Gouda News: The United States Is Overflowing With Cheese

Turophiles, rejoice: There is currently more cheese in America than there has been for the past 30 years, thanks to a rise in cheap imports from the European Union and a spike in American dairy production. More than 1 billion pounds are waiting to be consumed, but finding buyers has not been so easy, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

"A glut of milk, plunging prices and a weakening euro mean the EU has been able to grab customers in Asia and the Middle East, while U.S. sales have fallen," Bloomberg reports. But those aren't the only regions where the EU has found customers. America imported twice as much butter and 17 percent more cheese from the EU last year, making it the EU's top buyer. Because everyone seems to be turning to Europe for their dairy supply, half of America's cheese reserves are filled with its own product.

"It's been difficult for them to export, given the strong dollar, and they're sucking in imports," global dairy market strategist Kevin Bellamy said.

No matter how you slice it, 1.2 billion pounds of cheese is a lot, and it's unclear exactly how we'll get rid of it all. Bloomberg predicts that cheese will become the new "it" ingredient as we try to eat our way out of the problem. From killer grilled cheese sandwiches to more frequent trips to buy and get advice from expert cheesemongers, it shouldn't be too hard to come together as a nation and make those wheels and slices disappear.

[h/t Bloomberg]