Until recently, locally made cottage cheese from Traders Point Creamery, Zionsville, Ind., was only sold through the company store and nearby retailers. It is now available through select Midwest-area Whole Foods Markets thanks to an extended shelf life that the company has been able to achieve after converting from plastic to glass packaging. The company was awarded a 2011 Clear Choice Award from the Glass Packaging Institute, Alexandria, Va., for this packaging conversion.

Made with organic milk from strictly grass-fed cows, the process is a slow and vigilant one, which produces delicate cheese curds with a light tartness nestled in the natural creaminess of carefully handled milk. The glass jars maintain the cottage cheese’s integrity, meaning none of the leaching that occurs with plastic containers happens in the new glass jar and the shelf life of the cheese is extended, especially compared to plastic packaging, according to the company. The transparent glass container, along with eye-catching graphics and the Traders Point Creamery signature cow adorning the lid help the product sell itself.