FAQ

The following products are certified as kosher by the KOF-K Kosher Supervision:

Vermont Creamery Crème Fraîche

Vermont Creamery Crème Fraîche with Madagascar Vanilla  

Vermont Creamery Mascarpone

ALL Cultured Butters

The kosher symbol, “K Dairy” on these Vermont Creamery products, is found on the tub, carton, packet or foil to the left of the nutritional panel

Vermont Creamery does not produce organic butter or cheese products. 

Thanks for asking about the presence of allergens in our products. In accordance with FDA requirements, Vermont Creamery identifies “the big nine” (peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, wheat, soy, fish, shell fish, sesame) allergenic ingredients and ingredient constituents on the labels of our packages. Always check our product labels for the most up-to-date information. All Vermont Creamery retail products are Certified Gluten Free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization. And, should an allergen might be present, be assured that our plants use good manufacturing practices to segregate ingredients and avoid cross-contamination with allergens.

All Vermont Creamery retail products are Certified Gluten Free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization.  This certification organization has done extensive evaluation of ingredients and manufacturing processes to ensure compliance with the FDA threshold of < 20 ppm of gluten.

All milk products contain a small amount of naturally occurring trans fatty acids, most times less than 0.5g per serving which per FDA regulations, rounds to 0g on the label.

Yes, all the milk we use to make Vermont Creamery products is pasteurized.

Our cheeses packaged in a cup (spreadable goat cheese, crème fraîche, Quark, Mascarpone, Fromage Blanc) should be served cold, straight from the refrigerator. For our fresh and aged goat cheeses, we recommend leaving them at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

We only purchase cows' milk and cream that is rBST-free. Supplying farms provide us with an affidavit stating that they do not use growth hormones to boost milk production in their cows. There is no rBST equivalent for goats.

Yes. Cheese is made from milk with an added bacterial culture. This culture will consume almost all of the lactose in the milk producing a distinct flavor. When cheese is produced the culture converts the lactose, or milk sugar, into lactic acid. This is the fermentation process that makes cheese. This is why cheese may be a good source of dairy for people who have difficulty digesting lactose, but recommend discussing this with your health professional.

Yes. The FDA requires that all milk be tested for antibiotics prior to receiving it at the creamery. Any milk that shows traces of antibiotics is rejected. 

We do not add vitamin D to our products.

Cultures are an integral part of creating the delicious dairy products we make. We use carefully selected strains of lactic cultures that aid in the development of the flavor of the cheese. 

We purchase the cows’ milk and cream from the Dairy Farmers of America, a national cooperative. The milk used to make our products comes from members who are independent owners and operators of dairy farms throughout the state of Vermont. The cows eat varied diets including grass, grains and hay, depending on the season and location.

The farms that we buy milk from feed their goats a diet consisting mostly of dry hay, grain and pasture, depending on the season and location.

We use Microbial (vegetarian) rennet.

We purchase our cows' milk and cream from Dairy Farmers of America, a national milk cooperative. Our fresh goats' milk comes from a network of farms in Vermont and Canada. For our fresh goat cheese logs, we supplement our North American supply of goats' milk with imported curd. In this way, we can meet our customers demand for our high-quality goat cheese.

We  recommend that our fresh goat and cows’ milk products be consumed within seven days of opening. Depending on handling, mold on cheese may appear approximately seven days after the package is opened. The date on the package is valid only if the package remains sealed so that air does not come in contact with the cheese.

If you do not eat all the cheese at one time, wrap it in plastic wrap to and store it in the refrigerator. Be sure to use it within 5-7 days of opening.

Not necessarily. Goat cheese can run the flavor gamut between delightfully milk to adventurously complex. Flavor really begins at the farm; goats are unique to cows in that they absorb their environment and that environment is oftentimes reflected in the flavor of the milk. 

Yes. In the U.S., by law, all fresh cheeses aged less than 60 days require pasteurized milk. All the milk we use to make Vermont Creamery products is pasteurized. 

No, while it may look a bit blue, Bonne Bouche is a geotrichum rinded cheese. Its color is a result of the poplar ash we sprinkle on it before it ages. 

Vermont Creamery’s aged cheeses are soft mold-ripened and have a geotrichum rind. Geotrichum Candidum is the strain of culture we use in our cheesemaking process that allows the growth of the distinctive "brain-like" wrinkles. 

Great question! Vermont Creamery’s aged cheeses are soft mold-ripened. Each cheese is packaged in its own “Micro-Cave,” a ventilated plastic “clamshell” container that purposely allows the cheese to breathe and continue to ripen as the products move through the marketplace.

Washed rind cheeses are a type of cheese that has its rind periodically washed with a solution, often brine, beer, wine, or other liquids. Hooper is washed with a French sel gris brine. Sel gris is a type of sea salt known for its mineral-rich content and moist texture. This process encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria and molds, giving the cheese its distinctive aroma, flavor and orange-hued rind.

Hooper is alive, crafted with care, and crafted to evolve. It is made with B. linens bacteria, which is used in cheese making to give cheeses that “funky” smell and flavor and naturally creates a yellow-orange rind. As a result, as this washed rind cheese ripens uniquely, with each piece telling its own story. From soft cream to vibrant orange, the color you see is part of Hooper’s natural aging process. Some will deepen in hue; others may stay subtle. It’s all part of the journey. No two pieces are the same—a true expression of the science and art of cheesemaking.