Chile’s Cheese Industry Seeks Growth as US and Europe Expand in Market
Espacio Food & Service 2026 was held in Santiago from September 29th to October 1st, with more than 1,600 stands and representatives from 28 countries. Representatives of the National Federation of Milk Producers, known as Fedeleche, attended the exhibition to track consumer trends, develop commercial contacts and examine opportunities for domestic production.
Cheese featured prominently at the event. The Cheese Pavilion brought together companies of different sizes, including Colun, Soprole, Nestlé and Watt’s, as well as smaller processors such as Futurocoop and Lácteos Matthei. Artisanal producers and businesses supported by institutions including Indap also took part. Carlos Arancibia, Fedeleche’s general manager, said the fair displayed greater product diversity and projects focused on innovation and value-added goods.
The United States Dairy Export Council organised the “USA Cheese in Chile: Market Immersion 2026” programme during the exhibition. It included commercial meetings, contacts with distributors and discussions with potential buyers. The participating companies were Great Lakes Cheese, Interra International, Mercator, Numidia, Prairie Farms, Schreiber Foods and T.C. Jacoby & Company.
France was the event’s guest of honour. Its programme included “Le Plateau de Quesos”, a six-metre counter displaying about 100kg of cheese. Les Dix Vins, Lactalis and Savencia Fromage & Dairy participated in the presentation. Chilean producers and processors therefore exhibited alongside international companies with portfolios covering multiple markets.
Fedeleche said the sector’s development involved more than increasing the supply of milk. It identified cheeses, speciality products and new formats as areas in which milk could be converted into higher-value goods. Arancibia said opportunities identified at events of this kind should ultimately reach milk producers. Fedeleche also linked sectoral growth with domestic consumption, innovation, new markets and coordination between farmers and industry.
The focus on cheese extended beyond manufacturing and trade. Chile held its first national CheeseMonger competition, which assessed knowledge and skills in cheese selection, cutting, presentation and service. The event also included producers, large domestic companies, cooperatives, smaller processors and artisanal businesses, while the US and French participation added international suppliers to the same marketplace.
