Gay Lea Foods announced a $200 million investment to enlarge its Clayson Road manufacturing complex in Toronto. The expansion aims to lift output of its popular Nordica cottage cheese and to ease what the company describes as a national shortage.
Production surge and consumer demand
Statistics Canada data show national cottage‑cheese production rose from 8,571 tonnes in the first quarter of 2025 to 9,870 tonnes a year later, a 15 percent increase. A half‑cup of Nordica provides roughly 12 to 14 grams of protein, covering more than one‑fifth of the daily intake recommended by Health Canada for most adults.
Analysts link the surge to a broader shift toward affordable animal protein. Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri‑Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, said Canadians are seeking cost‑effective protein sources and dairy is benefitting from that trend.
Industry response and timeline
Gay Lea's chief executive, Suzanna Dalrymple, credited social‑media platforms such as TikTok for amplifying interest in cottage cheese. "The videos were fun and sparked curiosity," she said, adding that the demand now appears sustainable rather than fleeting.
Earlier this year, dairy co‑op Agropur also disclosed plans to boost its cottage‑cheese capacity, signalling confidence that the market will remain robust. Charlebois expects the expanded production to support long‑term consumption patterns.
The Toronto expansion is slated for completion by 2028, after which Gay Lea expects to meet domestic demand and potentially increase export opportunities to markets where high‑protein dairy products are in short supply.
Based on reporting by Global News.