Food Processing - February 2008 - (Page 14)

the trends Cheese consumption, interest following new patterns IDDba report notes trends toward natural, artisanal and local cheeses. Consumers have a growing inter est in cheeses with a sense of history and tradition – and that’s turning them away from processed cheeses and toward products unique to a single region or even a single farmstead. natural, organic, artisan and local cheeses, as well as cheeses made from blends of milk, are all part of this trend, according to “what’s in store 2008,” the annual trends report from the international Dairy-Deli-Bakery assn. (iDDBa), madison, wis. while the annual report focuses much of the spotlight on block cheeses sold at retail, the trends and consumption data hold lessons for all food processors who use or are considering cheese as an ingredient in packaged foods. many package descriptors – organic, antibiotic-free, prime cuts – are considered attractions for shoppers; imagine what “includes cheese from small wisconsin dairy farms” could do. Cheese market data were mixed for 2006, the most recent year for which there were full-year figures. sales in dollars declined by 1 percent compared to 2005, to $15.2 billion, according to euromonitor figures quoted by the association. But volume was up 1 percent to 2.276 billion lbs., according to nielsen Co. data, indicating prices had softened a bit. indeed, a significant amount of new cheese production capacity came onstream in the past two years (we chronicled the plans in our 2006 “Capital spending report: more ham and cheese,” www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2006/060. html). natural (unprocessed) cheeses continue to dominate the retail market, and that’s what most of the new capacity went toward. in addition to the growing interest in specialty cheeses, convenience also is a key driver, notes iDDBa. manufacturers have begun to capitalize on both trends by offering preshredded organic cheeses and specialty cheeses in snack stick form, but opportunities abound for further innovation. the following is a sampling of some of the trends and opportunities detailed in iDDBa’s 2008 trends report: Natural and artisan cheeses Between 2001 and 2006, sales of natural cheeses increased 10 percent after adjusting for inflation, according to mintel intl. at the same time, interest in processed cheeses has declined 9.1 percent. 14 • FOOD PROCESSING FEbRuaRy 2008 specialty cheese sales at supermarkets that gross $2 million or more a year rose 8.6 percent in the year ending march 24, 2007, according to the nielsen Co. Locally produced cheeses are gaining importance as cheese marketing begins to mirror long-standing practices in the wine industry. Convenience Consumers love cheeses that cut down on kitchen prep time. manufacturers have responded by introducing a number of cheese products that cater to convenience, including shredded cheeses that come pre-seasoned. sales of grated and crumbled cheese, string and stick cheese, cubed cheese and natural cheese slices continue their substantial annual growth – as much as 17 percent in some cases. Ethnic cheeses: The new American cheese italian cheeses are the most popular of ethnic cheeses in the u.s. – so popular that u.s. production of italian cheeses surpassed that of american natural cheeses for the first time in 2006. italian cheeses accounted for almost 4 billion of the 9.5 billion lbs. of cheese produced in 2006. a large share of that volume was consumed in restaurants and other foodservice establishments. Latin american and spanish cheeses are no longer a niche market, as an increasing number of non-hispanic consumers incorporate them into their cooking. half of the top 10 fastest growing specialty cheeses at retail are hispanic varieties. all that said, the top three cheeses (for sales ending July 1, 2007) were american ($485 million, up 1.3 percent), swiss ($303 million, down 4 percent) and Cheddar ($183 million, down 9 percent). The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Assn.’s annual Dairy·Deli·Bake Seminar & Expo will be June 1-3 at New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. For details see www.iddba.org/conf.htm. WWW.FOODPROCESSING.COM http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2006/060.html http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2006/060.html http://www.iddba.org/conf.htm http://www.foodprocessing.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Food Processing - February 2008

Food Processing - February 2008 Contents Editor’s Plate NewsBites Regulatory Issues The Trends Rollout Food Biz Kids Product Spotlight Ingredients From Where? Product Development RCA Show Review Plant Operations Packaging New Supplier Products Toops Scoops

Food Processing - February 2008

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