Formerly Beloved Cheese Brand Faces Big Boycott Threats from Conservatives after Halal Labeling Discovered on Some of Its Packaging

A halal certification symbol on Tillamook cheese has set off boycott calls from some conservative shoppers. Videos and images showing the label on cheese packaging spread online this week, with critics accusing the Oregon dairy brand of changing a familiar American product to meet Islamic dietary rules. The certification is genuine: Tillamook says most of its cheeses carry it. The company’s explanation, however, dates a key ingredient change to 2016.

One video shows the back of a cheese block bearing the “certified halal” marking. “One of America’s top-selling cheese brands just went Islamic,” a man says in the clip. The video helped turn a small symbol on the packaging into the center of an online controversy about Tillamook’s products. Some conservative commentators called for a boycott and questioned why the company was producing cheese that meets Islamic dietary requirements.

Halal means permissible under Islamic dietary rules. For cheese, the source of rennet matters because the enzyme used to form curds can come from animals. Tillamook uses a fermentation-produced rennet in its cheesemaking, an ingredient the company says is vegetarian and has both halal and kosher certification. Its choice of rennet is central to understanding the label now drawing attention.

As Crosswalk reported, Tillamook began using that rennet in 2016. The outlet described a 2022 customer exchange in which the company acknowledged halal labeling, but the date when the symbol first appeared on packages remains unclear. Snopes also confirmed that some Tillamook cheeses display a halal certification label. The renewed attention followed the circulation of images and videos of the packaging.

In its explanation of its rennet, Tillamook says the fermentation-produced version closely resembles the flavor and quality of traditional bovine rennet. It says cheesemakers commonly use the ingredient because it reduces the risk of a bitter flavor. The company has used the ingredient since 2016, and its dietary certifications allow it to meet more than one set of food requirements. Tillamook recommends its Maker’s Reserve 10-Year Extra Sharp Cheddar to customers seeking cheese made with animal rennet.

Tillamook spells out the scope of its halal certification in a separate customer FAQ. The majority of its cheeses are certified, and the company tells shoppers to check individual packages for the symbol. Its ice cream is not halal certified. Neither are its yogurt, sour cream, butter, cream cheese spreads or frozen meals, according to the same FAQ.

Watch the clip showing the Tillamook package here:

The company also produces a kosher Medium Cheddar, which it says has the same ingredients as its traditional Medium Cheddar. The kosher version is produced and packaged under rabbinical guidance, Tillamook says in its kosher cheese FAQ. Both versions use the fermentation-produced rennet with kosher and halal certification. That ingredient allows Tillamook to serve customers with different dietary requirements through the same basic cheese recipe.

Conservative radio host Dana Loesch pushed back on the boycott calls and said she would continue buying Tillamook. “This has been on there for years,” she said, and reported that her family has long enjoyed the company’s products. She also rejected the suggestion that a special Muslim ceremony was involved in producing the cheese. Loesch described the 2016 rennet change as one that “serves multiple dietary markets.”