Cheese is a popular product in many countries around the world.
Cheese is a dairy product that is produced by curdling milk, draining the curd and aging it to produce flavour. Growing demand for convenience, premiumisation, expansion of foodservice, population growth, innovation in dairy ingredients, global retail chains.
Recent trends in the cheese market:
▸ Growing demand for shredded and pre-sliced ready-to-eat cheese products.
▸ Plant-based and vegan cheese alternatives are rapidly gaining market share.
▸ Demand for mozzarella is growing thanks to pizza and catering chains.
▸ Premium artisan and speciality cheeses that command higher retail prices.
Increased use of cheese powder in snacks and seasoning mixes.
▸ The growth of the private label cheese market is putting pressure on branded producers to make profits.
▸ Sustainability and carbon labelling are shaping procurement and marketing strategies.
▸ Innovations in shredded cheese extend shelf life and improve convenience.
Volatile dairy commodity prices squeeze cheese producers' margins during procurement cycles, according to Pristine reports. When farmgate prices rise, processors either absorb the costs or pass them on to retailers, affecting demand. Smaller and regional cheesemakers face greater risk, prompting consolidation and long-term supply contracts.
Consumer preferences are shifting towards protein and snacks
Growing consumer preferences for high-protein snacks and convenient formats are driving innovation in the cheese industry, according to Pristine. This is increasing the demand for shredded, packaged snacks and high-protein cheese items in retail and foodservice. Manufacturers are changing formulas, launching fortified variants and expanding quick-use packaging to accommodate these occasions.
🧀 Key players in the cheese market:
▸ Lactalis
▸ Dairy Farmers of America (DFA)
▸ Saputo Inc.
▸ Arla Foods
Fonterra Co-operative Group
▸ Leprino Foods Company
▸ The Kraft Heinz Company
▸ Schreiber Foods
▸ Savencia Fromage & Dairy
▸ Bel Group (Groupe Bel)
▸ Agropur Cooperative
▸ Amul (GCMMF)
▸ Bega Cheese
Source: Pristine Market Insights Pvt. Ltd.