Montreal shoppers have been confronting empty spaces in their dairy aisles as a perfect storm of labour disputes and unprecedented consumer demand creates a cottage cheese shortage across Quebec.
The Supply Chain Disruption
The shortage stems from a labour dispute at the Agropur plant in Amqui, Quebec, where approximately 100 employees walked off the job on October 12, 2025. Just one day later, the company locked out these workers, halting all cottage cheese production at the facility that manufactures the Sealtest brand.
According to Agropur spokesperson Guillaume Bérubé, the Amqui facility serves as the company's main cottage cheese production plant for Eastern Canada. While Agropur maintains other production facilities in Western Canada, the lockout has specifically impacted availability throughout Quebec and eastern regions.
Agropur represents approximately 12% of the Canadian cottage cheese market, positioning it among the country's leading producers alongside competitors like Saputo, Lactalis, and Gay Lea, which manufacture Neilson, Beatrice, and Nordica brands respectively.
Surging Demand Meets Limited Supply
The production halt couldn't have come at a worse time for retailers already struggling to keep up with exploding consumer interest in cottage cheese.
Costa Moumouris, head buyer for Supermarché PA, explained that suppliers had already been playing catch-up with demand that has grown about 30% across Canada this year. The labour dispute has exacerbated an already tense supply situation.
Unlike continuously supplied products like milk or eggs, cottage cheese arrives in batches every two to three weeks from various suppliers, including store brands. This delivery pattern makes forecasting particularly challenging when one major supplier experiences disruptions.
Production data from the Canadian Dairy Information Centre confirms the dramatic surge, showing Canadian cottage cheese production jumped from 23,474 tonnes in 2023 to 28,139 tonnes in 2024 – an increase of nearly 20% in just one year.
The Social Media Factor
What's driving this unprecedented demand? Industry experts point directly to social media platforms, particularly TikTok, where cottage cheese has become an unlikely viral sensation.
Robin Redstone, spokesperson for Gay Lea (producer of Nordica cottage cheese), noted that demand for cottage cheese has surged in recent years, accelerating over the past three years as consumers increasingly seek high-protein, healthy, and convenient food options.
The product has transformed from what Sylvain Charlebois, a professor in Agri-Food Analytics at Dalhousie University, describes as a niche item into a mainstream staple. Charlebois observes that viral TikTok recipes and social media protein trends have contributed significantly to the demand surge for years.
Innovative recipes like high-protein onion flatbread – which combines cottage cheese, eggs, and sliced white onion – have introduced the traditional dairy product to new generations of health-conscious consumers.
Market Dynamics and Consumer Behaviour
The shortage highlights interesting dynamics in consumer behaviour and market structure. Charlebois notes that cottage cheese doesn't typically inspire strong brand loyalty among consumers.
If one brand isn't available, shoppers readily switch to alternatives. This flexibility means that when a major producer like Agropur experiences production issues, the impact spreads quickly across all available brands as consumers snap up whatever remains on shelves.
Charlebois has observed empty cottage cheese shelves not only in Quebec but across the Prairies and even in Halifax, indicating the shortage's widespread nature.
The Labour Dispute Details
At the heart of the Amqui plant shutdown lies a contentious labour dispute primarily centered on wage increases. According to Bérubé, the company has presented two offers to the striking employees.
The first proposal was rejected by 95% of workers, while the second, presented more recently, was turned down by 53% – a much closer margin that suggests potential for resolution.
Bérubé explained that the decision to lock out employees was partly motivated by food safety concerns and the need to maintain control over production schedules in a facility that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The union representing the workers, Centrale des syndicats démocratiques, claims the core issue involves wage disparities, with Amqui plant employees earning up to $7 less per hour than colleagues performing the same roles at other Agropur facilities.
As of mid-November, workers remained on the picket line, with the next negotiation session scheduled for Thursday, November 27, 2025.
Industry Response and Outlook
Retailers and industry representatives acknowledge the challenge of managing supply amid such volatile demand patterns. Ines El Khlifi, spokesperson for Metro Inc., confirmed they have observed a steady increase in demand for cottage cheese that sometimes leads to supply challenges from their suppliers.
The situation illustrates how quickly social media trends can disrupt traditional supply chains, particularly for products with limited production flexibility. As consumers continue to seek high-protein alternatives and experiment with viral recipes, the pressure on dairy processors shows no signs of abating.
For now, Quebec cottage cheese enthusiasts may need to exercise patience – or creativity in their recipe substitutions – until the Amqui plant resumes operations and production can catch up with the TikTok-fueled demand.
