Swiss cheese consumption holds steady
Cheese consumption in Switzerland levelled at 21.28 kg per head in 2012, according to the national statistics office. This is welcome news for Swiss cheese makers because it remains about the same as the previous year – despite higher retail prices all round. Not so welcome is the increase in imported cheeses consumed as part of this total. This segment has risen by 2% in a single year to 30% of all cheese sold on the Swiss market. It’s a total that features nearly 7 kg of “fresh cheeses” which include the usual cream and cottage cheeses and quark spreads, but also mozzarella – now the favourite fresh cheese in Switzerland. In 2012 the Swiss bought 6.8 kg of these fresh cheeses. Favourite traditional Swiss cheeses on the domestic market remain Le Gruyère AOC und Appenzeller as well as the famed Raclette Suisse – all of which increased sales on the year. Appenzeller home sales, for example, increased by 5.5% to 3,518 t. Exports (60% of the total 2012 Appenzeller production of 8798 t) were down by about 3%, according to the Swiss Appenzeller Society. Exports of all Swiss cheeses have, however, risen by 4% over those in 2011.
