Castello cheeses remarkable popularity both in Denmark and abroad.” Castello was acquired by Arla Foods, who expanded Castello into cheese markets in North America. Castello blue cheeses were developed in the 1960s. The curds are dipped into salt water, drained, and put into molds. The cheese is punctured with tiny holes and then brought into the ripening room, where it stays for about 15 days. It is then washed, cut, packed, and put in a "cooling room" for about a week at a temperature close to freezing. The washed rind hosts various molds that add to the cheese's mildly spicy flavor. It
Stilton cheese and the fame of Stilton rapidly spread. In 1936 the Stilton Cheesemakers' Association (SCMA) was formed to lobby for regulation to protect the quality and origin of the cheese, and in 1966 Stilton was granted legal protection via a certification trade mark, the only British cheese to have received this status. Blue Stilton's distinctive blue veins are created by piercing the crust of the cheese with stainless steel needles, allowing air into the core. The manufacturing and ripening process takes approximately nine to twelve weeks. For cheese to use the name "Stilton", it must be made in one of the