Cheddar Cheese

Why do you love OV Cheddar Cheese?

Click on the buttons below to cast your vote.

Comments

craig from florida on February 6th, 2012

OV Organic Raw Mild Cheddar Cheese in my hand as I write this. Is there somewhere on the label- stating Heated to sub-par pastuerization temperatures? The answer is NO > Is this the way OV intends on earning customer loyalty- How about Truth in Advertising not deception.
How sameful that companies like OV cannot produce truly RAW Cheese ond other RAW dairy products and sell these products as For human Consumption . So much for Dietary freedom in the good ole USA!!! Be Honest OV

Report this comment

Tracy at Organic Valley

Hi Craig,

Please know we are not trying to deceive you and are sorry for any confusion. Our raw milk cheeses are legally considered "raw" and must be labeled as such because they are not pasteurized. Legally, any milk that is not pasteurized (defined as minimum of 161°F for 15 seconds or more) is considered raw milk and must be labeled as such on products sold for consumption in the United States. We do not make any health claims regarding these cheeses and their raw status.

Keeping the milk below the pasteurization threshold as we do preserves certain microorganisms that give our raw cheeses a desirable flavor profile, which is why we offer the raw sharp as well as our pasteurized sharp cheddar. Both our "raw" and our "pasteurized" sharp cheddars are well-loved and have won numerous awards over the years we have offered them.

Ben from davie fl on January 25th, 2012

I must say it is disappointing to hear this cheese is not truly RAW. but come on people, everyone of you on a raw diet know that its illegal to sell truly raw milk products in most states. so you can't be shocked that the RAW cheese you bought for $5.00 at the grocery store is not truly RAW. I do agree it should be spelled out for everyone to truly understand what RAW means to OV. I don't feel that OV is being shady. Thanks for the great products

Report this comment

Tracy at Organic Valley

Hi Ben - Thank you for your comments.

Ema from on January 21st, 2012

Well I am on a raw diet, and silly me I actually thought that raw cheese is actually prepped according to raw food standards.

The labeling is misleading. Would it hurt to put it on the label on what temp it has been processed? I loved the taste, but won't buy it again for clearly shady marketing practices.

Report this comment

Tracy at Organic Valley

Hi Ema - Please know intent was never to mislead you. Because our raw cheeses are not pasteurized, they are legally considered "raw" and (by law) must be labeled as such. By keeping the milk below the pasteurization threshold, we are able to preserve certain microorganisms that give our cheese the unique flavor many of our consumers know and love. I've happily forwarded all of your comments along to our product team for any future considerations. Thanks for the feedback.

Matthew from Minnesota on January 15th, 2012

Just as a word of advice. I highly urge Organic Valley to change the labeling of their “Raw Cheese”. The law may require that you specify somewhere on the package that the cheese is raw because it’s not 100% pasteurized, but the law does NOT say that you are required to have “Raw” in the product name. I’m not going to go as far as to say you are doing this to mislead the consumer, which could very well be true. However, I will go as far as to say what you are doing is social irresponsible, and this is sad news coming from a company that bases everything they do on social responsibility.

Report this comment

Tracy at Organic Valley

Hi Matthew - Thank you for your feedback. I'll be sure to pass your comments along to our packaging department. Have a great day!

Maria from DC on January 9th, 2012

You have shown your true colors. My son has been throwing up since he was 3. Took me years and thousands of dollars to understand it was the way America processes its food. I have had him clean for years and trusted your product to be raw. He cannot breakdown pasteurized cheese. He has been eating your product for 4 months and TODAY I learn it is not truly raw. No explanation needed. I fully understand the way capitalism works. We own a small company, just one with integrity. I will never buy your products again.

Report this comment

Tracy at Organic Valley

Hi Maria – Please allow me to apologize for the confusion in the “heat treatment” of our raw cheeses. Legally, any milk that is not pasteurized is considered raw milk and must be labeled as such on products sold for consumption in the United States. "The parameters for pasteurization in the United States fall under The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO), a cooperative effort of industry and state regulatory agencies in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration. For white fluid milk the time-temperature relationship for HTST processed milk is a minimum of 161°F for at least 15 seconds." – Dairy Foods

The difference in our "raw milk" cheeses is in the way our pasture-raised cow's milk is processed before the cheese making even begins. Referred to as "sub-pasteurization," our organic milk is "heat treated" to the threshold of pasteurization without actually being pasteurized. The benefit of using a heat-treated, as opposed to pasteurized, milk is that some of the natural enzymes (lipase, phosphatase, etc.) will not be denatured. This helps to impart a unique flavor profile to the cheese.

Linda from on January 6th, 2012

This cheese is NOT fully pastured either!! I HATE TO BE THE BEARER OF BAD NEWS, but I have called Organic Valley in the past and spoke to 2 different sources to compare what they told me. Both explained to me that the guidelines for how often the cows are required to freely pasture is quite nebulous...because they gain their milk from numerous farms. The ONLY requirement is that the grains that are fed to the cows be organic. This is a far cry from 100% pastured cows and/or cows that ONLY eat dry grasses, hay, etc. I would ask OV to provide us with the SPECIFICS of their policies regarding pasture verses grain-feeding in DETAIL. Again, as to not confuse consumers who are under the impression that the milk used to make this cheese is from 100% grassfed cows!!

Report this comment

Tracy at Organic Valley

Hi Linda,

We make no claims to our cheese being 100% grass fed nor are they labeled as such. To clarify, our co-op requires all of its farmers to practice pasture-based production, meaning that a significant portion of our cows' diets comes from pasture. We recognize that cows are ruminant animals whose stomachs are designed to eat grass and forage plants. Since 1995 we have had a pasture policy with minimum requirements (which we fought hard to have included in the national organic standards) of 120 days of pasture each year, with grazing supplying a minimum of 30% of total diet (average dry matter intake). Many of our farmers are able to provide much more of their cow’s diet from grazing. However, very few have the conditions that allow for a 100% grass diet to fully meet the nutritional needs of their animals. So our farmers work on continuous improvement of their pastures, to constantly increase the percentage of pasture in their cows' diets, and strive for a complete and nourishing diet overall that is rounded out with dried forages, silage, and grains as appropriate and available.

The amount of time our animals spend on pasture, and how much of the diet that pasture provides, varies by time of year, weather, the feeding program of the individual farmer and the regional location of the farm. Many of our farmers are in northern areas of the country where pasture is available for approximately half the year, but some of our farmers in the West are able to graze year-round. Dry pasture forage (ie, hay) is also a dietary staple through the winter months on many farms.

I hope this helps clear up any confusion. If not, please feel free to give us another call as we’re more than happy to discuss this topic with you. Thanks for the note.

Elizabeth from southeast on January 2nd, 2012

So glad I learned early on in my new diet that Organic Valley raw cheese isn't really raw. Thanks to earlier posters I can now seek out a truly raw cheese to buy with my precious little cash.

Report this comment

ne from arizona on December 29th, 2011

this cheese isn't REALLY raw?!? so glad i have been paying over double price of regular cheese for NOTHING.

Report this comment

Cristina from United States on December 13th, 2011

I'm sure that you are aware that many, many people seek out and willingly pay a lot of money for raw cheese, not simply for it's "unique flavor profile", but for the health benefits that are lost when the milk is heated. If you must, for legal reasons, label the cheese as raw, you should also explain yourself elsewhere on the package so as not to mislead people. Anyway, I can't imagine that the flavor profile is so distinct and amazing that it would even be necessary to offer this slight variation from traditionally pasteurized cheese. Why even bother if you aren't deliberately trying to mislead people? We buy raw dairy for health reasons and I feel betrayed to learn that OV has betrayed our family in this way. I will not be buying anything from OV again.

Report this comment

Tracy at Organic Valley

Hi Cristina - Please know our intent is not to mislead you. As you stated, our raw cheeses are legally considered "raw" and (by law) must be labeled as such because they are not pasteurized. By keeping the milk below the pasteurization threshold, we're able to preserve certain microorganisms that do give our cheese the unique flavor many people love. We dont' make any health claims regarding these cheeses and their raw status. I'll happily forward your suggestion along to our product team. Thanks for the feedback.

Jill Childs from Jonesboro, GA on November 17th, 2011

I am shocked about the "raw" cheeses. I was making the financial sacrifice to purchase. Shame on you OV.

Report this comment

Angie at Organic Valley

Hi Jill,
I'm sorry for any confusion. Our raw milk cheeses are legally considered "raw" and must be labeled as such because they are not pasteurized. Legally, any milk that is not pasteurized (defined as minimum of 161°F for 15 seconds or more) is considered raw milk and must be labeled as such on products sold for consumption in the United States. We do not make any health claims regarding these cheeses and their raw status.
Keeping the milk below the pasteurization threshold as we do preserves certain microorganisms that give our raw cheeses a desirable flavor profile, which is why we offer the raw sharp as well as our pasteurized sharp cheddar. Both our "raw" and our "pasteurized" sharp cheddars are well-loved and have won numerous awards over the years we have offered them.