Dairy Products and Alternatives

Cheese consumption suffered a substantial decline in 2022 as the impact of economic instability, supply chain issues and high inflation affected both players and consumers. Additionally, growth inflated by the pandemic and home consumption resulted…

The changes in consumer behaviour brought about by the inflationary pressures that started in early 2022 resulted in a decline in retail volume sales of cheese in 2022, while current value sales remained positive. In 2023, although a return to retail…

Despite continued inflationary pressures, cheese continued to exhibit a robust performance in retail volume terms in 2023. As the cost of cheese was prohibitive for some consumers, economy-priced spreadable and processed offerings, such as Cheese…

The traditional cheese sector in the Netherlands is facing a series of challenges in 2023, with a continued dip in retail volume sales. This is the result of several factors, including soaring cheese prices leading to fewer purchases among local…

With cheese requiring a significant amount of milk to produce, the increasing prices of raw milk during 2022 caused cheese prices to rise significantly. Production has stayed relatively stable, but the price change caused a noticeable shift in…

As cheese in not typically a main ingredient in Thai cuisine, tourism is an integral factor towards sales and, thus, cheese was affected by the event of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the lack of tourism during this time. As such, cheese manufacturers…

Similar to butter, the demand for cheese began to wane in the latter half of 2022. Consumers reverted to their habits of dining out, leading to a decreased inclination to cook and bake at home.

In retail value terms, cheese was amongst the most dynamic categories in dairy in Switzerland in 2023. Aiding these figures, is the increasing variety of cheese products available in Switzerland, which is well-known for its cheese production. In…

Swedes consume cheese on many occasions during the day; for breakfast with sandwiches and using it in meals, while premium cheese is often indulged on and offered on cheese platters. As such, some cheeses are specifically positioned to be indulgent…

Although in general Spanish consumers reduced the frequency of their shopping trips in 2022, opting for a more planned purchases, there was no major drop in the consumption of cheese. Cheese is considered a staple in the Spanish diet and as such…

In 2023, cheese in South Korea is expected to continue to thrive in retail current value terms, building on the positive growth observed in the previous year. However, a notable opposite trend has emerged in volume terms, as all cheese categories…

The cheese category is set to experience muted retail volume growth in 2023, due to a double-digit increase in the average unit price. Significant rises in prices have been limiting consumer purchases, leading to only slow growth in cheese…

The cheese category is growing in volume and value terms. Inflation is driving the value growth of the category while the functional and health effects provided by consuming cheese are driving the volume growth of the category, where spreadable…

Retail volume sales of cheese continued to decline in 2023, albeit at a lower rate than the previous year. Growth was hampered by inflationary pressures, which made it harder for Slovak households to afford to consume the product on a daily basis.…

In 2023, the High Court of Singapore ruled that the term “Parmesan” is a translation of the Italian term “Parmigiano Reggiano”. According to the ruling, only Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) cheese produced in a particular…

The local cheese industry is facing challenges in 2023, as imported products are favoured by retailers. In February 2023, the Serbian government introduced an import duty of 30 dinars per kilogram of cheese to protect domestic production from the…

The cheese market witnessed a decline in volume sales in 2022, largely as a result of the impact of the high rate of inflation, which led to significant increases in the price of cheese products. Companies revised their pricing constantly during the…

Cheese is experiencing the cross-category trend of value being supported by high prices, whereas volume is being suppressed by low consumer spending power in the inflationary context. The overall volume declines in cheese are also the consequence of…

Cheese saw modest growth in retail volume terms in 2023, in contrast to the flat performance of the previous year. While inflationary pressures, driven by surging energy and food prices, receded slightly, demand was constrained by a loss of…

In response to the rise of competition from plant-based cheeses, dairy cheese producers in Poland are innovating with new flavours and types. Dublin Dairy has introduced 100g slices of Maasdam, a cheese known for its rich, sweet, buttery taste with a…

While current value sales of cheese is expected to grow in 2023, constant value sales are expected to fall. This weak performance is reflected in the economy, which contracted in the first half of 2023. An unpopular government, bad weather, high…

The rapid urbanisation across all regions of Pakistan is fuelling growth of cheese in 2023, alongside the increasing interest in Western lifestyles and diets, which is largely due to the increasing exposure to social media among affluent urban…

Cheese continues to see falling retail volume sales in Norway in 2023, though at a much slower rate than was recorded in 2022. The persistent decline in demand for cheese has been accentuated by the post-pandemic return to life outside the home and…

In the face of rising prices, cheese consumption remains stable in retail volume terms as this product range remains a popular item in everyday cuisine. Its versatility is a key reason for such high demand, as it can be used in preparing various…

Cheese, as a product area, witnesses a substantial volume decline in 2023, although the rate of decline is less steep in comparison to the pronounced contraction observed in 2022. This decline can be attributed to the ongoing impact of challenging…

Dairy has been one of the industries hardest hit by inflation, with NZ Stats reporting that the basket of milk, cheese and eggs saw a CPI increase of 12% in 2022 compared with 2021. This is amongst the highest increases in CPI for food in New…

Two distinct trends emerged within the spreadable cheese segment in the first half of 2023. Firstly, the growing popularity of single unit sales, constituting three-quarters of total cheese sales in portions. Economic constraints prompted…

Cheese has been the most dynamic category in dairy in current value and retail volume terms in 2023. The shift from unpackaged to packaged formats is an important driver of this trend, but also the positioning of cheese as an affordable source of…

The dominant category in both retail volume and value terms, processed cheese (excluding spreadable), is being developed by significant new product development towards the end of the review period. The domestic foodservice operator QSR Trading Sdn…

Cheese recorded stagnant retail volume growth in Lithuania during 2023, although value growth was still exceptional in current terms as the impact of high inflation boosted unit prices and value sales significantly, albeit at a slower pace than…

Volume sales of cheese are experiencing stagnation in 2023 due to its high price, which peaked in 2022 as a result of the rising cost of logistics and energy. Inflation pressure is improving in 2023; however, economic uncertainty prevails. Consumer…

In 2023, cheese is expected to register double-digit current value growth, though volume growth is expected to be minimal, as inflation persists. In addition, there is shortages of local raw milk due to drought conditions, and local producers are…

Though cheese is expected to register double-digit current value growth, volume sales are expected to fall slightly. Kazakhstan has strong trade links with Russia in particular and its war in Ukraine is negatively impacting the Kazak economy and…

Cheese is set to see solid growth in retail current value terms in Japan in 2023, largely driven by unit price increases due to inflation and the rising cost of raw materials and energy. Major dairy players such as Megmilk Snow Brand, Meiji Co Ltd,…

The price of cheese in Italy has risen considerably towards the end of the review period. Higher pricing has been affected by several factors. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic crisis, its aftermath, and the outbreak of war in Ukraine have had…

The government has removed customs taxes for certain imported cheeses, such as soft cheeses with a fat percentage over 5%. Previously, these cheeses were taxed at ILS8.04-13.21 per kg. The customs tax is mainly set to be removed in two stages. Half…

2023 saw rising demand for premium cheese brands with a clear health and wellness positioning as Irish consumers became increasingly interested in products that can help them to improve their dietary intake. The desire to improve one’s diet to…

The COVID-19 pandemic increased awareness and acceptance of cheese in Indonesia, which continues in 2023. During lockdown there was increased interest in cooking and baking at home, and cheese became more widely used as an ingredient. In addition,…

Retail demand for cheese in India continued to grow in 2023, as major players introduced new variants and expanded their ranges to cater for different consumption occasions. There is increasing demand for Western breakfasts among urban households,…

Following high double-digit price growth in 2022, the slight price decrease in 2023 positively influenced the retail volume growth of this market. However, cheese remains a product that is considered a non-basic food item by many, and as such, it is…

Sales of cheese in Hong Kong are expected to experience a significant retail current value boost in 2023, mainly due to a substantial rise in the average unit price. The overall unit price of cheese is set to increase by over 10% compared with the…

Cheese is expected to be one of the strongest performing dairy products in 2023, with double-digit value growth, as well as healthy volume growth. Lower-income buyers continue to consume unpackaged soft cheese (usually unbranded), which is available…

Across the review period, innovation was strong on the cheese category. Until recently, Greek law mandated the pasteurisation of milk for health reasons. However, a new legislation framework across the review period allowed cheese production from raw…

Inflation has had a noticeable impact on demand for cheese in Germany, prompting consumers to substitute higher-priced cheese varieties with cheaper alternatives. After a price increase of more than 20% since the first quarter of 2022, consumers are…

Butter expected to register healthy current value growth, but minimal volume growth. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and high inflation is continuing to have an effect and consumers are expected to be…

Cheese in France has experienced mixed fortunes in 2022 and 2023 following an upturn in demand during pandemic-related home seclusion in 2020. Price rises across the board are resulting in retail volume declines for many types. The notable exceptions…

Cheese received a boost in current retail value sales when COVID-19 pandemic restrictions hit Finland, with consumers bulk buying cheese for home use. In 2023, as in 2022, sales continued to normalise; nonetheless, cooking and snacking at home…

Cheese is expected to register muted constant value growth, but healthy volume growth in 2023. A significant number of newly-arrived migrants from Ukraine, escaping from the war, is also expected to increase volume sales. However, inflation is…

Cheese in Egypt is witnessing small growth in current retail volume, and a huge increase in current retail value sales in 2023 due to the increases in price. The sector was still in recovery following the impact of COVID-19, when the war in Ukraine…

Queso fresco (fresh cheese) is the most consumer cheese in Ecuador. In this category, the participation of the informal industry is very pronounced as cheese consumption is very regional. Each area is accustomed to the type of cheese that is produced…