Ice Cream sales, production are hot again ahead of National Ice Cream Day
Recent data provided to IDFA show hard ice cream production for the first five months of 2021 running ahead of last year, when hard ice cream production set a five-year high.
With National Ice Cream Day just around the corner, Americans are lining up at scoop shops and grocery checkout lines at near-record numbers to get their favorite flavors of ice cream. Recent data provided to the Washington, D.C.-based International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) show hard ice cream production for the first five months of 2021 running ahead of last year, when hard ice cream production set a five-year high with more than 1 billion gallons produced. Through the first six months of 2021, just as the summer season kicked into high gear, retail ice cream sales (grocery) were only slightly behind 2020’s record highs when shoppers couldn’t get enough of America’s frozen treat, IDFA said.
“Ice cream sales set a blazing pace in 2020 and just never let up,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “All in all, 2021 is shaping up to be one of the strongest years on record for ice cream production and sales as the U.S. economy opens up and restaurants and foodservice compete with grocery stores for ice cream sales. Americans love to celebrate National Ice Cream Day every day.”