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2026 Cheese and Dairy Products Fair: The Cheese Industry at the Crossroads of Tradition, Food Sovereignty, and Health Challenges

The 2026 Cheese and Dairy Products Fair took place from June 7–9 to Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. It is one of the leading international trade events for the dairy and cheese industry. A true showcase of European expertise, the fair brought together producers, affineurs, distributors, exporters, restaurateurs, manufacturers, and institutions to discuss the major changes in the sector.

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Mots-clés

A key trade show for an iconic industry

Beyond being a trade show, the event serves as a forum for strategic reflection on the future of the European dairy model. Discussions focused in particular on food sovereignty, the competitiveness of high-quality sectors, the environmental transition, consumer expectations, and the preservation of traditional production methods.

Salon du fromage et des produits laitiers 2026

salon de fromage — Salon du fromage et des produits laitiers 2026

The 2026 edition took place against a backdrop of multiple challenges: rising production costs, increasing regulatory pressure, climate change, difficulties in ensuring the next generation of farmers, and stricter health requirements. In this changing landscape, cheeses bearing official quality and origin identification labels (SIQO) play a central role in the economic development of rural areas.

Dairy AOPs, PGIs, and Label Rouge: A Major Economic Sector for France

The dairy sector remains a pillar of the French agri-food industry. According to the latest sector data presented at the trade show, the sector comprises more than 44,000 farms and generates approximately 47.3 billion euros in revenue.

SIQO-certified dairy products play a vital role in this economy. The French AOP and IGP dairy sectors comprise 51 AOPs and 13 IGPs. In 2024, the volume of products marketed under a geographical indication reached 272,236 tons for a turnover exceeding 3 billion euros excluding taxes on production and aging.

French cheese PGIs and PDOs alone account for:

46 cheeses with a protected designation of origin (PDO);
12 cheeses with a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI);
more than 201,000 tons sold;
approximately 2.38 billion euros in revenue;
more than 15,000 milk producers;
more than 1,200 dairy farmers;
nearly 500 processing facilities.

These figures illustrate the economic and territorial significance of quality production sectors. PDOs and PGIs help sustain agricultural activities in often rural or mountainous areas, where economic alternatives remain limited.

cheese — AOP "Picodon" © Syndicat du Picodon

The Key Role of the INAO and AOPs/IGPs

The National Institute for Origin and Quality (INAO) plays a key role in these designations. A public institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, it ensures the recognition, control, and protection of official signs identifying quality and origin (SIQO).

PDOs and PGIs are not marketing labels! As official signs of quality and origin, they provide a legal framework for agricultural practices, production areas, and traditional know-how.

In the cheese industry, these systems make it possible to:

protect designations from imitations, misappropriations, and evocations;
to ensure regional traceability;
to preserve traditional production methods;
to maintain high added value in the regions;
to support the export of quality products.

Geographical indications are marks of trust.

aop laguiole — AOP "Laguiole" © Michel DULHERM

reblochon — AOP "Reblochon" © Syndicat interprofessionnel du Reblochon

Raw milk at the center of the debate

Among the highlights of the trade show, the conference on the future of raw-milk cheeses sparked an important debate about the sector’s future.
Raw-milk cheese is a powerful symbol of European—and particularly French—culinary heritage. A large portion of French AOP cheeses rely on the use of raw milk, considered an essential factor in their distinct character, microbial biodiversity, and aromatic complexity.

However, these productions now find themselves at the center of several conflicting pressures

Complex Issues

Recent health crises linked to certain types of microbial contamination have heightened the vigilance of health authorities and fueled debates surrounding raw milk. Several high-profile incidents in France and even internationally (the United States) have reignited controversies over the risks associated with consuming unpasteurized products.

French professionals nevertheless point out that raw milk is the historical foundation of many AOP products and that it directly contributes to the diversity of European cheeses as well as to the preservation of cheese biodiversity derived from sustainable agricultural systems.

The debate over raw milk goes far beyond mere health concerns. It raises several major issues:

the preservation of France’s culinary heritage;
the defense of artisanal expertise;
distinguishing quality from standardized production;
economic development of rural areas;
the international competitiveness of high-end European cheeses;
the ability of the sectors to simultaneously meet health requirements and expectations regarding naturalness.

camembert — AOP "Camembert de Normandie" et "Livarot_Beurre d'Isigny" © Olivier Russeil

Climate change is also complicating the situation. Some mountain and pasture PDOs are already seeing their production conditions undermined by droughts and the scarcity of forage resources.

Since late 2025, industry professionals have therefore organized themselves around a raw milk plan to collectively identify solutions to these challenges in partnership with the relevant government agencies.

salon fromage — Salon du fromage et des produits laitiers 2026

An industry at a crossroads

The 2026 Cheese and Dairy Products Fair thus serves as a prime vantage point for observing the major shifts taking place in the cheese industry. Caught between innovation, environmental transition, economic pressures, and the preservation of traditions, the sector is seeking a new balance.

In this context, PDOs, PGIs, and raw milk products represent much more than a gastronomic heritage: they are becoming instruments of food sovereignty, regional development, and economic differentiation for French and European agriculture.