We are committed to providing quality products at the best possible prices. We will continue to provide consumer coupons from time to time either directly on our specially marked product packages, through distribution in stores, or shared on Gay Lea’s Newsletter http://www.gaylea.com/news/consumer/ and Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/gayleafoods. Unfortunately, we do not generate coupons directly from our office.
Although pasteurization is carried out at different stages, depending on the product, it is a step in the manufacturing process of every dairy product.
Yes – all of Gay Lea’s products are gluten-free. Our production facilities are also free of gluten.
Many of Salerno products are Halal certified. We encourage customers with these dietary restrictions to look for the respective logo which will be on all of our products that meet these regulations.
The majority of Salerno products are Kosher certified. Hewitt’s Dairy and Gay Lea complies with Canadian Regulation in which all Kosher certified products are labelled with the respective ‘COR’ logo.
Yes – Gay Lea’s products are all nut and peanut free. Our products are all produced on manufacturing lines that are free from nuts and peanuts.
We do not recommend freezing any of our products with the exception of butter.
Salerno and Gay Lea Milk does not contain preservatives. In Canada, the use of artificial growth hormones is prohibited for dairy cows and antibiotic use must comply with Canadian law. Milk supply safety and quality regulations are very strict and include provisions for farm and dairy processing plant inspections and testing.
Yes – Gay Lea has lactose-free sour cream and cottage cheese, as well as new, dairy-free Coconut Whipped Cream
Lactose Free dairy products are made lactose free by adding the lactase enzyme, an enzyme we naturally have in our body, to regular cottage cheese and sour cream. Lactase breaks down lactose into the two simple sugars-- galactose and glucose. The resulting product is usually a bit sweeter than regular due to the fact that these two sugars are sweeter separately than they are when combined into lactose.
Lactose Free products are not necessarily dairy free. They are made lactose free by adding the lactase enzyme as explained above.
Calcium Lactate. As cheese ages, the milk solids (largely proteins and fats) become more concentrated and dense, resulting in a harder texture. The crunchiness common in many aged cheeses (Parmigiano Reggiano, aged cheddar or goudas, many hard mountain cheeses) is crystallized calcium lactate.
Even though most cheeses purchased are wrapped in plastic, plastic wrap is not the optimal answer for keeping cheese fresh in your refrigerator once it is opened. With the exception of soft cheeses sold in tubs and containers, the best way to store cheese is to remove it completely from the original plastic wrap and then re-wrap it in aluminum foil, place it in an airtight container and store it in the vegetable or meat drawer of your fridge (where the temperature is most stable). For fresh soft cheeses like Ricotta, Feta and Bocconcini, it is best to leave the uneaten cheese in the tub or container it was sold in covered with the solution.
The "best before" date printed on a product is valid only when the cheese is unopened. Once the cheese is opened, its shelf life will vary by cheese type and will be impacted by the environmental conditions and manipulation of the product.
If mould is present on cheese or if the rind is dry and yellowed, you should discard it.
While all cheese contains some form of lactose, those who are sensitive to cow's milk can often digest sheep or goat milk cheeses easily. Lactose is located in whey, the fluid component of cheese, so the more a cheese is aged and the drier it becomes, the less lactose it will contain. Some people are sensitive to the lactose in milk while others are sensitive to the milk proteins themselves, so it's important to first identify the problem and then select your cheese accordingly.
No. The product retains its freshness until the "best before" date.
None of our products contain nuts or peanuts. Nevertheless, we recommend that consumers always check the ingredient list to know the exact content of each product.
Most orange cheeses contain a natural vegetable dye extracted from the annatto berry, which imparts an orange hue without any additional flavour.
The majority of our products do not contain rennet. Microbial enzymes serve the same function in our product as rennet and they are sourced from microorganisms rather than animals.
Some of our products and ingredients are Kosher and/or Halal certified.