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The Cheese Guide 9 BY LORRIE BAUMANN Quite apart from the possibility that cheese has actual addictive qualities, the creativity and drive of specialty cheesemakers are bringing American consumers back to the cheese counters and cases for more. Encouraged by artisanal cheesemakers and specialty retailers, consumers have evolved how they're thinking about cheese, and it's gone from being an ingredient to a stand- alone snack or meal component to becoming the star of the cheese plate and now to pairing with both sweet and savory items, according to Nora Weiser, Executive Director of the American Cheese Society. They show no sign that they're getting a little bored with cheese, she said. "We look a lot philosophically at the trajectory of the craft beer industry," she said. "People don't tire of it. What they really like is the ability to have variety and try new styles and enjoy the seasonality of it. Cheese is on a very similar trajectory." According to the American Cheese Society's "2018 State of the U.S. Artisan/Specialty Cheese Industry" report, issued just recently, three-quarters of the cheesemakers who responded to the survey conducted by the University of Missouri reported that growing consumer interest in U.S.-produced artisanal, farmstead and specialty cheese is important to their businesses. Almost 80 percent of them agreed that there's still room in the market for all U.S. artisanal, farmstead and specialty cheesemakers to increase their sales. And just as beer has addictive qualities, cheese might also. Scientists have identified that casein, the milk protein in cheese, releases casomorphins as it's metabolized by the body. Those casomorphins are opiates that attach to receptors in the brain and may cause a calming effect that could help explain why macaroni and cheese is so often identified as a comfort food. But the attraction of cheese for consumers isn't limited to the comforting and familiar macaroni and cheese, and today's consumers are also interested in variety and uniqueness, and cheese fits nicely into that dynamic as well, Weiser said. "Cheese Consumer Interest in Natural, Local Products Drives Cheese Sales fits into many different meals and different styles of cooking," she said. "Just about every country has some way of using cheese or cultured dairy products in foods." "What we're seeing is a shift from commodity cheeses and processed products to a more natural product – particularly for Millennials, and that is going to be a huge driver," she added. Millennials, in particular, are looking for those more natural products, not just in cheese as a stand-alone item but also in foods that incorporate cheese, such as pizza, she added, "whether that's at a grocer where they're looking for something that's ready to eat or they're going to a restaurant." According to the state of the industry report, in 2017, 19 percent of the cheesemakers who responded to the 2018 survey were making solely artisan cheese, which is defined by the ACS as cheese produced primarily by hand in small batches with particular attention paid to the tradition of the cheesemaker's art, while 16 percent were making solely farmstead cheeses, which are made only from milk produced by the cheesemaker's own herd or flock and on the farm where the animals are raised. Another 5 percent of the respondents identified their cheese solely as specialty cheese, which is cheese made in limited quantities with particular attention paid to natural flavor and texture profiles. All of those are distinguished from what's referred to in the industry as commodity cheeses, which means cheeses that are produced in large volume using industrial manufacturing processes. For the cheesemakers who responded to the survey, the average artisan-only cheesemaker made 26,820 pounds of cheese in 2017, while the average farmstead-only cheesemaker made 46,581 pounds and the average specialty-only cheesemaker made 31,525 pounds. "Millennials are looking for more natural and wholesome products, stepping away from processed cheeses," Weiser continued. "They're interested in local products and in pairing local cheeses with other local products such as charcuterie, beer, wine and cider." Forever Cheese, importer of artisan cheese and accompaniments from Italy, Spain, Portugal and Croatia, has launched a rebranding campaign in honor of its 20th anniversary. The rebrand includes a new logo and brand identity for its main brand, Mitica®, as well as a new tagline, "A Passion for Great Taste," emphasizing the importer's dedication to finding exceptional foods from the Mediterranean. Updated packaging with the new branding will start to roll out in early 2019. Mitica, the brand that represents Forever Cheese in the marketplace, is a Latin word meaning "mythic" that is also used in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. As a part of the rebranding, Forever Cheese has simplified the Mitica logo and added an Forever Cheese Updates its Branding element of exuberance and polish, while still evoking a Mediterranean feel. The new look supports Forever Cheese's commitment to high standards, authenticity, and creativity. "We are very excited to move our company forward with updated branding in honor of this milestone," explains co- Owner Michele Buster. "Our new logo brings us into the future with a fun, modern aesthetic that's sophisticated yet unconventional – just like us. Though our look is different, our products remain the same: unique, enthralling, and expertly curated." Look for Mitica products at specialty food stores and cheese shops throughout the U.S. and learn more at forevercheese.com.