American cheese consumption remains at near-record pace, according to two data sets released by USDA. Last year, Americans ate an average of 33.5 pounds per person which is about one slice off of 2007's record of 33.6 pounds reported in the data set, "Dairy Products: Per Capita Consumption, U.S." (1975-2012).
While the individual cheese variety data is reported on a separate database, the American category, which includes Cheddar (Cheddar accounted for 9.43 pounds), totaled 13.2 pounds which is almost a pound off the 2009 high watermark of 13.9 pounds.
Meanwhile the "Italian" category set a new record at 14.93 pounds. Mozzarella set the pace within this category at 11.51 pounds followed by Provolone at 1.14 pounds. Mozzarella, a key component in pizza, leads all cheeses in sales.
Among the remaining cheese categories (American and Italian excluded), Swiss set the pace at 1.15 pounds. Swiss along with other varieties combined for 5.36 pounds.
Butter continues to rebound. Americans ate 5.6 pounds of the spreadable product, up 2 pounds from the prior year. This was also the highest level since 1968's 5.7-pound mark.
On a milk equivalent basis, each citizen consumed 612 pounds of products last year which was the highest level since 2007. It also was the eighth straight year over 600 pounds . . . from 1975 to 2000 that threshold was only crossed once.
While those are rosy reports, fluid milk continues to be a thorn. Per capita consumption of beverage milk and cream dropped to 195 pounds. As a point of reference, the downward trend over the previous decades was: 2012, 195 pounds; 2002, 207 pounds; 1992, 229 pounds; and 1982, 236 pounds. It is clear Americans are choosing to eat, not drink, their dairy products.
We would publish a link to these full reports; however, USDA shut down its website due to the impasse on funding the federal government.
