Cheese is one of the most beloved foods across cultures, celebrated for its diverse flavours, textures, and uses. Yet, surprisingly, it also has a notorious side: cheese theft. According to estimates, around 4% of the cheese produced worldwide is stolen, equating to approximately 90.6 million tons annually. This staggering figure positions cheese as the most stolen food item globally.
This got me thinking long and hard about an ingredient I use often but give very little thought to. While I am aware that cheese, a product born from the alchemy of milk and cultures, holds a cherished place in culinary traditions worldwide, I would never have guessed cheese is such a precious commodity?
The Scope of Cheese Theft
To grasp the enormity of cheese theft, consider the scale of global cheese production. In 2021, the world produced around 21 million metric tons of cheese. With 4% of that figure being stolen, we’re looking at about 90.6 million tons. This volume is mind-boggling and illustrates the extent of cheese theft, which seems to be a booming, albeit illicit, industry.
Why Cheese?
Why cheese, of all foods, has become a prime target for thieves is a question worth exploring. Cheese is relatively high in value, often sold in various forms that can be easily concealed and transported. Additionally, the cheese industry is diverse, encompassing artisanal cheeses that can fetch high prices and mass-produced varieties. This variance means there’s a market for both high-end gourmet cheeses and more accessible options, making cheese a lucrative target.
Thinking about this puts local things into slightly more perspective. I recall, as a newspaper editor, being told by a court reporter that a woman had been convicted, in our magistrate’s court, of stealing 900g of cheese and sentenced to two years in prison. At the time, I thought this excessive considering the crimes that don’t go unpunished in this neck of the woods. However, the high rate of cheese theft puts this into must sharper perspective. Thinking about it now, the magistrate may have been privy to these cheesy facts.
Understanding the Motives
Having gone down the proverbial rabbit hole, reading several opinions and facts, it seems that there are several factors which contribute to the prevalence of cheese theft.
Economic Factors: When thinking about crime, economic considerations are almost always going to factor in. Economic hardship can drive individuals to steal food, and cheese, being a staple in many diets, becomes an easy target. The woman in court was a perfect example of someone simply trying to feed her family. In regions where poverty is rampant, stealing cheese might be seen as a necessity for survival.
Market Demand: Of course, what people want, they will always get and someone must do the “shopping”. The rising demand for cheese - especially gourmet and specialty cheeses - fuels the black market. Cheese is not only a staple in homes but also a sought-after item in restaurants and catering services. The potential profit margins on stolen cheese can be significant, making it an attractive option for thieves.
Poor Security Measures: considering the theft of cheese from the producers, security seems to be a common problem. Many cheese producers, especially smaller or artisanal ones, may not have robust security systems in place. This lack of security can create opportunities for theft. Large cheese producers may face similar challenges, as the sheer volume of production makes it difficult to monitor all shipments effectively.
Of course, supermarkets also fall prey to thieves with MarktPOS reporting the overall shrinkage in supermarkets or grocery stores is in the region of 2-4%. However, this may be as high as 8%, in produce departments.
How do they do it?
The theft of cheese is not always as cut and dry as you may think. Grabbing it off the shelf and shoving it into a pocket – the way they do in the movies – really isn’t the most interesting method I discovered while navigating my way through this topic. In fact, there are myriad techniques and levels of sophistication one might employ when embarking on a spot of cheese theft.
Organised Crime: I must admit to finding this one a little odd, and funny, when I read about it. Some cheese thefts are the result of organised crime syndicates that target warehouses, distribution centres, and even entire trucks. These groups often have sophisticated networks and may use insider information to plan their heists.
Opportunistic Theft: on the other end of the spectrum is opportunistic thieves, individuals or small groups who see an opening and seize it. This can involve shoplifting in grocery stores, where the portability of cheese makes it an easy target.
Cyber Theft: if it can be stolen, someone will figure out how to steal it online and cheese is no different. In today’s digital age, phishing schemes and data breaches can lead to stolen shipments and financial losses for producers.
Show me the proof?
By now you’re probably looking for proof of the value thieves put in cheese. I must admit, I was too. I expect you may be wondering, can cheese theft really be that big of an issue? Do people really steal huge amounts of cheese?
In fact, they do!
In the last week, the theft of over 20 tonnes of cheese in the UK has made international headlines with “The Grate Cheese Robbery” being covered by news outlets from across the globe. The value of the cheese was reported, by various news outlets, at between ₤300 000 and ₤390 000 and the amount at between 22 and 24 tonnes. No matter which end of the scale is true – that’s a whole lot of cheese.
According to The Guardian’s (October 25, 2024), Cheesemakers in shock as £300,000 of produce stolen in sophisticated scam “Artisan cheesemakers have been dealt a blow by fraudsters who stole more than £300 000 worth of award-winning clothbound cheddar in a sophisticated scam. Neal’s Yard Dairy, a distributor and retailer of British artisan cheese, is working with UK and international law enforcement agencies to try to identify the scam’s perpetrators.
“The company delivered 22 tonnes of cheddar after being approached by a person posing as [a] wholesale distributor for a big French retailer.” The theft included 950 cheeses which have won prizes for being “among the most sought-after cheeses in the UK.”
A few days after the robbery, according to NBC News, a suspect was apprehended. The Metropolitan police arrested a 63-year-old man who was “detained on suspicion of fraud by false representation and handling stolen goods. He was taken to a south London police station, where he was questioned, and has since been released on bail pending further inquiries.”
Cheese Heists that drew attention
Looking for more proof of the value of cheese? Here are the 5 of the Top Cheese Heists Around the World according to Cheese Professor. The sixth theft involved a cheese slicer which the thieves may or may not have needed to enjoy their (legally?) procured cheese.
Parmigiano Reggiano Theft: “In 2015 an armed gang was arrested in Modena in in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, where the genuine parmesan comes from, and charged with the theft of €785,000 of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.” What makes this more interesting is that the cheese wasn’t stolen in a single heist. 2 039 wheels of parmesan were stolen, from warehouses and factories, by a group of 11 over a couple of years. According to the Cansorzio del Formaggio Reggiano, the body governing Italy's parmesan makers, over $3 million in parmesan cheese is stolen in Italy every year.
Amsterdam Cheese Robbery: armed thieves broke into a dairy farm near the town of Fijnaart, about 90 minutes south of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, in June 2022 and made off with 1 610kg of cheese worth €21 100. The theft was only discovered when the farmer went to milk his cows in the morning and discovered his storage unit was open and 161 wheels of cheese, each weighing 10kg, were missing.
Cheese Slicer Stolen: staying in the Netherlands, two thieves were caught on security footage breaking into the Cheese Museum in Amsterdam in 2015. Their mission was to steal the platinum Boska Holland Cheese Slicer which was encrusted with 220 diamonds and worth about €25 700. I think it’s safe to say that at the price tag, they weren’t planning on using the slicer to cut cheese.
Wisconsin Cheese Store: in January 2016, 31 751kg of cheese was stolen from a cheese store in Germanton, Wisconsin, USA but where recovered the following evening only 32km away in Milwaukee when the thieves tried to sell the cheese for $1 dollar each.
Comté Larceny: back in Europe, in 2016, in the Comté-making town of Goux-les-Usiers in eastern France, thieves made off with 100 wheels of the valuable local specialty cheese from a dairy farm. The thieves cut gained entry using a crowbar to prize open the door of the cheese storage area. At today’s prices, each wheel would be worth around €800-€850.
Muenster Cheese Heist:
back in Wisconsin in 2013, this time in Cashton, Veniamin Konstantinovich Balika forged paperwork and drove away from the K&K Cheese company with a truck containing 21 tons of Muenster cheese valued at $200,000. He was arrested 1 600km away on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Conclusion
It seems the world of cheese theft is a multifaceted issue that combines economics, crime, culture, and food safety. But it’s also, in my opinion, a little funny if you’re not the producer or shop owner suffering the losses. While 4% doesn’t sound like a lot, there’s a ton of cheese going missing every year and it has nothing to do with Jerry (or any other mouse for that matter).
On a more serious note, as with any industry, as cheese lovers, it’s essential to support ethical practices in the cheese market. Whether it’s buying from local producers or chain supermarkets, each of us can play a role in ensuring that cheese remains a cherished, legitimate part of our culinary experiences — rather than a coveted prize in the world of crime.
So next time you enjoy a delicious slice of cheese, take a moment to appreciate the journey it took to reach your plate, and the efforts being made to safeguard it from the hands of thieves.
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