A Century Later Scientists have finally solved the Mystery of the Swiss Cheese Holes

Have you ever wondered the reason behind the iconic holes in Swiss cheese? No, despite of what we have been told, it’s not from mice nibbling away at it. 

After nearly a century, Swiss scientists have finally cracked the mystery.  They discovered that tiny specks of hay are responsible for the famous holes in cheeses like Emmental or Appenzell. In a report released Thursday, Agroscope and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology said in a statement that these “microscopically small hay particles” help create the holes in the traditional Swiss cheese varieties.

They have also found that these famous cheese holes are becoming smaller or disappearing altogether. This is because of the transition from age-old milking methods in barns to fully-automated, industrial milking systems, which is cleaner.

The mystery of the holes has been under study since 1917 when American William Clark published a detailed study and came to the conclusion that it was caused by carbon dioxide released by bacteria present in the milk.

Well, that’s one mystery solved. Anyone to crack the mystery of the missing socks?