Zengarry Cashew Cheeses ordered to stop using word 'cheese'

A small business making dairy-free nut cheese has been ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency not to use the word "cheese" on its labels, but the owner is arguing thatgovernment legislation is out of date.

Lynda Turner, owner of ZengarryCashew Cheeses in Alexandria, Ont., told CBC News that after a CFIAinspectionshe was asked in early June to come up with an action plan to change the company'slabels, website and branding.

The public servant, who is on leave to expand her business, has been given until July 14 to do so.

"They didn't like the fact that I was using the word cheese. They said it was misleading and the CFIA didn't let non-dairy cheese be referred to as cheese on the labels," Turner said.

"Coconut milk, almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter, they're all allowed on the labels. Why not cashew cheese?"

Poll question

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Ordered labels worth $2,000

Turner said she recently placed a $2,000 order for labels statingthe ingredients of her cheeses clearlyand that the cashew cheese is dairy-free.

"We're specifically presenting our products as a non-dairy alternative," she said.

"We're not trying to make people believe that they contain milk we're giving them an alternative to a dairy cheese. We're specifically saying on the label that it's 100 per cent dairy-free."

She's been given the option of misspelling the word cheesewith a Z, for exampleor calling her products spreads, but Turner said she feels neitheroption misleads the public anyless.

Order comes as CFIA seeks to modernize labelling

The order against Turnercame days before the end of public consultations on the CFIA'sfood labelling rules.

Until June 30, people were invited tosubmit ideas online that could lead to recommendations to modernize the country's food labelling system, according to the CFIA's website.

A draft report is expected in the fall.

Canada'sFood and Drugs Act states that"No person shall label, package, treat, process, sell or advertise any food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quantity, composition, merit or safety."

The CFIAwas not able to respond to a request for comment on Monday.