two common dimensions: little Munster gérômé has a diameter; big Munster gérômé (commonly just called Munster) has a diameter. Cheese affinage The cheese's crust must be washed regularly. It is matured in damp cellars for five weeks for the smaller formats (roughly 300 g) and up to 2 to 3 months for the larger ones (about 1500 g). During this period, the rind is periodically washed with brine. The added moisture helps the development of bacteria that gives this cheese its particular taste and color. Quality control is maintained in storage, packaging and labeling (called étiquetage). The cheese, now round with a fat content of 45% in dry matter, has a diameter between 12 and , and a thickness between and . Normally it is sold unwrapped on a straw bed, but for export it may be wrapped in cellophane or clear plastic. The cheese should have a slick shiny brick-colored or orange rind, with apparent moisture on it; a semi-soft body; a very strong and penetrating odor; and a very strong taste. Defects can be an unripened body (crumbly), a broken rind, too salty or too old and overdone. Munster géromé is at its best in the summer and the autumn, when it is made from milk from the haute chaumes ("high stubble") of pastures that have already been mowed for midsummer hay in the Vosges mountains. The best cheeses, in some people's opinion, come from the haute vallée de Munster itself, but this cheese is also made in Lapoutroie, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, Villé, and other villages practically or in western Vosges, in Lorraine. Local opinions vary greatly on the best source according to their individual tastes. Genericization of the term Although first produced in France, production of Munster cheese has grown outside of the historic PDO region, which outside the European Union has led to the generecization of the term “munster”. The cheese is also known as “muenster” in the United States. The United States Food and Drug Administration has established what are known as standards of identity (SOIs). SOIs establish the common name for a food and define the basic nature of that food and its ingredients. The US Code of Federal Regulations Title 21--FOOD AND DRUGS, CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, SUBCHAPTER B--FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION establishes the production process of “muenster” cheese. This SOI, in addition to establishing “muenster” as the product name for this type of