The Truth About National Grilled Cheese Month

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

In Epi-Log’s report today on National Grilled Cheese Month, blogger Tanya Steel joked that the big cheeses at Kraft were likely behind this dairy-friendly holiday.

The story got me thinking: Is National Grilled Cheese Month a Congress-sanctioned, lobbyist-promoted commemorative month, or is it just an unofficial gimmick that feeds story-hungry bloggers (like me) a news hook?

After a bit of hunting around on the Internet, I found this 123-page report to Congress on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Program and the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Program. It’s filled to the udders with disturbing details about their widespread dairy promotions — including April’s National Grilled Cheese Month.

Apparently, these dairy PR firms are behind all kinds of ubiquitous events that we’d never guess were premeditated in board rooms. Everyday happenings — like the cheese sampling tables at Kroger or the rolling out of new fast food sandwiches — help pad the dairy industry’s bottom line.

Check out this (long-ish) blurb from the report about the dairy industry’s behind-the-scenes collaboration with big name fast food companies:

DMI [Dairy Management, Inc.] staff provided Taco Bell ® with consumer research and trend data to show the large impact of cheese in how customers decide which menu option to choose. As a result, Taco Bell ® developed and launched a new Chicken Quesadilla item, which featured a blend of Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Mozzarella cheeses. Taco Bell ® reports using more than double their usual amount of cheese during the five-week promotional debut of the Chicken Quesadilla. And, for the third straight year, Wendy’s ® restaurant introduced its popular Cheddar Lovers’ Bacon Cheeseburger sandwich. During the four-week promotion period, Wendy’s ® sold more than 12 million sandwiches, each featuring two slices of Cheddar cheese and a Cheddar sauce. The promotion used nearly 1.7 million pounds of cheese and the chain’s cheese use grew by 15 percent, compared to the same time period a year ago. DMI assisted Wendy’s ® with the development of this cheese-friendly sandwich in 1999.

It turns out Tanya’s conspiracy theory wasn’t too far from the truth, which does nothing to relieve my general paranoia.

Maybe I should go distract myself with a grilled cheese sandwich.

 Photo Credit: Svenstorm/Flickr.

– Christina Lee

Tags: christina lee, conspiracy theory, dairy management inc, epi-log, Gut Check, Kraft, national dairy promotion and research program, national fluid milk processor promotion program, national grilled cheese month, taco bell, tanya steel, wendy's