Long Term Growth In U.S. Cheese Consumption May Slow
According to research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, total cheese consumption has been on the rise over the past three decades and total cheese consumption is expected to rise despite changes in U.S. demographics that may somewhat slow future growth.
Cheese consumption has more than doubled over the past 30 years, according to supply and use calculations. Researchers categorized cheese into four groups including American, other-than-American, cottage, and processed cheese, finding the most notable growth in the other-than-American-cheese category.
Using Nielsen Homescan data, in 2005 consumers bought 10.86 pounds of cheese per capita (excluding dishes or meals that included cheese in them). By category, consumers purchased 1.27 pounds of American cheese, 1.81 pounds of cottage cheese, 1.13 pounds of Italian cheese, 3.80 pounds of processed cheese and 2.85 pounds of other cheeses per person in 2005. Among the major trends identified:
- Households with incomes of $70,000-$99,999 bought the most cheese.
- White consumers were the predominant purchasers.
- By region, Midwestern households bought the most cheese.
- Households headed by females with high school degrees and by males with post-college degrees were leading purchasers.
- Young females and older males were also among the biggest buyers of cheese.