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Lactalis Canada Takes Top Honours at the 2022 American Cheese Society Judging & Competition

August 4, 2022

August 4, 2022 – Toronto, ON – Lactalis Canada, the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands like Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro and Lactantia and a subsidiary of France-based Lactalis Group, received top spots at the 2022 American Cheese Society (ACS) Judging & Competition on July 21, 2022 in Portland, Oregon.

Recognizing excellence in farmstead, artisan and specialty cheeses produced in North America, Lactalis Canada’s Balderson cheese and Lactantia butter received five medals including Balderson 5-Year-Old Cheddar winning 1st and 3rd place in two categories, while Balderson Spreadable, Lactantia Salted Butter and Lactantia Unsalted Butter took 1st place in their respective categories from 1,387 products and 196 entering companies.

The awards include:

  • Butter with or without cultures – made from cow’s milk
    • 1st Place: Lactantia Salted Butter, Lactalis Canada, Winchester, ON
  • Unsalted Butter with or without cultures – made from cow’s milk
    • 2nd Place: Lactantia UnSalted Butter, Lactalis Canada, Winchester, ON
  • Mature Cheddar – aged 48 or more months – all milks
    • 1st Place: Balderson 5 year Old Cheddar, Lactalis Canada, Winchester, ON
    • 3rd Place: Balderson 5 year Old Cheddar, Lactalis Canada, Winchester, ON
  • Open Category – Cold-Pack and Club Cheeses – all milks
    • 1st Place: Balderson Spread, Lactalis Canada, Winchester, ON

Lactalis Canada is proud to share this prestigious recognition with Lactalis USA who received 10 medals for their Galbani®, Président® and Bella Gento products, demonstrating Lactalis Group’s global commitment to delighting customers and consumers with high-quality, delicious dairy products.

About Lactalis Canada Inc.

With 140 years of brand heritage, Lactalis Canada (formerly Parmalat Canada) is committed to enriching and nurturing the lives of Canadians by producing nutritious and great tasting dairy products. Named on Forbes 2022 list of Canada’s Best Employers, Lactalis Canada directly employs 4,000 Canadians, supports hundreds of farming families and contributes to the livelihoods of thousands of Canadians who provide essential services to Lactalis Canada’s more than 30 operating sites including 19 manufacturing facilities. The company’s iconic brands include Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, P’tit Québec, Balderson, Cheestrings Ficello, aMOOza!, Astro, siggi’s, Stonyfield, IÖGO, IÖGO nanö, Olympic, Lactantia, Beatrice, Galbani, and Président. Lactalis Canada’s commitment to responsible and sustainable growth has been recognized with the 2021 Canadian Grocer Impact Award for Sustainability and its CDN $2.9 million investment to the communities in which it operates. Lactalis Canada is a subsidiary of Lactalis Group, the world’s leading dairy group, headquartered in Laval, France. For more information, visit www.lactalis.ca.

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Media Contact:

Sarah Sutton

Manager, Corporate Communications, Lactalis Canada

sarah.sutton@ca.lactalis.com

c: (437) 249-2730