One vegan cheese has caused a big stink in the dairy industry.
The Climax Blue by Climax Foods was reportedly set to win a Good Food Award on Monday, beating out more traditional wedges to win the cheese category. But before the awards could be announced, the plant-based blue cheese was removed from the list of finalists, The Washington Post reported over the weekend.
The Good Food Awards aren’t a household name among everyday shoppers and diners, but they help identify quality products made by companies that care about environmental and social issues, according to the Post. They also have sway regarding which products stores and grocers decide to stock, so winning one of the awards is an honor that can affect a business’s bottom line.
The Good Food Awards announced its initial set of finalists in January, with Climax Foods earning a spot on the list for its signature vegan blue cheese. Made from ingredients like pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and cocoa butter, Climax Blue is becoming a favorite among Michelin-starred chefs like Dominique Crenn and restaurants like Eleven Madison Park. Traditional cheesemakers were peeved Climax Blue was named a finalist, and Good Food said that if the vegan cheese won, a co-winner would also be announced. However, the foundation silently removed Climax Blue from the list of finalists last week, even though Climax Foods had already been told that it was set to win the award, the Post said.
Sarah Weiner, the executive director of the Good Food Foundation, initially declined to tell the newspaper why Climax Blue had been disqualified but noted that people can let the organization know that an entrant doesn’t meet the requirements for the award.
“I think there were a lot more eyes on this particular entrant than there would be on one of the hundreds of other finalists,” Weiner said. “Which made it more likely that someone with expertise would reach out.” (She declined to tell the Post who had gotten in touch about Climax Foods.)
Meanwhile, Climax Foods CEO Oliver Zahn told the outlet that he didn’t know the cheese had been disqualified until the Washington Post reporter contacted him. He thinks Good Food is simply giving in to the outcry among other cheesemakers. He told the newspaper that no one from the organization had reached out and that Climax Blue does in fact meet all the requirements for the award.
Weiner said that Good Food did try to contact Climax and that the company didn’t respond in time. She added that, among other requirements, the cheese didn’t meet the one that asked for products to be ready for retail sales. (Zahn has refuted that claim.) “Information came to light about their product and its availability,” Weiner said in an email to Robb Report. “Ultimately, they did not meet all the criteria as a finalist and were disqualified.” (Robb Report has also reached out to Climax Foods but has yet to hear back.)
“Maybe there is a fear about us infringing or replacing traditional cheesemakers,” Zahn told the Post. “But I don’t see it that way—I just want us all to work together towards the better.”
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