It seems Americans are saying that phrase now more than ever.

Brand new data released by USDA’s Economic Research Service revealed a new record for per capita cheese consumption in 2015. Cheese intake rose to 35.33 pounds per person last year, up almost a pound from the record consumption documented in 2014.

Since 2011, annual cheese intake per American citizen has risen over 2 pounds. The amount of cheese consumed has more than tripled since 1970.

Specific varieties of cheese also reached new records last year. Italian-type cheeses were most often consumed and posted a record of 14.47 pounds per person in 2015. That was up from 14.18 pounds in 2014 and just 2.05 pounds in 1970.

As for American-type cheese, people ate a record 14.01 pounds in 2015. That climbed upward from 2014’s record of 13.64 pounds. American-type cheese consumption has doubled since 1970, when it was 7 pounds per person.

Cheddar is the most popular American-type cheese consumed, reaching 10.16 pounds per person last year. Other American-type cheeses, including Colby, Monterey Jack, washed curd, and stirred curd, totaled a record 3.86 pounds in 2015.

Meanwhile, Mozzarella consumption climbed to a record 11.27 pounds per person, up from 11.16 pounds in 2014 and just 1.19 pounds in 1970.

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(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2016
October 17, 2016