In the 1980s, cottage cheese was the ultimate diet food. After decades of obscurity, it has made a remarkable comeback, driven by a TikTok-led 'protein-maxxing' trend. So strong is the revival that Canadians from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island report difficulty finding cottage cheese on store shelves.
Surge in Demand Overwhelms Suppliers
Over the past two years, cottage cheese sales in Canada have surged more than 60 percent, according to a spokesperson for Agropur, parent company of Sealtest. Agropur and other suppliers say they are 'currently in a situation where market demand exceeds supply.' Gay Lea Foods, producer of Nordica cottage cheese, notes that demand has been building for several years and recently accelerated. 'The category is now one of the fastest-growing segments in dairy, driven by strong consumer interest in high-protein, nutritious and versatile foods,' a spokesperson said.
Retailers See Increased Interest
Grocery chains Loblaw and Metro report higher demand across their stores. Loblaw attributes this to cottage cheese's 'high-protein and low-calorie nutritional profile' and is working with suppliers to meet demand. Metro acknowledges that supply constraints may occur at the supplier level.
Social Media and Affordability Fuel Trend
Suppliers credit the surge to Canadians' interest in high-protein foods and cottage cheese's popularity on social media, where creative, protein-packed recipes abound. Affordability also plays a role: as meat prices climb, cottage cheese offers a cheaper way to add protein. Agropur and Gay Lea Foods note that cottage cheese is among the most affordable protein sources.
Cottage cheese has built a reputation as a 'protein powerhouse,' with 11.5 grams of protein per half-cup serving, compared to Greek yogurt's 8.7 grams. However, the modern makeover has led to price increases. Some consumers report paying more than triple what they did five years ago. Sylvan Charlebois, visiting scholar at McGill University and senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, posted on X in March: 'Cottage cheese prices in Canada have jumped roughly 60 percent since 2020 — from about $3.20 to over $5 per tub today. Ironically, just as prices climb, TikTok has rediscovered cottage cheese, turning a once-declining product into a high-protein trend again.'
Casualties in the Dairy Aisle
The resurgence has not been without casualties. In September 2025, soaring demand forced Organic Meadow to discontinue its two percent cottage cheese, a decision a spokesperson said was 'made from circumstances beyond our control.'
