Familiar Formula from Switzerland Named World’s Best Cheese

In this photo provided by the World Championship Cheese Contest, Roland Sahli, left, CEO of Gourmand AG, holds Gourmino Le Gruyere AOP, which was declared the 2022 World Champion Cheese at the World Championship Cheese Contest on March, 3, 2022 in Madison, Wis. (World Championship Cheese Contest via AP)
In this photo provided by the World Championship Cheese Contest, Roland Sahli, left, CEO of Gourmand AG, holds Gourmino Le Gruyere AOP, which was declared the 2022 World Champion Cheese at the World Championship Cheese Contest on March, 3, 2022 in Madison, Wis. (World Championship Cheese Contest via AP)
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Familiar Formula from Switzerland Named World’s Best Cheese

In this photo provided by the World Championship Cheese Contest, Roland Sahli, left, CEO of Gourmand AG, holds Gourmino Le Gruyere AOP, which was declared the 2022 World Champion Cheese at the World Championship Cheese Contest on March, 3, 2022 in Madison, Wis. (World Championship Cheese Contest via AP)
In this photo provided by the World Championship Cheese Contest, Roland Sahli, left, CEO of Gourmand AG, holds Gourmino Le Gruyere AOP, which was declared the 2022 World Champion Cheese at the World Championship Cheese Contest on March, 3, 2022 in Madison, Wis. (World Championship Cheese Contest via AP)

A Gruyere from Switzerland was named Thursday as the top cheese for the second consecutive time in the World Championship Cheese Contest in Wisconsin.

The cheese from Bern, Switzerland, made its maker, Michael Spycher of Mountain Dairy Fritzenhaus, a three-time winner. Spycher also won in 2020 and 2008. The cheese, called Gourmino Le Gruyère AOP, earned a score of 98.423 out of 100.

The award-winning product comes from a small dairy working with 12 farmers within a 3 mile (5 kilometers) radius, a Gourmino AG spokesman said. Mountain Dairy Fritzenhaus produces about 85 tons (77 metric tons) of the Gruyere each year out of a total 32000 tons (29,000 metric tons) of the cheese produced annually in Switzerland.

Wisconsin cheesemakers fared well with seven of the 20 finalists and winning 45 best-of-class categories. In addition, cheese curds debuted in this year’s contest and the state swept both the regular and flavored categories.

The largest technical cheese, butter and yogurt competition in the world started Tuesday with 2,978 entries from 29 countries and 33 states. Wisconsin cheesemakers submitted 932 entries.

“Cheesemakers worldwide have always been deeply committed to excellence in their craft,” said John Umhoefer, executive director for the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, which hosts the competition. “That commitment is abundantly clear in the work of this year’s winners."



Many US Ice Cream Producers to Phase Out Artificial Food Dyes by 2028

Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Many US Ice Cream Producers to Phase Out Artificial Food Dyes by 2028

Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)

Dozens of US ice cream producers are planning to remove artificial colors from their products by 2028, a dairy industry group and government officials said on Monday.

The producers, which together represent more than 90% of ice cream sold in the US, are the latest food companies to take voluntary steps to remove dyes since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in April said the US aimed to phase out many synthetic dyes from the country's food supply.

Several major food manufacturers, including General Mills, Kraft Heinz, J.M. Smucker, Hershey and Nestle USA, have previously announced their plans to phase out synthetic food coloring.

The 40 ice cream companies will remove Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 from their retail products, excluding non-dairy products, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.

The IDFA announced the plan at an event at the US Department of Agriculture headquarters on Monday with Kennedy, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

"We know that our current health outcomes, especially for our children, are unsustainable and that American agriculture is at the heart of the solution to make America healthy again," Rollins said at the event, referencing a slogan aligned with Kennedy.

Rollins and Kennedy have worked closely together on food sector efforts like encouraging states to ban soda from the nation's largest food aid program.

Kennedy has blamed food dyes for rising rates of ADHD and cancer, an area many scientists say requires more research.

The IDFA said artificial dyes are safe, but that ice cream makers are taking the step in part to avoid disruption to sales from state efforts to phase out dyes from school foods and West Virginia's recent food dye ban.