A viral outbreak of goat and sheep pox in Greece has forced farmers to cull hundreds of thousands of animals, threatening global feta cheese production.
With authentic Greek feta legally required to be made from sheep and goat milk in specific regions, shortages and price spikes are expected.
Despite the crisis, major Australian supermarkets say local supply will remain steady.
Woolworths confirmed, “We know fetta cheeses are popular with our customers and we have a good supply across our stores, including a number of Australian-made products sourced locally.” Coles and Aldi made similar assurances.
Almost half a million goats and sheep have already been culled in Greece, though the disease is not transmissible to humans.
While local Australian alternatives remain available, authentic Greek feta may become harder to source and more expensive as production falters.
Source: News.com.au.
