U.S. cheese production continued to rise in February 2016. Total cheese production excluding cottage cheese was 956.2 million pounds, up 7.8% from February 2015. Mozzarella production saw the largest increase at 10.0%. The article also profiles Gruyere cheese, an Alpine-style cheese originally from Switzerland. Gruyere has a rich, nutty flavor and is produced using traditional Swiss techniques. While some U.S. cheesemakers label their Alpine-style cheeses as Gruyere, others have changed their names due to trademark issues with Switzerland.

1. © 2016 CHEESE MARKET NEWS®
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CHEESE
OF THE
MONTH
G r u y è r e
CHEESE
G r u y è r e
U.S. cheese production in
February continues to rise
WASHINGTON — Total U.S. cheese production, excluding cot-
tagecheese,was956.2millionpoundsinFebruary,up7.8percent
from February 2015’s 887.3 million pounds, according to data
released this week by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics
Service(NASS).(Allfiguresarerounded.PleaseseeCMN’sDairy
Production chart on page 20.)
AdjustingforleapdayinFebruary2016,totalFebruarycheese
production was up 4.0 percent from February 2015 on an average
dailybasis.February2016productionwas4.7percentbelowJanu-
ary 2016’s 1.00 billion pounds, but when adjusted for the length
of the months, February 2016 production was 1.9 percent higher
than January 2016 on an average daily basis.
Mozzarella production totaled 341.2 million pounds in Febru-
ary, up 10.0 percent from the previous year (up 6.2 percent when
Gruyere brings rich flavor
to Alpine cheese category
Editor’s Note: Welcome to “Cheese of the Month,” Cheese Market
News’ exclusive profile series. Each month, CMN highlights a differ-
ent cheese in this feature, giving our readers a comprehensive look
atproduction,marketing,salesandin-depthaspectsofeachprofiled
cheese type. Please read on to learn about this month’s featured
cheese: Gruyere.
By Chelsey Dequaine
MADISON,Wis.—Gruyere,anAlpine-stylecheese,receiveditsname
fromthetownofGruyeresintheSwisscantonofFribourg.Cheesemak-
ers in the Alpine area between Switzerland and France have produced
Gruyere since the 11th century.
Gruyereistypicallypale,ivory-yellowtonaturalbrownwithawashed
rind and firm texture. It is available in 18-pound wheels, 18-pound
blocks, 6-pound loaves, 5-pound shreds, 2-pound shreds and 8- to
10-ounce random-weight pieces.
U.S. cheesemakers produce Alpine-style cheeses such as Gruyere
using classic Swiss production techniques and copper vats. Surface
ripened with an inedible brown rind, the cheese is aged in specially-
designed curing rooms to give it a nutty, rich, full-bodied flavor and
firm texture.
AccordingtoSwitzerlandCheeseMarketingAG,Bern,Switzerland,
this region in Switzerland produced 64.9 million pounds of Gruyere
Volume 36 April 8, 2016 Number 12
By Alyssa Mitchell
MADISON, Wis. — While U.S.
cheeses have been rising stars
in national and international
competitions in recent years,
a big win this spring really put
U.S.cheesemakingonthemap.
Forthefirsttimesince1998,
a U.S.-made cheese took the
crown at the World Champion-
ship Cheese Contest, held last
month in Madison, Wisconsin.
The contest, which is held on
even-numbered years, this
year had a record 2,959 cheese
entries from 23 countries and
31 states.
EmmiRothUSAwasnamed
Grand Champion of the com-
petition for its Roth Grand
Cru Surchoix, a washed-rind
U.S.-made cheeses shine in
international competitions
Alpine-style cheese made at
thecompany’splantinMonroe,
Wisconsin.
Roth Grand Cru Surchoix is
agedaminimumofninemonths
to create a firm texture and
complex flavors of caramel,
fruit and mushroom.
Tim Omer, president and
managingdirector,EmmiRoth
USA, says the company’s win is
a shared honor.
“Internally,it’sbeenagreat
morale booster for our staff,”
Omersays.“Weespeciallythank
our dairy farmers — without
greatmilk,youcan’thavegreat
cheese. We share this honor
with them. It’s not only good
for our business, it’s good for
Green County and Wisconsin,
and it’s something we want
to share with the whole U.S.
industry.”
PatrickGeoghegan,senior
vice president of corporate
communications for the Wis-
consin Milk Marketing Board
(WMMB), says the award re-
inforces what people around
the world already know —
Wisconsin’s reputation for
making some of the world’s
greatest cheeses is well de-
served.
“WeconsidertheEmmiRoth
win a win for the entire state of
Wisconsin,” he says.
• Rising stars (and stripes)
The rise of U.S. cheeses in
competitions has been hap-
pening for some time, fueled
inpartbyconsumerexcitement
and demand for specialty and
artisan cheeses, Geoghegan
says. He notes this demand
has helped drive new product
growth from cheesemakers as
well as the launch of several
new companies.
“Cheese affinage has be-
come a big focus with many
companies expanding their
programs or developing new
ones, sometimes with an in-
dependent affineur or retail
partner,” he says.
In the recent World Cham-
pionship contest, the United
Stateshadanimpressiveshow-
ing.Wisconsinproducednotonly
theworldchampionbutalsothe
mostgoldmedal-winningcheeses
ofalltheU.S.states,whileseveral
otherstatesincludingNewYork,
California, Vermont, Ohio and
others won gold medals as well.
JohnUmhoefer,executivedi-
rector of the Wisconsin Cheese
Makers Association (WCMA),
which hosts the U.S. and World
ChampionshipCheeseContests
(the U.S. contest is held in
odd-numbered years), notes
that a decade or so ago, many
U.S. cheesemakers were more
focused on commodity-type
cheeseandmakingtheirchees-
es consistent to keep up with
supply. Now, more established
cheesemakers are taking time
to improve their cheeses and
experiment with new flavors.
Sartori Co., Plymouth, Wis-
consin, produces a plethora of
flavoredandspecialtycheeses,
manyofwhichhavewonnation-
al and international awards.
Maria Sartori, brand am-
bassador, Sartori Co., says
globalizationhasincreasedthe
demand for artisan cheese in
the United States.
She notes that new auto-
mated technology allows com-
panies to create a consistent
product without hindering
cheesemakers’ creativity and
development of a variety of
unique products and flavors.
ProgramsinWisconsinlikethe
Master Cheesemaker program
further allow cheesemakers
to hone their skills and think
outside the box of commodity
cheese, she adds. (For more
on the program, see coverage
on page 49 of this issue.)
Omer says Roth Grand Cru
Surchoix is basically hand
made and with a washed rind,
which sets it apart from other
cheeses and makes it special.
NZX to launch NZ
milk price futures,
options contracts
A
INSIDE
Turn to SHINE, page 20 a
Turn to FEBRUARY, page 20 a
WELLINGTON, New Zea-
land — NZX this week
announced it has received
formal approval from the
Financial Markets Author-
ity and the Reserve Bank of
NewZealandforitsproposed
milk price futures and op-
tionscontracts,expectedto
launch in May 2016.
The futures and options
contractsaredesignedtoad-
dress growing demand from
Turn to NZX, page 16 aTurn to GRUYERE, page 14 a
Like us on Facebook and
follow us on Twitter!
✦ Guest column:
‘The use of microfiltered
milk in standardizedcheese.’
For details, see page 4.
✦ Richard Stammer to receive
ADPI’s Award of Merit.
For details, see page 9.
✦ CMN celebrates world
champion cheeses.
Contest results start on page 25.
✦ Wis. Master Cheesemaker
program graduates 7 new,
3 returning cheesemakers.
Profiles start on page 49.

2. © 2016 CHEESE MARKET NEWS®
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14 CHEESE MARKET NEWS®
— April 8, 2016
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AOP—aprotecteddesignationoforigin
cheese — in 2014, 62.9 million pounds
in2015andexported6.9millionpounds
to the United States in 2015.
Shawna Morris, senior director,
Consortium for Common Food Names
(CCFN),sayswhileGruyereisaprotect-
edterminSwitzerland,thecountryalso
applied for a trademark in the United
StatesforLeGruyereSwitzerlandAOC.
“After the approval, there was a
concerning pattern of the trademark
holder conveying a stronger scope of
protection than what we think was
granted,” Morris says. “There was a
CHEESE OF THE MONTH: G r u y è r e
substantial U.S. investment to help
popularize Gruyere that was success-
ful and imported products seem to be
tryingtocapitalizeonthatinvestment.”
WhilesomeNorthAmericancheese-
makers use the name Gruyere, others
have chosen to use different names or
have dropped the name following pres-
sure from Switzerland. Debra Amrein-
Boyes, owner and cheesemaker at The
Farm House Natural Cheeses, Agassiz,
British Columbia, says marketing chal-
lengesmightariseforthosecheesemak-
erswhenconsumersareaccustomedto
the traditional Gruyere name.
“The challenge is to create aware-
nessthatafavoriteandpopularcheese
typeisavailable,butwithalocalname,”
Amrein-Boyes says.
According to Technomic Inc., a
research and consulting firm servicing
thefoodandfoodserviceindustry,menu
mentionsofGruyereonU.S.restaurant
menusaredownby4.1percentoverthe
past year (Q4 2014-Q4 2015). However,
the decline may be due to restaurants
using Alpine-style cheeses that are no
longer menued as “Gruyere.”
“Gruyereismostcommonlymenued
in an entrée/main dish item comple-
menting a sandwich or a burger, but
we also see restaurants using Gruyere
in breakfast dishes, pastas, pizzas and
salads,” the Wisconsin Milk Marketing
Board says.
AccordingtoInformationResources
Inc. (IRI) data courtesy of Dairy
Management Inc. (DMI), even though
Gruyerehasa0.05percentvolumeshare
of total cheese in the United States, it
has posted annual growth nearly every
yearsince2010(up7.2percentin2015),
excluding flat sales in 2014.
From a shopper perspective, 2
percent of households purchase pre-
packaged Gruyere at retail, with upper
income, white and boomer households
thelargestvolumedrivers.Ontheother
end of the spectrum, middle-to-lower
income households under-index on
Gruyere purchases.
Amrein-Boyes says because of the
varied ingredient inputs and aging
environments that differ from the tra-
ditional aging caves or small creamer-
ies, Gruyeres made in North America
will never be exactly the same as their
European counterparts.
“They are still amazingly delicious
cheeses,” Amrein-Boyes says. “Natu-
rally, the conditions and raw ingredi-
ents are not exactly the same in North
America as in Europe, but this is a
traditional cheese with a basic recipe
that adapts well, creating cheeses with
similar attributes and flavor.”
She adds the best results in making
Gruyere come from using traditional
practices, such as milk from grazing
cows and aging with a natural rind.
GRUYERE
Continued from page 1
Turn to FLAVOR, page 15 a
Dairy UK publishes
new export strategy
LONDON — Dairy UK, the trade as-
sociation for the British dairy supply
chain, recently published a new export
strategy that identifies a number of ac-
tionsandrecommendationstoenhance
the region’s export performance.
“We have an outstanding British
industry producing world-class prod-
ucts, and people in our industry have
the ambition and the determination to
succeed,”saysDavidDobbin,chairman,
DairyUK.“Toachieveenduringsuccess,
wemustseizealltheopportunitiesthat
lie ahead.”
Among the export strategy’s 17 ac-
tions and recommendations are:
• Ensuring a skilled workforce is
equipped for the future;
•Improvingtheexportcertification
regime;
• Creating a one-stop shop for dairy
exporters;
• Establishing world-class inspec-
tion and audit practices;
• Identifying market priorities; and
• Removing barriers to dairy trade.
“This new strategy identifies a
comprehensive list of steps that can be
takentoeffectrealchangeingrowthand
competitiveness in the international
marketplace,” Dobbin says. “Among
thekeymeasuresistheneedfortheUK
dairy industry to have effective and fit-
for-purpose certification and approval
mechanisms in place.”
The full report is available at http://
www.dairyuk.org/images/201602_
United_Kingdom_Exporting_Dairy_
to_the_World.pdf. CMN

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April 8, 2016 — CHEESE MARKET NEWS®
15
FLAVOR
Continued from page 14
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CHEESE OF THE MONTH: G r u y è r e
Farm House’s Heidi cheese is a
seasonal(MaythroughOctober)whole
milk cheese with a deep gold paste.
Amrein-Boyes says it is similar to a
Gruyere and is rich with the flavor of
summer grasses.
Lisa Hall, business manager, Saxon
Creamery, Cleveland, Wisconsin, iden-
tifies a difference between U.S. and
European Gruyeres in the treatment of
the milk. In the Alps, she says, cheese-
makers often don’t have pasteurizers.
“Weheattreatourmilkorpasteurize
it,”Hallsays.“Americancheesemakers
attempttore-createEuropeancheeses
in the Alpine region that are in high
mountains with lush grasses. We have
36grassesandlegumesinourpastures.
We have adapted some of the same
characteristics with legumes, we just
don’t have those beautiful mountains.”
Uplands Cheese Co., Dodgeville,
Wisconsin, makes 100,000 pounds of
its Pleasant Ridge Reserve annually,
which is made in the tradition of a
Gruyere. Andy Hatch, owner and head
cheesemaker, says there is a challenge
when marketing a cheese that doesn’t
have a recognizable descriptor on its
label,especiallyinretailenvironments
where there isn’t a cheesemonger to
talk to customers.
“It’shardtoexpectconsumerstopay
a high price for a cheese that they’ve
nevertastedandaboutwhichtheyknow
nothing,”hesays.“Whenthinkingabout
avoiding the use of Gruyere, it’s tempt-
ingtoinsteaduseAlpine-style,butthat
isn’tacommonreferencepointformost
American consumers.”
Hall finds it’s not a detriment not
havingGruyereonthelabelofitsSaxony,
an Alpine-style cheese that contains
similar flavors of a Gruyere.
“Wehaveenoughindividualcharac-
teristics of the cheese that it doesn’t
hindersales,”shesays.“Itcomesdown
to educating the public of what they
are looking for in a cheese. The more
people travel or are educated, they
won’t mind the cheese doesn’t say
Gruyere on it.”
Hatch says he uses Gruyere as a
blanket term that encompasses more
specificexamplesofAlpine-styles,such
as Beaufort or Gruyere d’Alpage.
“Most of us making this style of
cooked, pressed cheese simply use
Gruyereasadescriptivereferencepoint
to help consumers understand how to
categorize our cheeses,” he says. “It’s
not important to me how closely my
cheesesresembleanauthenticGruyere,
butitseemsimportantformostconsum-
ers to have a sense of what it is they’re
eating,inrelationtowhatthey’veeaten
before.”
Some of the qualities Hall says con-
sumers look for in a Gruyere include:
smooth, creamy, meltable, nutty with
toasted, caramelized, buttery, floral or
grassy notes and a sticky rind.
“This cheese is gaining popularity
withourrestaurantcustomersbecause
it has such unique flavors,” she says.
“The fact that it can be incorporated
into recipes drives interest.”
Hallsays SaxonCreamery’s12-pound
wheel format is a common difference
between U.S. and European Gruyeres.
“AttheWorldChampionshipCheese
Contest, the Alpine-style cheeses that
came in were commonly 20-30 pounds
in a very large wheel,” she says. “It
makes it cumbersome to handle or flip.
In the United States, you see smaller
wheelsrangingfrom8-12pounds.”CMN
Study shows top
trends in dairy
center around high
protein content
LONDON—CanadeanLtd.,aresearch
specialist group, has released “Top
Trends in Dairy,” which explores key
trends and future opportunities that
arebeingshapedbychangingconsumer
behaviorsandneedsinthedairyspace.
“Spanning milk, yogurt and cheese,
thedairymarketisdiverseandappeals
to many consumer niches,” the study
says. “Current, and promising, market
trends center around reaching new
consumption occasions, capitalizing
on dairy’s inherently high protein
content and the threat of dairy-free
alternatives.”
Thestudyfinds15percentofAmeri-
can consumers snack on yogurt after
dinner, opening up opportunities to
target the post-dinner day with indul-
gentdessert-inspiredflavorstobroaden
yogurt consumption occasions in the
United States.
Yogurt was the top category for
food and drink product launches mak-
ing “high protein” claims in 2015, and
opportunities continue to exist for all
dairycategoriestofurthercapitalizeon
the protein trend thanks to the food’s
naturally high protein content.
The study also found the dairy-free
trendcontinuestothreatentraditional
dairy consumption as consumers avoid
dairy products perceived for allergy
reasons, as a healthy lifestyle choice
or to facilitate weight loss. CMN