FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
General FAQs
Truly Grass Fed
Tirlán, the dairy company behind Truly Grass Fed, has been working with farmers to produce dairy ingredients of the highest international standards for more than six decades. In 2016, the Truly Grass Fed brand was born from our company’s natural farming platform.
The Truly Grass Fed line of delicious premium cheeses was launched in the United States in October 2018.
You will also find the Truly Grass Fed seal on brands like Garden of Life’s Whey Protein as it sources its whey from us.
While there are many food safety and quality standards out there, none are like Truly Grass Fed. We saw the opportunity to place greater attention on what matters most: happy, healthy cows who live most of their lives outdoors, cows with a 95% grass-fed diet, small farms and herds and a positive environmental impact.
The welfare of the cows on our family farms is so important to us that our practices are certified by an independent nonprofit animal welfare group, AGW (A Greener World). Its comprehensive requirements can be found here: https://agreenerworld.org/certifications/animal-welfare-approved/.
We have partnerships with other select products and brands that share our commitment to quality, environmental stewardship and animal welfare. Look for the Truly Grass Fed seal on products like protein powder and beverages.
To learn more about partnering with our Ingredients team, please visit us at https://www.tirlaningredients.com/ingredients/truly-grass-fed.
Truly Grass Fed operates within a co-op structure, so our milk suppliers are also our owners and shareholders. Our network of small family-run farms spans some of Ireland’s most fertile land, and our farmers spend their lives caring for their lands and herds. Many of our farms have been handed down through generations, which makes them a true national treasure. This inheritance culture in dairy farming ensures that Truly Grass Fed farms maintain a natural way of farming.
Truly Grass Fed cows are the lucky ones. They get to live on Truly Grass Fed farms with lots of room to roam in outdoor pastures, familiar family farmers and a diet of fresh, nutritious grass. There are many breeds of dairy cow that supply Truly Grass Fed milk, and the most common types living on our Irish farms are Friesian and Jersey crosses.
Our average herd size is 100 cows, allowing our farmers to have much more personal knowledge about each cow’s needs and even her personality.
Truly Grass Fed cows live peaceful lives on small family farms. They spend, on average, 250 days a year outside, grazing in fields of lush green grass with plenty of room to roam. A diet of natural grass provides complete nutrition and easy digestion, and the slow-paced lifestyle is exactly how our happy cows love to live. They have the freedom to eat when and how much they want and are well cared for by their dedicated farmers.
Small herds mean farmers get to know each cow individually, which leads to a deeper level of attention every single day. Truly Grass Fed cows are never treated with growth hormones or milk-producing hormones, and our dedicated veterinarian guides our milk suppliers on all aspects of animal health and welfare.
When we say small family farms, we really mean it. The average Truly Grass Fed dairy herd is only 100 cows. In addition, almost 100% of Truly Grass Fed farms are inherited. In many cases, the same farm is being operated by several generations of one family.
Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW (AWA) is an independent nonprofit certification program for farm animal welfare, outdoor access and sustainability. Its comprehensive requirements can be found here: https://agreenerworld.org/certifications/animal-welfare-approved/
In December and January, when the temperature drops and grass growth slows, we give our cows shelter and feed them grass silage that has been collected from the green fields during the summer. We add very small amounts of concentrates to fill the nutrition gap while our cows take a break from producing milk during the cold months. Truly Grass Fed cows’ diets are at least 95% grass with only 5% or less coming from other natural sources.
Truly Grass Fed cows spend most of their time grazing outdoors. The natural green grass provides all the nutrition they need. During the winter, we give our cows shelter to stay warm. During this time inside from the pastures, they continue to consume ensiled grass that was collected and saved during the summer months, also known as sileage. We also supplement their feed with a small amount of minerals and vitamins (less than 5% of their diet) to provide extra nutrition. That’s where the other 5% comes in.
If a cow is sick and requires antibiotics, they are administered for the health of the cow and their milk is removed from the supply. Once the cow is back to health and their milk is clear of any antibiotics, we return their milk to the overall Truly Grass Fed milk supply.
No. We do not administer any artificial growth hormones. Our milk is rBST-free. Even though no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from growth-hormone-treated and non-growth-hormone-treated cows, we are choosing to not treat cows with any growth hormones.
Our cows live their best lives outside on pasture 250 days per year (based on a three-year average). In the winter months, temperatures drop and grass growth slows. During some of this time, our farmers move the cows indoors and feed them sileage—stored dried grass—much like hay. As soon as it’s nice enough, the cows are back to grazing outside, giving them 250 days outside on pasture.
Glad you asked! Our cows are 95% grass fed with the majority of that spent outside grazing. The other 5% is supplemental feed, consisting of native grain, some incremental protein, and vitamins and minerals to keep the cows in good health and with a strong immune system.
The Truly Grass Fed certified farms are located in one of the most beautiful parts of Ireland in the southeastern region. Our family farms are spread across this hilled, lush, verdant landscape.
We currently offer a Natural Sharp Cheddar, a Natural Aged Cheddar and a Maker’s Blend parmesan cheddar blend.
Our cheese contains simple ingredients: pasteurized milk (grass fed, of course!), salt, cheese cultures and enzymes. Our cheddar is aged 6+ months, and our sharp cheddar is aged 12+ months.
Yes! Many grocery stores offer their own online delivery service. We do not ship directly ourselves.
Please keep your cheese refrigerated at all times between 32 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Properly stored and sealed, the cheese will last a long time. Please check the “Best Before” date printed on the package and consume it prior to that. Once opened, enjoy what you wish and then tightly wrap the remaining block before popping it back in the fridge. We recommend consuming the cheese within a few days, but we will be surprised if it lasts that long!
Our code date is a Best Before date in month/day/year format (e.g., 07 31 19 is July 31, 2019).
We don’t recommend freezing our cheese as it will affect the texture and impact the taste.
We don’t recommend consuming the cheese past its Best Before date.
While we appreciate the merits of organic dairy farming, we believe that Truly Grass Fed cows have an equally high quality of life. We might even argue that it’s a little better.
On U.S. certified organic farms, cows are only required to be outdoors for 120 days each year if the geographic or grazing conditions don’t allow for longer. On the other hand, Truly Grass Fed cows have all the luck: they live on the most fertile acreage in Ireland where the climate is mild, the sun shines and the rains are abundant. As a result, our cows can comfortably graze outdoors for 250 days each year, giving them a chance to take in the fresh air and live long, healthy, natural lives.
What’s more, the milk produced from our grass-fed cows is derived from just that: nutrient-rich natural grass. Cows on organic farms often consume significant quantities of grain in their diets, which impacts the flavor and nutrition profiles of the milk. Truly Grass Fed products have been shown to have higher concentrations of certain nutrients as well as a more desirable taste (per testing panels).
Yes. Dairy and soy. A strict clean-down and change-over protocol is used when changing from soy to sunflower lecithin during manufacturing. We understand and respect the importance of allergen sensitivities, so we uphold a very sensitive level of analysis during these changes. To validate the effectiveness of our protocol, we run tests using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which uses antibodies and color change to identify the presence of allergens.
Yes. All Truly Grass Fed milk is pasteurized when it arrives at our processing facility.
No, all Truly Grass Fed products are Non-GMO Project Verified.
Our cheese is made at our dairy facility in Wexford in the southeast of Ireland.
Truly Grass Fed’s methodology for measuring on-farm carbon has received the PAS 2050 certification from the Carbon Trust in the UK. We have been measuring and reducing the level of CO2 associated with our production since 1999, and we continue to work actively with our farmers to ensure world-class, low-carbon dairy production standards.
Ireland is one of the lowest emitters of carbon in Europe and the world for milk production, and our nation’s grass-based dairy system means that Truly Grass Fed milk can be produced and shipped to the U.S. at 1.26kg CO2e compared to the FAO’s figure for milk production on a U.S. dairy farm of 1.8kg CO2e.
Quality. Safety. Ingredient integrity. Those are just a few of our top priorities when it comes to dairy manufacturing. Our state-of-the-art facilities are located in the heart of the Irish dairy-producing countryside, and we come to work every day knowing that every drop and every detail matter. Our products are sustainably and minimally processed, microfiltered, fully traceable and manufactured by experienced professionals with a passion for the Truly Grass Fed philosophy.
It is highly recommended to consume milk and dairy foods as part of a healthy balanced diet. The National Dairy Council agrees that milk and dairy foods are recommended as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Grass-fed dairy also has significantly higher concentrations of certain fatty acids, including conjugated linoleic acids and a more optimal omega-3/omega-6 ratio.