Arthur Schuman Inc. Unveils True Cheese™, the Industry’s First Trust Mark for Quality Assurance

In an effort to combat adulterated or fraudulent cheese, Arthur Schuman Inc. (ASI) is launching the industry’s first trust mark to assuage consumers and wholesale buyers’ fears that the cheese they may be purchasing isn’t the real deal.

The True Cheese™ seal was developed to verify the integrity and quality of cheeses ASI makes or sells, the company announced on Thursday. Every cheese that carries this seal will have a guarantee that it was made according to best industry practices for manufacturing and labeling.

Neal Schuman, company CEO, said that it’s more important than ever that consumers know that the cheese they’re buying is real, true, and made with integrity.

“Consumers and restaurant patrons deserve the real thing – not cheeses made with unwanted and excessive fillers,” he said. “The public has a right to know the cheese they’re buying or eating is indeed what it is represented to be.”

According to a press release from ASI, more than 20 percent of grated and shredded cheeses claiming to be Parmesan or Romano are actually adulterated versions of the real thing. In addition, more than a quarter of the 463 million pounds of Italian hard cheeses sold in the U.S. each year are actually made with excessive levels of starches, fillers, and vegetable oil based imitation cheese, the company said.

ASI conducted a national survey in June 2014 that asked consumers about their concerns with adulterated cheese. The results are as follows:

• 95 percent of consumers indicated they would be concerned if adulterated cheese is being passed off as real in the marketplace
• 78 percent said companies making adulterated cheeses should not be allowed to label them as Parmesan or Romano
• 75 percent said they would be willing to pay anywhere from 10 to 25 percent more when assured it is real cheese

To further educate consumers, ASI has created TrueCheese.com, a website that is designed to share important facts about adulteration and information about how it has plagued the food industry for years.

The True Cheese mark will appear on ASI products in supermarkets under the Cello® and Cello® Riserva cheese brands and new Cello® Whisps parmesan crisps, as well as cheeses sold to restaurants, other packaged food manufacturers, and to supermarkets for their private label products.

The new mark will begin rolling out in shippers and on packaging later this year as new customer orders are filled.