Volume 37 January 20, 2017 Number 1 Kosher cheeses growing in Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! demand as new trends emerge A By Stephanie Awe OU Kosher certifi es more producer based in Yonkers, eat in recent years — is in a than 70 percent of kosher New York, carries only kosher position to answer consumer INSIDE MADISON, Wis. — Kosher products, including items from cheeses, such as Cheddar and questions without having to cheese is one of many food Kraft, General Mills and Nestle, Gouda, most of which are OU- conduct additional investiga- ✦ Wisconsin Aging and Grading trends with potential to in- and has a presence in 80 coun- certified, says owner Brent tions, he adds. Cheese fi nds market niche crease in 2017, with about 12.35 tries and about 8,000 plants, Delman. Delman, who began of- with high-age Cheddars. million kosher consumers in according to the company. Nasonville Dairy, Marsh- fering kosher cheeses about For details, see page 7. the United States, according to Lake Country Dairy, located fi eld, Wisconsin, also offers eight years ago when starting Lubicom Marketing Consulting. in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, and kosher cheeses certifi ed by TheCheeseGuy.com, wanted to ✦ Retail WATCH Exclusive: Large, national brands are one of the cheesemaking fa- several kosher organizations, tap into the kosher niche. Kindred Creamery brand increasingly seeking kosher cilities for Schuman Cheese, including United Mehadrin “I felt like there was a lack unites animal welfare, certifi cation for their cheese Fairfi eld, New Jersey, is one Kosher, Star-K and others, says of high-end artisanal kosher artisan cheese. products, says Rabbi Avrohom company offering OU Kosher Ken Heiman, general manager cheese on the market,” he says. For details, see page 11. Gordimer, rabbinic coordinator products. at the company. Nasonville of- Delman, who started eat- at OU Kosher, New York, and “We recognized the quality fers about 20 kosher varieties, ing kosher as an adult, says it ✦ Former USDA Secretary chairman of the OU Kosher and food safety component that including Feta, Cheddar and was once he became kosher Tom Vilsack to be dairy committee. In addition, came from the kosher process Asiago. that he realized there was a president, CEO of USDEC. he notes that more artisanal and additional supervision • Kosher cheese need for high-end artisanal For details, see page 20. cheeses are becoming kosher process that it brings to our considerations kosher cheese. Prior to start- — having “skyrocketed” in facilities,” says Jesse Norton, Lake Country Dairy started ing TheCheeseGuy.com, he ✦ Conventional dairy ads fall. about the last year after slower quality assurance director, Lake offering kosher cheeses about had been in the specialty food For details, see page 23. growth in the past decade. Country Dairy. “It fi t well with 10 years ago, Norton says, noting business for about 10 years, our commitment to our custom- that, in addition to providing ko- selling non-kosher foods. ers and the consumer public to sher for the religious purposes “There was nothing that I make safe, quality foods.” of some consumers, it allowed could bring home to eat in my USDA seeks comments on Lake Country Dairy spe- the company access to larger own home or share with friends cializes mostly in hard Italian markets and provided quality and family who also are kosher,” organic checkoff proposal cheeses, although it is diversify- and food safety components. he says. ing into other specialty cheeses In producing cheeses com- While there are benefi ts, WASHINGTON — USDA this week announced it is seeking public such as Cheddar and Alpine- pliant with kosher require- producing kosher cheese is a comments on a proposal for a nationwide, industry-funded research style, Norton says. It produces ments, Lake Country Dairy “serious investment” a compa- and promotion order for organic producers. kosher products including changed sanitation procedures ny has to make, Gordimer says, The proposed Organic Research, Promotion and Information Or- Parmesan, made from both cop- and worked closely with suppli- noting that rabbinical supervi- der would cover certifi ed organic products, including dairy, meat, pro- per kettle and stainless steel ers, Norton says. As a result, the sion is required throughout the duce, grains and other agricultural commodities and prepared foods. vats, Romano, Asiago, Fontal company became more aware production process. However, It also would include non-food items. Organic imports — both those and Mascarpone. of the ingredients in the facility as more companies offer kosher certifi ed under the USDA organic regulations and those entering the TheCheeseGuy.com, an and — with consumers becom- products, others are realizing United States under organic equivalency arrangements — would be online cheese store and cheese ing more aware of the food they Turn to KOSHER, page 22 a covered as well. The Organic Trade Association (OTA) fi rst submitted the proposal to USDA in May 2015 and submitted a revised application a year later to refl ect alternatives presented from organic certifi cate holders. “We applaud USDA moving forward on this proposal that was au- Trump picks Georgia Gov. German-based thorized in the 2014 Farm Bill with strong bipartisan support,” says Hochland acquires Laura Batcha, CEO and executive director, OTA. “OTA led the drive Perdue for U.S. ag secretary Franklin Foods for this checkoff because the organic industry is at a critical point. WASHINGTON — President-elect Trump this week made his This organic checkoff will provide research and key tools to encour- long-awaited pick for U.S. Agriculture Secretary, Georgia Gov. DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — age more farmers to go organic and help all organic farmers be more Sonny Perdue. Cream cheese maker Frank- successful.” The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) says Perdue lin Foods has been acquired Like all of USDA’s research and promotion programs, the proposed is well-qualifi ed to run USDA as a result of his eight years of by Hochland SE, a privately- program would establish a framework to pool resources to develop executive experience as Georgia’s governor and his career as a held cheese company based new organic markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct re- state legislator and small businessman. in Bavaria, Germany. search and promotion activities. Perdue’s educational training as a veterinarian also gives Jon Gutknecht, partner, Under the proposed order, certifi ed producers and handlers with him unique insights into the important issues facing America’s president and CEO of Frank- gross organic sales greater than $250,000 for the prior marketing year livestock producers in the areas of animal health, food safety and lin Foods, will continue to would pay one-tenth of 1 percent of net organic sales. Importers of the environment, NMPF says. lead Franklin and maintain organic products declaring a transaction value greater than $250,000 “America’s dairy farmers are looking forward to working with an interest in the new ven- for the prior marketing year also would pay one-tenth of 1 percent of Secretary of Agriculture-designate Sonny Perdue, whose role as ture. Franklin Foods, which the declared transaction value of organic products imported into the the chief advocate for farmers and rural America is absolutely operates plants in Vermont a Turn to CHECKOFF, page 21 Turn to CABINET, page 21 a Turn to FRANKLIN, page 21 a © 2017 CHEESE MARKET NEWS® — This is Cheese Market News’ E-subscription and may not be forwarded to anyone other than the intended paid subscriber without the express permission of Cheese Market News (For more information, contact [email protected]) 2 CHEESE MARKET NEWS® — January 20, 2017 MARKET INDICATORS Chicago Mercantile Exchange CHEESE FUTURES for the week ending January 19, 2017 Cash prices for the week ended January 20, 2017 (Listings for each day by month, settling price and open interest) Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Fri., Jan. 13 Mon., Jan. 16 Tues., Jan. 17 Wed., Jan. 18 Thurs., Jan. 19 Jan. 16 Jan. 17 Jan. 18 Jan. 19 Jan. 20 JAN17 1.708 2,749 1.706 2,757 1.705 2,755 1.706 2,740 Cheese Barrels FEB17 1.727 2,613 1.718 2,597 1.705 2,566 1.709 2,562 $1.6375 $1.6100 $1.5650 $1.5350 MAR17 1.755 2,659 1.754 2,677 1.744 2,714 1.746 2,722 Price APR17 1.765 2,210 1.763 2,205 1.758 2,245 1.763 2,250 Change Markets -1/4 -2 3/4 -4 1/2 -3 MAY17 1.770 2,165 1.769 2,183 1.768 2,230 1.774 2,246 Closed JUN17 1.787 1,947 1.788 2,010 1.785 2,064 1.787 2,077 Cheese 40-lb. Blocks JUL17 1.790 1,204 Markets 1.797 1,209 1.792 1,218 1.792 1,241 Price $1.7050 $1.6925 $1.7200 $1.6975 AUG17 1.792 1,113 1.794 1,128 1.786 1,142 1.786 1,160 Closed Change -2 -1 1/4 +2 3/4 -2 1/4 SEP17 1.790 1,088 1.790 1,088 1.790 1,088 1.790 1,106 OCT17 1.780 1,004 1.780 1,004 1.780 1,004 1.780 1,022 Weekly average (Jan. 16-20): Barrels: $1.5869(-.0381); 40-lb. Blocks: $1.7038(-.0162). NOV17 1.770 1,149 1.770 1,149 1.770 1,150 1.768 1,168 DEC17 1.740 1,157 1.745 1,167 1.745 1,167 1.740 1,192 Weekly ave. one year ago (Jan. 19-22, 2016): Barrels: $1.4781; 40-lb.