It is estimated that 70% of all cheese used in processing channels is natural. The key varieties are Cheddar, mozzarella, cream cheese and hard Italian cheeses.
Cheese usage today falls into three categories — industrial, retail and foodservice.
The industrial channel consists of cheese that is shipped to a facility for use as an ingredient in prepared food products, including frozen pizza, mac & cheese, soups, sauces, cheesecake, pastries and more.