Cottage Cheese Sales Surge, Exceeding $2 Billion in the U.S.
The cottage cheese market in the United States has experienced substantial growth, with sales surpassing $2 billion, reaching nearly $2.1 billion during a recent 52-week period ending February 22. The demand for high-protein dairy products has fueled this growth, with unit sales rising 14% year over year to 635 million units.
Private label products led the category with $673 million in sales. Meanwhile, several branded manufacturers recorded significant gains. Daisy Brand increased its dollar sales by 25% to $441 million, and its unit sales rose 22% to 139 million. Lactalis Heritage Dairy also saw a 28% rise in dollar sales, totaling $284 million, with a 14% increase in unit sales. Good Culture's sales climbed 24% to $233 million.
In contrast, the sour cream and cream cheese categories showed mixed results. Sour cream sales modestly increased by 2% to $1.94 billion, but unit sales slightly declined. Daisy Brand maintained a strong position in this segment with over $1.1 billion in sales. The cream cheese category, however, saw an overall decline of 3%, although some niche and premium brands achieved growth in specific subcategories.
The data, presented by Circana during a Dairy Foods product development webinar, highlights the evolving preferences of U.S. consumers towards protein-rich dairy foods. The yogurt category also showed robust performance, with sales reaching $13.1 billion, a 14% increase from the previous year.
Regional players like Kemps and Darigold recorded some of the fastest growth rates in the cottage cheese category, indicating a broad-based increase in consumer interest across the country.
