Editing Roquefort (section)

==Production==
[[File:Brebis lacaune.jpg|thumb|250px|A Lacaune flock in France]]
[[File:Elevage-drone-1.png|thumb|A Roquefort farm in Southern France]]
[[File:Traite-lait.png|thumb|Sheep being milked for Roquefort production]]
Roquefort is made entirely from the milk of the [[Lacaune (sheep)|Lacaune]] breed of sheep. Prior to the [[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée]] (AOC) regulations of 1925, a small amount of cow's or goat's milk was sometimes added. Around {{convert|4.5|L|USgal|frac=8|abbr=on}} of milk is required to make one kilogram of Roquefort.<ref name=masui/>

Roquefort is produced throughout the ''[[département]]'' of [[Aveyron]] and part of the nearby ''départements'' of [[Aude]], [[Lozère]], [[Gard]], [[Hérault]] and [[Tarn (department)|Tarn]].<ref name=inao>{{cite web|url=http://www.inao.gouv.fr/public/produits/showTexte.php?ID_TEXTE_CONSOLIDE=791|title=AOC Roquefort|publisher=INAO|access-date=22 November 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306193150/http://www2.inao.gouv.fr/public/produits/showTexte.php?ID_TEXTE_CONSOLIDE=791|archive-date=6 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{As of|2009}}, there are seven Roquefort producers. The largest-volume brand by far is {{ill|Roquefort Société|fr|Société (marque)}} made by the ''Société des Caves de Roquefort'',<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.roquefort-societe.com/anglais/index.html|title= Roquefort Société|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090205025429/http://www.roquefort-societe.com/anglais/index.html|archive-date= 5 February 2009}}</ref> since 1990 a subsidiary of [[Lactalis]].<ref>https://www.lactalis.com/en/the-group/the-groups-history/</ref> Other producers are Papillon, Carles, {{ill|Gabriel Coulet|fr|Gabriel Coulet (marque)}}, {{ill|Fromageries occitanes|fr|Les Fromageries occitanes}}, Vernières and Le Vieux Berger.

Around three million cheeses were made in 2005 (18,830 tons) making it, after [[Comté (cheese)|Comté]], France's second-most-popular cheese.<ref name="masui" /> Roquefort has a high content of free [[Glutamic acid|glutamate]], 1,280&nbsp;mg per 100 g of cheese.<ref>{{cite news |last=Renton |first=Alex |date=10 July 2005 |title=If MSG is so bad for you... |url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,,1522368,00.html |access-date=22 May 2010 |newspaper=[[The Observer]] |location=London}}</ref>

The regional cuisine in and around [[Aveyron]] includes many Roquefort-based recipes for main-course meat sauces, savory tarts and quiches, pies, and fillings.<ref name="Roquefortadvice">[http://www.roquefort.fr/decouvrir/le-fromage/gastronomie.html Gastronomie du roquefort sur le site ''roquefort.fr''.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212170932/http://www.roquefort.fr/decouvrir/le-fromage/gastronomie.html |date=12 February 2010 }} Consulté le 25 décembre 2009.</ref>

===AOC regulations===
The {{lang|fr|[[Appellation d'origine contrôlée]]}} regulations that govern the production of Roquefort have been laid down over a number of decrees by the [[INAO]]. These include:<ref name=inao/>
#All milk used must be delivered at least 20 days after lambing has taken place.
#The sheep must be on pasture, whenever possible, in an area that includes most of [[Aveyron]] and parts of neighboring departments. At least 75% of any grain or fodder fed must come from the area.
#The milk must be whole, raw (not heated above {{convert|34|°C|°F|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}}), and unfiltered except to remove macroscopic particles.
#The addition of [[rennet]] must occur within 48 hours of milking.
#The ''Penicillium roqueforti'' used in the production must be produced in France from the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.
#The salting process must be performed using dry salt.
#The whole process of maturation, cutting, packaging and refrigeration of the cheese must take place in the commune of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.