[2][3] Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) was registered for Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar in 2013 in the EU,[4] which also applies under UK law.

[5] It is the second-most popular cheese in the United States behind mozzarella, with an average annual consumption of 10 lb (4.5 kg) per capita.

Cheddar Gorge on the edge of the village contains a number of caves, which provided the ideal humidity and steady temperature for maturing the cheese.

[9] For his technical innovations, promotion of dairy hygiene, and volunteer dissemination of modern cheese-making techniques, Harding has been dubbed "the father of cheddar".

[11][12] The "Joseph Harding method" was the first modern system for cheddar production based upon scientific principles.

[9] Together, Joseph Harding and his wife introduced cheddar in Scotland and North America, while his sons Henry and William Harding were responsible for introducing cheddar cheese production to Australia[13] and facilitating the establishment of the cheese industry in New Zealand, respectively.

[16] During the manufacture of cheddar, the curds and whey are separated using rennet, an enzyme complex normally produced from the stomachs of newborn calves, while in vegetarian or kosher cheeses, bacterial, yeast or mould-derived chymosin is used.

Originally added to simulate the colour of high-quality milk from grass-fed Jersey and Guernsey cows,[24] annatto may also impart a sweet, nutty flavour.

The flavour, colour, and quality of industrial cheese varies significantly, and food packaging will usually indicate a strength, such as mild, medium, strong, tasty, sharp, extra sharp, mature, old, or vintage; this may indicate the maturation period, or food additives used to enhance the flavour.

[citation needed] As of 2013, cheddar accounts for over 55% of the Australian cheese market, with average annual consumption around 7.5 kg (17 lb) per person.

[citation needed] Canadian cheddar cheese soup is a featured dish at the Canada Pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World.

[39] This protection highlights the use of traditional methods, passed down through generations since 1946 and its uniqueness in comparison to other cheddar cheeses.

[40] "West Country Farmhouse Cheddar" is protected outside the UK and the EU as a Geographical Indication also in China, Georgia, Iceland, Japan, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

[41] Furthermore, a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) was registered for Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar in 2013 in the EU,[4] which also applies under UK law.

[46] In 1893, farmers from the town of Perth, Ontario, produced the "mammoth cheese", which weighed 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) for the Chicago World's Fair.

[48] A larger, Wisconsin cheese of 34,591 lb (15,690 kg) was made for the 1964 New York World's Fair.

[50][better source needed] In 2012, Wisconsin cheese shop owner Edward Zahn discovered and sold a batch of unintentionally aged cheddar up to 40 years old, possibly "the oldest collection of cheese ever assembled and sold to the public".