How Flavor Science and Technology is Disrupting and Innovating the Ultimate Comfort Food

Few categories in the industry are as large – and stagnant – as . With total U.S. sales of over $28 billion in 2022, is as American as apple pie and baseball, with more than 5.3 billion pounds of consumed each year in this country.

However, despite strong volume sales, growth for the cheese category is slow, with pre-pandemic growth of less than 2% from 2016-2019, and less than 1% CAGR through 2027, according to Mintel.  

Cheese enjoys nearly universal consumption figures, with over 95% of U.S. consumers purchasing cheese each year. Clearly, Americans love cheese, but the category needs to continue innovating to pique interest and drive incremental sales. Thanks to recent advancements in flavor science and technology, the industry is developing new ways to entice Americans with more of what they already love.

Innovating in a “Comfort” Category

The greatest strength of the cheese category​ – and potentially its greatest weakness – is the fact that most Americans seek out cheese as a familiar comfort . According to Mintel, more than two thirds of U.S. consumers enjoy trying new cheeses and nearly half would like a greater variety of cheeses in their supermarket. But cheese brands looking to expand the category need to “safely” innovate, since consumers are hesitant to venture far from a known, familiar flavor – a consumer pattern that is only heightened by economic concerns like inflation and supply issues. Consumers want to avoid waste and stick to cheese varieties that are predictable and versatile. Still, the broad appeal of cheese and the potential for bold flavor innovation leaves considerable  room for exploration and innovation within the category.

Mature dairy categories like cheese can be disrupted by flavor innovation, provided that brands use widely popular, familiar cheese varieties like cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan as a neutral base for bold, spicy such as jalapeno pepper or garlic….

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