Description

Following an industry consultation held in 2021, the Conseil des industriels laitiers du Québec (CILQ) initiated a study to characterize the attributes of poutine cheese from Québec, followed by an opportunity study and market analysis. Based on the positive results of the opportunity study, the CILQ continued in 2025 with the development of a product specification (cahier des charges) with a view to obtaining recognition of a Québec Geographical Indication (GI), Poutine Cheese from Quebec. 

On April 20, 2026, the CILQ officially submitted to the CARTV an application for recognition of the GI Poutine Cheese from Quebec. 

This GI is being sought in order to protect the product’s identity and Québec origin, to frame its distinctive characteristics rooted in its history and uses, to guarantee its origin so as to recognize and highlight its authenticity to users, and to support its positioning and promotion in local and international markets. 

Grounded in the deep cultural roots of poutine in Québec’s food traditions, the specific use of this cheese in poutine—an iconic Québec dish—has, over time, shaped the functional and sensory characteristics sought after by users. 

Practices developed within Québec’s dairy industry therefore help define Poutine Cheese from Quebec through distinct physical, sensory, functional, and cultural characteristics that underpin the application for recognition of the product. 

Next steps

An in-depth analysis of this project is carried out by a technical committee made up of specialists selected for their expertise and representing the full value chain of this product, in order to determine the products authenticity and added value.

This assessment is conducted in several stages, including a public consultation on the contents of the product specification (cahier des charges).

Once the Conseil has approved the product specification and has ruled on the accreditation of a certification body for product certification, it will forward to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Québec its recommendation on whether it is appropriate to recognize the reserved designation.

The Minister will then recognize the reserved designation by issuing a notice of recognition published in the Gazette officielle du Québec.