L'Île-aux-Grues Cheddar: A choice cheddar made with 100% Canadian milk

Think your cheddar is made of 100 per cent Canadian milk? Check the ingredient list.

It's possible you've been melting modified milk ingredients or milk protein concentrates in your grilled cheese. For some large producers, these components - often imported from other countries - are a cheap alternative.

But there is hope for cheese lovers.

Changes to the Food and Drugs Act that went into effect last month set new minimums for milk content in Canadian cheese. Traditional aged cheddar, for example, would have to be 100 per cent milk.

The amendments are meant to clarify an ambiguity between the Food and Drugs Act and the Canada Agricultural Products Act regarding how much domestic milk goes into a cheese. The existing wording leaves room for interpretation, allowing producers to use a variety of ingredients.

The new regulations guarantee value for the consumer by setting a common standard across the country, says Thérèse Beaulieu of the Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

They will also help protect the reputation of Canadian cheese on an international level.

"The texture of aged cheddar is unique," Ms. Beaulieu says. "If you use other ingredients it would not be cheddar."

The changes are not a done deal, however. Canada's cheese giants - Saputo, Parmalat and Kraft - are challenging the regulations, saying they unfairly benefit the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

Hearings before the Supreme Court are scheduled for March 30 and 31.

While we wait out the ruling, we can support Canadian farmers by eating the real thing.

L'Île-aux-Grues Cheddar from Fromagerie de L'Île-aux-Grues in Quebec (the makers of Riopelle), started as a small co-operative in 1976 using milk only from the island's own dairy producers. Cheddar making became a way to use excess milk in winter and avoid the risky task of transporting it across the St. Lawrence by ice canoe.

This cheddar's milky, tangy aroma and rich texture come from a recipe developed by the first cheese makers on the island in the 1900s.

Ranging in age from six months to two years, the younger product is soft and mild.

By two years it displays a sharper, lingering finish and has a distinctive crumble when broken. You may even taste a bit of smokiness.

At any age, it makes a tasty meal on some fresh bread with a thin spread of creamy butter.

Pour yourself a pint of ale to perfect the combo.

So make an easy New Year's resolution. Say cheese - made with milk - please!

Sue Riedl studied at the Cordon Bleu in London.

*****

On the block

Cheese L'Île-aux-Grues Cheddar

Origin Chaudière-Appalaches Region, Que.

Producer Fromagerie de l'Île-aux-Grues