PARIS, Oct. 15 (Munan) -- In September this year, Italian mozzarella replaced French camembert cheese for the first time as the most consumed cheese in France.
Fabrice Collier, president of the Normandy Cabambert Cheese Manufacturers' Union (SNCF), confirmed that from the beginning of this year to September 11, France sold a total of 29,230 tons of Camembert cheese, while Mozzarella cheese sold 33,170 tons, according to Le Figaro. Previously, Camembert cheese had been the most sold soft cheese in France.
According to France AgriMer, the agricultural, fisheries and food management agency under the French Ministry of Agriculture, Italian mozzarella cheese is growing steadily at a rate of 5% per year in France, and its sales reached a peak of 21.2% in 2020.
Conversely, sales of French Camembert cheese have been declining for years, falling by an average of 3 to 4 percent per year. In the early 2010s Camembert cheese sold more than 55,000 tons in France, and by 2020, that number had dropped to 48,594 tons.
New sales records reveal new consumption patterns for the French. Fabris Collier, President of the SNCF Alliance, said: "Carmen Perl and Mozzarella cheese are eaten in very different ways, the first is cut and served directly on the plate, and the second is more suitable for pairing with easy-to-make dishes, especially pizza. ”
In addition to this, the chairman was also concerned about the future of The French Camembert cheese manufacturing industry, "In the 1980s, France produced 180,000 tons of Camembert cheese, twice as much as it is today. In addition, since the beginning of the year, only Camembert cheese produced in origins that are included in the Appellation of Origin Protection (PDO) system has been able to label its products with the word 'Normandy', which accounts for only 10% of the total annual production of 60,000 tonnes of Camembert cheese. ”