salt. It used to contain significant amounts of iron because it was traditionally made in iron pots. In fact, when modern production methods with aluminium pans were introduced by the Norwegian dairy co-operative, the government was worried that it would significantly reduce iron intake in the general population, and ordered iron to be added to the cheese. Modern brunost does not contain significant amounts of iron. However, the (natural) sugar content of Brunost is quite high, and also the fat content is significant, causing some to warn against it, and even likening it to milk chocolate. Some tests have shown major nutritional differences between different varieties of brunost. Also, it has been pointed out that the fat content of most brunost is significantly lower than in numerous other cheeses, such as soft cheeses. Accidents In January 2013, a lorry carrying 27 tonnes of brunost caught fire in the long Brattli tunnel in Tysfjord. The temperature rose so high that the cheese caught fire, its fats and sugars fuelling the blaze and preventing firefighters from approaching it until four days later, when most of it had burned out. The tunnel was severely damaged, and was closed for repair for several months afterward. The accident was widely publicized in international media, and was dubbed "the goat cheese fire". It was likened to the 1999 Mont Blanc tunnel fire, when a truck carrying margarine and flour caught fire. References Further reading Arne Espelund (1998) Brunosten, historien til et godt næringsemne gjennom 300 år (Trondheim: Arketype forlag) External links Preben S. Ottesen, "Brunost", Store norske leksikon Norwegian cuisine Norwegian cheeses Goat's-milk cheeses Spreads (food) Whey cheeses Dairy products Swedish cheeses