industry and rose about 25% alongside all food and non-acholic beverages in the UK between January 2022 and January 2024.
According to dairy expert Patrick McGuigan, "Cheesemaking demands a lot of energy." The process requires heating milk and keeping the cheese in energy-intensive refrigeration, making fuel costs a significant factor in overall expenses.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, it caused a large disruption that resulted in a price increase.
Despite the overall food price inflation falling to 1.7% in 2024 in the UK, the retail price of cheddar went up by 6.5%. Hence the addition of security tags on blocks of cheddar in the supermarket...
Since most cheese tends to be heavy and needs to be stored at specific temperatures, stealing it can be very complicated. However, if a group of highly organized criminals is involved, they can certainly pull it off.
Organized crime has long found its way into food distribution. For example, there are many illegal drugs smuggled through legal food supply chains globally.
According to Andy Quinn of the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), criminals will try to figure out how a business operates and work to take control of its distribution channels. They can then start moving illegal items, including food.
The food crimes arena is more attractive to some criminals because it can result in less severe penalties than those received for drug-related crimes. These criminals can still make substantial amounts of money while minimizing their risk.
Criminals can have a hard time shifting and reselling artisan cheese due to its bulk and need to be stored carefully.
A lot of stolen cheese is thus sent overseas to countries that have thriving black markets for food.
After the unlawful annexation of Crimea in March 2014, the EU and other nations implemented economic sanctions against Russia. In response, President Vladimir Putin prohibited the import of fresh produce from the sanctioning countries.
Foreign food such as cheese was shown on television being bulldozed, buried, or even burned.
Alongside wine, cheese is the most common product being illegally transported into Russia these days.
There is a high demand for foreign cheese, which many Russians feel is superior to the quality of their local cheeses.
Since 2014, countries that weren't previously known for their cheese have begun appearing on shop shelves.
There are even companies that import cheese from Europe into Belarus or other CIS countries, swap the label, and then sell it legally in Russia.
In parts of the Middle East, there are food subsidies that can motivate smugglers to illegally transport ingredients from one place to another where prices are higher. Counterfeiting and creating a copy of an official type of cheese is also popular in this region.
There are strict rules in the US barring people from producing or importing unpasteurized cheeses aged for less than 60 days. This ban has led to a black market for raw milk products.
In the US, there are fake versions of expensive cheese popping up. This type of "cheese" will use additives from wood pulp.
Parmigiano Reggiano is the world's most stolen cheese and those at Italy's Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium say that there is a robust black market. Therefore, in 2022, the consortium started using tiny tracking chips embedded in the rind to help reduce theft.
For companies who can't afford or choose not to use high-tech chip options, there is still a way to help prevent future fraud. One company in particular plans to visit buyers in person when large orders are made instead of relying on digital communications.
Stolen cheese can be stored and then slowly integrated back into supply chains. This means that large stolen supplies could surface months or years after a heist, making it more challenging to find the culprit.
Cheese theft and large-scale crimes can severely impact small farms and artisanal cheese makers. A loss like some of the ones mentioned in this gallery could result in having to close up shop.
Unless food fraud and food-related crimes are stopped, more farms and businesses will suffer similar attacks. Cheese is highly sought-after and business owners will have to take precautions when an order comes in that seems too good to be true.
Sources: (BBC)
See also: Why do we like true crime so much?
Understanding the black-market appeal of luxury cheese
Why is cheese being targeted by criminals?
LIFESTYLE Curiosities
Crime exists almost everywhere, from the worlds of online dating to avocado farming. But there's one growing area you might not have guessed: the luxury cheese sector. Black market criminals are targeting this industry for several reasons that we'll explore in this gallery. Food-related crimes come at a devastating cost for producers everywhere.
Curious to know why cheese is being targeted by black-market criminals? Click through now to find out.