Natural cheese sales have been steady for subcategories such as slices and shreds, but others (crumbles, chunks) are struggling. Meanwhile, cheese spreads/balls saw a sales boost in the processed cheese category.

As we wrote about in our State of the Industry report last month, consumers love their cheese and are eating more of it, but prefer all-natural varieties.

Consumers’ preference for natural over processed shows in cheese sales. While natural cheese sales remained positive, processed cheese continues to see declines. Consumers are opting for natural slices, sticks and shredded cheese.

Dollar and unit sales for most natural cheese segments are up, while processed cheeses are still not the first choice for many consumers.

Unit sales are up slightly for the natural cheese category, but sales of processed cheese continue to decline.

By harnessing the knowledge gained by measuring intact casein and bound calcium, a cheesemaker can better determine the texture and performance of the end product.

Convenience is the key. Shred it, grate it, crumble it. Consumers like their cheese ready-to-go, whether it’s natural or processed, though natural is still winning the game.