BERN, Switzerland — April 3, 2026

Swiss cheesemakers can now legally add a special hay-based powder to create the iconic holes in Emmentaler cheese after a federal court ruling, the Emmentaler Switzerland association confirmed Thursday. The powder, called Lochansatzpulver, consists of 100% ground bio hay flowers. The Verband Emmentaler Switzerland had to petition the Bundesverwaltungsgericht (Federal Administrative Court) for approval after regulators initially blocked its use. Käsermeister Andreas Brunner, a master cheesemaker, uses small amounts of the powder to produce over 600 kilograms of cheese. The Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft (Federal Office for Agriculture) had previously contested the additive before the court sided with producers. No direct quotes from officials or producers were provided in the verified sources. The ruling resolves a years-long dispute over maintaining traditional cheese characteristics as modern milk hygiene standards reduced natural hole formation.