Swiss Cheese Union Swiss Cheese Union The Swiss Cheese Union (, ) was a marketing and trading organization in Switzerland, which from 1914 to 1999 served as a cartel to control cheese production. To this end, the Swiss Cheese Union mandated production be limited to only 3 varieties: Gruyere, Emmental, and Sbrinz, and bought the entire production and distribution of cheese at prices set by the Swiss Federal Council. It also coordinated the national and international marketing for these three varieties of cheese. The Swiss Cheese Union was successful in campaigning for cheese fondue and raclette becoming national dishes in Switzerland. Before that,
Cheddar cheese not protected by the European Union, though the name "West Country Farmhouse Cheddar" has an EU protected designation of origin, and may only be produced in Somerset, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall, using milk sourced from those counties. Cheddar is usually sold as mild, medium, mature, extra mature or vintage. Mature cheddar is the best-selling variety in the UK. Cheddar produced in Orkney is registered as an EU protected geographical indication under the name "Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar". The state of Wisconsin produces the most cheddar cheese in the United States; other centres of production include: California, Idaho, Upstate New York,