The American palate for cheese is changing. Consumers are leaving the sanctuary of traditional cheese varieties, such as mild Cheddar and Swiss, to indulge in more artisan, farmstead, ethnic and organic type cheeses.
Mateo Kehler and Jed Davis inhabit different planets in the cheese galaxy.
Kehler is a co-founder of Jasper Hill Farm, where cheese is made by hand from the milk of 35 Ayrshire cows. Davis works for Cabot/McCadam, the processing subsidiary of Agri-Mark Inc., cooperative. That operation sold $760 million worth of cheese and other dairy products in 2004. Nonetheless, 38-lb Cheddar wheels from Cabot's Montpelier, Vt. plant are traveling a couple counties over to Jasper Hill in Greensboro, where Kehler wraps them in cloth and places them on wooden shelves in an underground cheese cave. There they will age anywhere from 10 to 18 months to develop rich, complex flavors and textures.
When consumers look to satisfy their cravings for ice cream this year they will find more great-tasting light and better-for-you choices than ever. They will also find convenience, with bite-sized frozen dessert forms that allow real on-the-go enjoyment.
Moms want "nutritious" and kids want "fun." And cheese is the answer on both scores. Innovative food companies are stretching the limits to produce cheese in new shapes, colors and flavors that appeal to children. At the same time, a new federal regulation has expanded the options for fortifying cheese with added vitamin D, while new technologies improve the efficiency of vitamin incorporation.
Over the past 20 years, nutrition research has greatly expanded our understanding of the role that nutrients, foods, and ingredients play in health and disease. This has led to an increasing trend of health-related claims on food labels as a marketing tool to communicate diet and health information to consumers.
Retailers are actively promoting cheese throughout their stores thanks to innovations by today's leading cheese marketers. For example, Vermont's Cabot Creamery, widely known and venerated for generations for its extra sharp Cheddar, has taken its award-winning expertise to the mild segment with the introduction of new Cabot Mild Reserve Cheddar. This gives retailers another consumer to target.
The dairy industry loses millions of dollars every year from product deterioration caused by spoilage bacteria. Spoilage bacteria result in shorter shelf life and decreased quality for milk products. By identifying the specific types and numbers of microbes involved, we can improve shelf life and quality by reducing bacterial contamination.
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