2. The consumption of cheese in relation to dairy foods: a USA perspective

Consumption of cheese in the United States has grown over a long period of time. Cheese demand has been supplied by an industry that has developed technologies that facilitated production efficiency and fostered products of high and consistent quality. In addition to the changes within the production sector, changes in factors that affect cheese demand and how consumers obtain the food they desire have also occurred. Modern marketing and retailing of foods have helped create an away-from-home consuming public that has several alternatives for including cheese in the dining experience; the hamburger, pizza and Hispanic foods are prime examples. Also over time, there have been ongoing efforts to develop cheese products that meet the changing views as to what constitutes a healthy diet as exemplified by pursuit of low-fat and low-sodium products. It appears safe to say that cheese plays a major role in the economic situation of the dairy industry and in the nutritional profiles of the consuming public in the United States.