Putting stuff in the fridge doesn't kill the bacteria, it just slows its rate of reproduction down. Pasteurization doesn't kill all the bacteria either, it just greatly reduces the presence of microorganisms in food.

I don't think marketing a high quality cheese is going to be impossible in America, (well, maybe not Casu marzu, but I don't give a crap how good that is, I'm not eating it) you'd need to educate your customers and take steps in terms of packaging or co-products to help them use the product best.