By Alexandra Jones
August 27, 2026 – From the Summer 2026 Issue

Main Facts

For a cheese professional, the sense of smell isn’t merely a tool; it’s a superpower, an indispensable guide through the nuanced world of artisanal dairy. It’s the faculty that distinguishes a delicate floral note from a pungent ammoniac tang, the subtle signs of perfection from the first whispers of spoilage. But what happens when this crucial sense vanishes, leaving experts adrift in a world suddenly devoid of aromatic complexity? This article delves into the profound impact of chemosensory disorders—primarily anosmia (loss of smell) and ageusia (loss of taste)—on an industry built on sensory precision, exploring the science, personal struggles, and remarkable resilience of those whose livelihoods depend on their noses and palates.

Tracey Johnson, a highly respected UK-born, British Columbia-based cheese educator, recently confronted this devastating reality. After achieving a significant career milestone by judging the British and Irish Cheese Awards in early 2025, a common cold unexpectedly stripped her of her ability to smell and taste for an extended period. Her experience, mirroring that of countless others globally since the advent of COVID-19, highlights a silent crisis impacting not only personal well-being but also the professional landscape of the culinary world. Johnson’s journey from profound sensory loss to hopeful recovery underscores the critical, yet often underestimated, role of olfaction and gustation in our lives and professions. Her story, alongside those of other industry veterans, reveals the scientific complexities, the emotional toll, and the innovative coping strategies employed when the most fundamental tools of a cheese expert’s trade are compromised.

Chronology: Tracey Johnson’s Unfolding Challenge

Tracey Johnson’s career trajectory was a testament to meticulous sensory development. As the proprietor of Cheese Needs, a home cheesemaking supply company, and an instructor at the esteemed Academy of Cheese, she had dedicated years to refining her palate and olfactory perception. Her invitation to judge the British and Irish Cheese Awards in early 2025 was not just a personal triumph but a clear validation of her expertise, a pivotal step towards her ultimate goal of judging at the prestigious World Cheese Awards. She embodied the ideal of a cheese professional: someone whose senses were not just keen, but exquisitely trained.

However, shortly after her return from the awards, fate dealt a cruel blow in the form of a severe cold. Initially, it seemed like a routine illness, yet its aftermath was anything but. For six agonizing weeks, Johnson found herself completely devoid of taste and smell. "My taste was gone completely," she recounts, her voice still carrying the echo of that bewildering period. "I could put chili in my mouth and I wouldn’t know it was there. I literally couldn’t taste anything." While her other cold symptoms eventually subsided, the chemosensory deficits—anosmia, the loss of smell, and ageusia, the inability to taste—lingered, transforming her vibrant sensory world into a muted, frightening void.

The professional implications were immediate and severe. With her "superpower" gone, Johnson faced an existential threat to her career. The prospect of educating others about the intricate flavors of cheese, let alone judging future competitions, seemed impossible. Her mental health began to suffer profoundly; the loss wasn’t just physical, it was an assault on her identity and passion. Faced with the immediate challenge, she reluctantly deferred taking the American Cheese Society’s Certified Cheese Sensory Evaluator (CCSE) Exam, a crucial benchmark for her professional advancement.

Seeking answers and relief, Johnson embarked on a series of specialist visits and diagnostic scans. Initially, there was a glimmer of hope that a simple surgical procedure to unblock her sinuses might restore her senses. However, pre-surgery scans revealed that her sinuses had cleared naturally, leaving her doctors with no further medical interventions to offer. The prognosis was bleak: she was told there was nothing else they could do. This moment of medical resignation plunged Johnson deeper into despair, feeling abandoned by conventional medicine and facing a seemingly irreversible professional and personal crisis.

Undeterred by the lack of medical solutions, Johnson resolved to take her recovery into her own hands. Friends and colleagues rallied around her, compiling research on smell training and connecting her with others who had navigated similar sensory losses. She initiated a rigorous, self-prescribed regimen: three times a day, she would mindfully smell a rotation of pungent essential oils, starting with juniper, lemon, clove, and eucalyptus, switching to new sets every few months. This repetitive, focused stimulation aimed to coax her damaged olfactory nerves back to life. Alongside this, her doctor recommended a suite of supplements—Vitamin A for neuroplasticity, Vitamin B complex for nerve recovery and mucus reduction, and Vitamins D, saffron, and magnesium to support her struggling mental health. "I would encourage anybody going through this to seek support before it gets to the point where you’re talking to your doctor about depression," Johnson advises, emphasizing the holistic approach required for such a profound affliction.

After approximately three months of dedicated smell training—nearly a year after her initial illness—Johnson began to experience a gradual but definite return of her senses. She estimates she is now "three-quarters of the way back to normal." Her sense of smell is steadily improving, she can identify the five basic tastes once more, and, crucially for a cheese professional, she has begun to enjoy cheese again. Her beloved Chällerhocker, a rich, nutty Swiss alpine cheese, was the first she recognized since her sensory loss, a moment of profound personal and professional triumph. Buoyed by this progress, Johnson has bravely decided to reschedule the CCSE Exam for July, a clear sign of her renewed confidence and determination to reclaim her place on the judging circuit. "I feel like having any of your senses is such a privilege," Johnson reflects, encapsulating the deep appreciation born from a period of profound loss. "It’s probably one of the most basic things we take for granted."

Supporting Data: The Science of Sensory Loss and Its Wider Reach

The human sense of smell, or olfaction, is often dubbed the "least understood" of our five primary senses, yet its profound impact on our perception of the world is undeniable. It’s an ancient warning system, honed over millions of years of evolution, protecting us from immediate dangers like fire, gas leaks, and spoiled food. More intimately, it’s the primary architect of flavor. As Hong Wang, a distinguished molecular biologist and member of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, elucidates, "Taste is sensed by the taste buds on the tongue and soft palate. Olfactions are sensed by the olfactory sensory neurons up in the nose, then integrated in the brain together with taste as flavor." This integration is critical: while taste buds detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, it is olfaction that provides the nuanced aromas that transform these basic tastes into the rich, complex experience we call flavor.

Chemosensory disorders manifest in various forms:

• Anosmia: The complete loss of smell.
• Hyposmia: A decreased sense of smell.
• Parosmia: A distorted sense of smell, where familiar odors are perceived as unpleasant or different (e.g., coffee smelling like sewage).
• Phantosmia: The perception of smells that are not actually present, often described as "phantom smells."
• Ageusia: The complete inability to taste.
• Hypogeusia: A decreased sense of taste.

These conditions arise when the delicate olfactory nerves, located in the olfactory epithelium at the top of the nasal cavity, are damaged or cease to function correctly. This damage can prevent odor molecules from binding to receptors or disrupt the transmission of signals to the olfactory bulb and subsequently to the brain, where they are interpreted as smells.

The public and scientific awareness of these disorders surged dramatically after 2020, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant 2025 study published in JAMA Network Open revealed the widespread impact: 80% of subjects who reported loss of smell after contracting COVID-19 were clinically diagnosed with hyposmia, with a staggering 23% experiencing severe or total anosmia. The virus, specifically SARS-CoV-2, was found to primarily target and damage supporting cells in the olfactory epithelium, leading to inflammation and disruption of olfactory neuron function. While many cases proved temporary, a significant percentage experienced lingering or permanent loss, highlighting the vulnerability of this vital sensory system.

Beyond viral infections, numerous other factors contribute to chemosensory loss:

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): As tragically experienced by Linda Luke, a retired cheese broker, physical trauma can be a direct cause. Twenty-five years ago, Luke lost her senses of smell and taste after a near-fatal allergic reaction caused her to fall unconscious and hit her head on the sidewalk. This impact severed the delicate olfactory nerves that pass through the cribriform plate, a bony structure separating the sinuses from the brain, resulting in permanent damage. Such injuries underscore the fragility of the olfactory system and how even seemingly minor head trauma can have profound, lasting consequences.

  

• Aging (Presbyosmia): The natural aging process also takes its toll. Studies consistently show that olfactory function begins to deteriorate significantly as individuals reach their 70s, a condition known as presbyosmia. This decline is often attributed to the cumulative damage to olfactory neurons over a lifetime and a reduced capacity for cellular regeneration.

• Neurological Disorders: A range of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), often present with early-stage olfactory dysfunction, serving as a potential diagnostic biomarker for these complex conditions.

• Medical Treatments: Certain medical interventions, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer, can induce temporary or permanent damage to taste buds and olfactory nerves, leading to significant sensory alterations.

• Chemical Exposure: Occupational hazards, particularly in certain industrial settings, pose a considerable risk. Liz Steeves, a freelance cheesemonger in Connecticut, believes her prolonged exposure to high levels of ammonia in cheese aging caves severely impacted her sense of smell. Ammonia, a byproduct of microbial activity in cheese, can be highly irritating and damaging to the delicate olfactory epithelium, particularly in poorly ventilated environments. Long-term exposure to such irritants can lead to chronic inflammation and nerve damage, gradually eroding olfactory sensitivity.

• Other Conditions: Chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps, certain medications, and even hormonal imbalances can also contribute to varying degrees of chemosensory loss.

The psychological impact of anosmia and ageusia extends far beyond the inability to enjoy food. Individuals often report feelings of isolation, depression, and anxiety. The loss of pleasure from eating, a fundamental human experience, can lead to significant distress. Furthermore, personal safety becomes a daily concern; the inability to detect smoke from a fire, a gas leak, or the spoilage of food introduces a constant undercurrent of vulnerability. Both Tracey Johnson and Linda Luke spoke eloquently about the mental health challenges, highlighting the profound emotional void that accompanies the sensory deficit. Luke described feeling "a scrim between me and the rest of the world," a sense of being perpetually distanced from shared experiences.

Steve Millard, an industry veteran who spent a decade as senior vice president of merchandising and operations at Murray’s Cheese, also faced this crisis. COVID-19 completely eradicated his sense of smell for about six months, prompting a stark professional introspection. "Being in the food business for so long, I spent a lot of time sharpening my sense of smell and taste," he reflects. "To suddenly have that gone, I was like, ‘Is this the end of my career?’" Now general manager at Acme Smoked Fish, Millard estimates his sense of smell is about 80 percent of what it once was, though his ability to sense heat from spicy foods is entirely gone, and he occasionally experiences phantom smells like garlic and chicken broth. He recognizes the monumental challenge of returning to cheese work: "I would definitely have to recalibrate. I don’t think I would ever get back to where I was before."

Official Responses: Medical Endeavors and Industry Adaptations

The medical community, spurred by the surge in cases post-COVID-19, has intensified research into the underlying mechanisms and potential treatments for chemosensory disorders. While there is currently no single, universally approved "cure," several approaches show promise and are being explored:

• Olfactory Regeneration and Neuroplasticity: Hong Wang’s assertion that "the olfactory system has the ability to regenerate" offers a beacon of hope. The olfactory epithelium is one of the few areas in the adult nervous system where neurogenesis (the birth of new neurons) occurs regularly. This inherent regenerative capacity is the scientific basis for treatments like smell training.

• Smell Training: This non-invasive, patient-led therapy involves structured, repetitive exposure to a set of strong, distinct essential oils (e.g., rose, eucalyptus, lemon, clove). The theory is that by repeatedly stimulating the olfactory receptors and associated neural pathways, the brain can be retrained to recognize and interpret smells, fostering neuroplasticity and potentially aiding nerve regeneration. Tracey Johnson’s successful regimen is a testament to its potential efficacy, though consistency and patience are key.

• Pharmacological Interventions: Small clinical trials are investigating the use of corticosteroids (both oral and nasal) to reduce inflammation in the olfactory epithelium, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, which aim to stimulate healing and regeneration. However, these treatments are often used off-label or within research protocols, as no specific treatments for anosmia or ageusia are currently approved by the FDA. The lack of definitive, widely accessible medical solutions remains a significant challenge for patients and practitioners alike.

• Nutritional Support: The role of specific vitamins and minerals, as recommended to Tracey Johnson, is also being explored. Vitamin A is crucial for the health and regeneration of epithelial tissues and nerves. B-complex vitamins support overall neurological health. Vitamin D, saffron, and magnesium are recognized for their roles in mental health, crucial given the psychological toll of sensory loss.

Within the culinary and cheese industries, the response to sensory impairment, though not formalized through universal protocols, often involves adaptation and reliance on collective expertise:

• Adaptation Strategies: Linda Luke’s story offers a powerful example of professional adaptation. After losing her senses, she shifted her focus from describing direct flavor profiles to emphasizing the history, provenance, and unique manufacturing processes of the cheeses she brokered. She leaned heavily on the sensory perceptions of trusted friends and colleagues, using their descriptions to supplement her own knowledge. This highlights a crucial strategy: while individual sensory input may be lost, intellectual understanding and collaborative sensory evaluation can still sustain a professional career.

• Quality Control and Sensory Panels: In larger food production and distribution companies, sensory panels composed of multiple trained individuals are standard for quality control and product development. This collective approach inherently mitigates the risk posed by an individual’s sensory impairment, ensuring consistency and accuracy in product assessment. For smaller operations or individual cheesemongers, however, the loss of a key professional’s senses can be far more debilitating.

• Ventilation and Occupational Safety: Liz Steeves’s experience with ammonia exposure in cheese caves brings to light an important occupational health consideration. The cheese industry, particularly cheesemakers and mongers working in aging facilities, must prioritize proper ventilation systems. While the aromatic environment of a cheese cave is integral to the aging process, excessively high concentrations of gases like ammonia can pose a long-term risk to the olfactory health of workers. Implementing state-of-the-art air filtration and exchange systems is not just about product quality, but also about safeguarding the health and careers of those who dedicate themselves to the craft.

• Mental Health Support: The professional community is increasingly recognizing the profound mental health impact of sensory loss. Encouraging peer support networks, access to counseling, and open dialogue about these challenges is becoming more prevalent. Tracey Johnson’s advice to "seek support before it gets to the point where you’re talking to your doctor about depression" resonates deeply within this context, advocating for proactive mental health care as an integral part of recovery.

  

Implications: Future Outlook and Broader Lessons

The experiences of Tracey Johnson, Steve Millard, Linda Luke, and Liz Steeves illuminate the multifaceted implications of chemosensory loss, both for individuals and the broader cheese industry.

For the individuals affected, the journey is often one of profound personal challenge, resilience, and redefinition. Careers are reshaped, daily pleasures are re-evaluated, and a deep appreciation for the "privilege" of sensory perception is often gained. Their stories are powerful narratives of human adaptability, demonstrating that while a direct sensory input may be lost, other skills—analytical acumen, historical knowledge, communication, and a profound understanding of the craft—can become even more vital. The determination to undergo arduous smell training, to adapt communication strategies, or to recalibrate professional standards underscores an unwavering commitment to their chosen fields.

For the cheese industry, these experiences serve as critical reminders of several key points:

• The Invaluable Role of Sensory Professionals: The crisis underscores the irreplaceable expertise of individuals whose sensory skills are finely honed. Investing in sensory training and education for current and future professionals is paramount.
• Occupational Health and Safety: The case of ammonia exposure highlights the need for rigorous occupational health standards in environments like aging caves. Ensuring optimal ventilation and protective measures is essential to safeguard the long-term health and careers of cheesemongers and cheesemakers.
• Support Systems: Developing more robust support systems within professional organizations, like the American Cheese Society or the Academy of Cheese, could provide invaluable resources for those facing sensory loss, from peer networks to information on rehabilitation.
• Innovation in Sensory Evaluation: The challenges might also spur innovation in how cheeses are evaluated and communicated. While direct sensory experience remains supreme, there could be an increased emphasis on objective analytical data, textural analysis, and a deeper exploration of the cultural and historical narratives surrounding cheese, as pioneered by Linda Luke.

From a scientific and medical perspective, the increased public and professional attention to anosmia and ageusia, largely driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, is likely to catalyze further research. This heightened awareness could lead to increased funding for studies on olfactory nerve regeneration, more sophisticated diagnostic tools, and eventually, more effective and widely approved treatments. The ongoing clinical trials and the exploration of supplements offer glimmers of hope for future breakthroughs that could restore this vital sense to many.

Ultimately, the collective narrative of these cheese professionals serves as a profound lesson for society at large: our senses are not merely tools; they are the conduits through which we experience the richness of life, form memories, and connect with our environment and each other. Their loss is a silent thief, stealing not just flavors and aromas, but also joy, safety, and professional identity. Tracey Johnson’s journey from despair to hopeful recovery, culminating in her decision to re-take the CCSE Exam, is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a vivid reminder to cherish the "superpowers" we often take for granted. The industry, and indeed the world, must continue to listen to these stories, support those affected, and strive to understand and preserve the intricate tapestry of our sensory lives.