Is Hochland SE a publicly listed company?

No. Hochland is a family-run business which is owned by the founding families.

What importance does Hochland attach to environmental protection?

Environmental protection lies very much at the heart of our own interests as a company: after all, only in an intact environment can the raw materials be produced which we require to manufacture high-quality Hochland products.
This is why Hochland adopted a proactive stance on environmental issues early on. This approach is firmly anchored in the company’s policy. Our stated aim is to maintain environmental pollution and the use of resources by our plants as low as possible and to make the most of state-of-the-art technologies to achieve further reduction.
One example of active environmental protection is the high recovery and recycling rate of production materials which is achieved by means of a stringent waste collection and separation system, similar to that used in private households. Another highlight here is the fact that the company operates its own waste water treatment plants.

Does Hochland offer guided tours of its plants?

Unfortunately it is not possible for visitors to take a guided tour of our plants. Since we do not have a "visitor's gallery" separate from our production areas, a guided tour would pose problems of hygiene, as is the case throughout the food industry.

Hochland received an award in the “Great Place to Work” competition. What criteria is this award based on?

The seal of quality “Germany’s best employers” is awarded by the Great Place to Work Institute Germany. Hochland entered the competition successfully for the second time and again reached a very good position among "Germany's 100 best employers". Among the companies with a workforce of between 500 and 2,000, Hochland achieved the ranking position of 9th.

Hochland’s good result was largely due to the vote of its employees in a survey. Nearly 300 randomly selected staff members submitted their opinion on their employer anonymously by means of a questionnaire. 87% of those surveyed said that Hochland Deutschland GmbH was “a very good place to work.”

Does the Hochland Group also manufacture retail brands?

Yes. Our subsidiary Bonifaz Kohler GmbH supplies products for the own brands of virtually all the well-known European retail companies.

Why does the Hochland range vary in different countries?

In creating our product range we take into account the varying eating habits and consumer preferences in each country. This is why our ranges vary from one country to the next.

Is it possible to purchase Hochland products directly from you?

Unfortunately it is not possible for consumers to order products directly from us. However, Hochland products are available in most retail outlets, including those near you.
Some Hochland production sites also have their own shop.
For information and opening hours, see the “Sites” section of our homepage.

Will my favourite seasonal variety of Almette be back next year?

The Almette seasonal range offers different flavours which change every six months to match the season. In this way our Alpine cream cheese gives you greater diversity. However, we do not rule out the possibility of re-introducing a particular variety at a later stage if it goes down especially well with consumers. This was the case with “Almette Bärlauch”, for example: in fact this product is now a fixed item in the range.

Can I obtain product samples from Hochland?

We are glad to hear that you would like to get to know our product range. However, we are not able to send out product samples since our products require a constant cool temperature during transport. We cannot provide a 100% guarantee of this in the case of mailing.

Is the Hochland cheese I buy in Germany made solely in Germany?

The brands Hochland and Almette for the German market are made solely at our German plants. With one exception, this also applies to the Patros range. Only our original Patros sheep's milk feta is made in Greece.
Our brand Valbrie brand also offers original French soft cheese specialities which are manufactured in France in traditional style.
At its other plants abroad, Hochland produces cheese for the relevant local markets.

Where does the cheese come from which is processed in Heimenkirch?

Hochland draws much of its raw cheese from the region, though some comes from international sources, too. The same high quality standards apply to all our suppliers, and adherence to these standards is checked by means of extensive tests which we carry out ourselves in-house.

How can I tell where the cheese I buy has been produced?

On the packaging of all food of animal origin within the EU there is a so-called health mark.
Examples are the codes DE BY 745 EG (Heimenkirch) and DE BY 123 EG (Schongau) for the production plants of Hochland Deutschland GmbH.

Which cheese products are lactose-free?

Milk inherently contains approximately 4.7 % lactose. In making cheese, lactose is decomposed in that it is converted into lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria. This process continues during the ripening of the cheese. So the lactose level in cheese is constantly reduced, the more mature the cheese becomes. The amount of lactose contained in cheese depends on the type of cheese in question:
All hard cheese and sliced cheese varieties (e.g. Emmental, Tilsiter, Gouda, Maasdam) and all soft cheese varieties (e.g. Brie, curd, feta) contain no lactose or only a very low level. In any case the lactose content is less than 1 g/100 g. With a lactose level of less than 0.1 g/100 g, hard cheese and sliced cheese are classified as lactose-free. By contrast, cream cheese contains a higher level of lactose (approx. 2-4 g/100 g).
The situation is different again with processed cheese. It is manufactured using not only cheese but also other lactose-containing dairy products (such as powdered milk). For this reason, the lactose content of processed cheese is higher, at around 3-7 g/100 g.

Are Hochland products made of raw milk or pasteurised milk?

All Hochland products are made of pasteurised milk. 

In Germany, every raw milk product must be clearly labelled “made with raw milk".

Are Hochland products gluten-free?

All Hochland products are gluten-free. Gluten occurs in all common cereals such as wheat and can only find its way into dairy products as an additional ingredient, for examples as a separating agent for herbs. However, Hochland does not use any ingredients which contain gluten.

As a vegetarian I do not want to eat any cheese which is manufactured using animal rennin. Are Hochland products suitable for consumption by vegetarians?

The following products of ours are manufactured solely using microbial rennin. This is not genetically modified rennin. Nor do the products contain any gelatine, so they are suitable for vegetarians:
Our other products may contain animal rennin or microbial rennin, depending on the batch.

Is there a cookery book or brochures containing Hochland recipes?

Unfortunately Hochland does not currently publish a cookery book or any recipe brochures. However, you will find a large selection of recipes and lots of other interesting information on our products on the homepages of our brands, at:

http://www.hochland.de/
http://www.patros.de/
http://www.almette.de/
http://www.valbrie.de/
http://www.grünländer.de/

Where can I watch the Hochland brand television commercials again?

You will find our current television commercials on the brand homepages.

http://www.hochland.de/
http://www.patros.de/
http://www.almette.de/

According to which standards are the plants of the Hochland Group certified?

In 1994, quality management systems were introduced at all Hochland plants – at that time based on DIN EN ISO 9001. This norm has since been replaced in the food industry by much more practical standards such as the International Food Standard (IFS), BRC Global Standard for Food Safety (BRC), which is now in its 5th version. These standards form the basis of our constantly optimised quality management systems.
From 1995 we also introduced environment management systems according to ISO 14001. Our German plants are also certified according to the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. Many of our retail partners also have their own additional requirements which we also comply with, of course. What is more, we are currently seeking to certify our work safety system in Heimenkirch according to OHSAS 18001 (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series).

Can I apply to be a product tester for Hochland?

Hochland attaches great importance to consumers' opinions and makes use of product testers, for example when developing new products. However, such tests are always carried out at our premises: we cannot send out products to be consumed at home. For this reason we can only accept applications for product testers from people who live close to our production sites.