The holes in Emmental cheese—its most iconic feature—have become less frequent in recent years. High performance modern milking machines have reduced the number of hay particles that traditionally made their way into the milk used for making the cheese. Now, a Swiss court has allowed cheese makers to add hay particles and still comply with strict brand rules, reported RTS.
On 2 April 2025, Switzerland’s Federal Administrative Court ruled in favour of Emmentaler Switzerland, allowing the addition of hay powder in the production of Emmental AOP, the version of the cheese with protected designation of origin status. Hay particles, a traditional though now largely absent component, encourage the formation of holes during fermentation.
The ruling overturns a decision by the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG), which had rejected a request to amend the AOP specification. FOAG had worried that permitting hay powder would industrialise the cheese making process and undermine its authenticity. It had suggested that less aggressive milk filtering might solve the problem instead.
The court was not convinced. It accepted evidence from Agroscope, the federal government’s agricultural research centre, which found that hay particles were once a natural part of the cheese and that their reduction stems from stricter hygiene standards. The reintroduction of powdered hay, the court concluded, is both appropriate and necessary.
The court also cited a consumer study showing that 93% of Swiss consumers associate Emmental with its holes—a finding that probably weighed heavily in the decision. The AOP specification, after all, requires the presence of regular, round or oval holes measuring 2 to 4 centimetres in diameter – click here for full specifications. These are checked during official evaluations.
The ruling points to a broader flexibility already granted in Emmental’s production. It remains the only Swiss AOP cheese permitted to use propionic acid bacteria, in addition to the usual lactic acid bacteria, salt, and water—all in service of hole creation.
The court deemed the addition of hay powder no more radical than that. It concluded that preserving the visual and cultural identity of Emmental—complete with its celebrated apertures—justifies the modest intervention.
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