Moms want "nutritious" and kids want "fun." And cheese is the answer on both scores. Innovative food companies are stretching the limits to produce cheese in new shapes, colors and flavors that appeal to children. At the same time, a new federal regulation has expanded the options for fortifying cheese with added vitamin D, while new technologies improve the efficiency of vitamin incorporation.
Most children enjoy a hands-on experience with food, so string cheese is a natural for the younger generation. The most frequent eaters are children under 6, closely followed by 13- to 17-year-olds, according to NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y. Data from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) in Chicago show that nearly 30% of American households purchase string cheese. Although string cheese showed 16% growth in 2003, and 23% in 2004, preliminary IRI figures show growth leveling off in 2005 at a total market share of 4.3%.