Every other year, the American Cheese Society surveys cheesemakers to “gain an understanding of the current state of the U.S. artisan and specialty cheese industry." The responses help the organization “identify trends and guide benchmarking, policy recommendations, and advocacy for the cheese industry."    

What did the findings from the 2020 survey—conducted early in the COVID-19 pandemic—reveal about how everyone who works with cheese should be evolving with the industry moving forward? Download our infographic to dig into the data.

Functional foods—those that offer health benefits beyond nutrition—were on the rise before COVID-19 arrived. But with the pandemic causing many people to become hyper-focused on their health and well-being, the trend has picked up steam.

Pizza has always been a fan favorite. In any given week, nearly half (44%) of American consumers eat pizza from a restaurant at least once, Technomic found, and 3 in 10 consume frozen or take-and-bake/refrigerated pizza.

Half & half has carved out an indisputable spot in the coffee category. Datassential research confirms, in fact, that operators use half & half in the front of the house more than any other type of cream, due in part to its popularity as a coffee add-in. But one-third of operators also use it as a back-of-house ingredient.

Over the past year, a majority of operators streamlined their menus to manage through the pandemic. In fact, the National Restaurant Association’s 2021 State of the Industry Report showed that 63% of fine dining and half of casual and family dining restaurants now offer fewer items.

Consumers are hungry for mozzarella, and operators are ready to satisfy their appetite. According to Datassential, 76% of restaurants feature traditional mozzarella as a menu mainstay; another 11% offer it as a seasonal item or special. When it comes to fresh mozzarella, 41% offer it all the time, and 24% do so on a limited basis.

From the frothy crown on a chocolate milkshake to a topping that takes a Belgian waffle to the next level, whipped cream is having a moment.

It’s interesting to know how mozzarella is made. For the industry, however, what’s even more compelling is how mozzarella is consumed.

Like other classic cheeses, Parmesan has been pleasing palates for so long that its popularity can be underappreciated. It’s a mainstay ingredient across the restaurant industry—everything from casual to midscale to fine dining—and for good reason. Roughly 8 in 10 consumers say they like or love it (only mozzarella and cheddar are more popular), and 69% say they eat Parmesan at least once a month, according to Datassential research.

Its history in Italy and the United States underscores an important fact about mozzarella cheese: Although they all share the name “mozzarella,” there are actually several different varieties of the beloved Italian cheese, each with its own unique characteristics.