USDA’s per capita consumption data, released September 30, showed a decline in cheese sales for only the second time since 1994, excluding the market anomalies of the ’08 recession and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Mozzarella, the usual cheese leader, fell 0.2% (12.3 pounds consumed per person). The decline can be largely attributed to continued stress on restaurants, especially as a key pizza ingredient. America’s second favorite cheese, cheddar, has shown little movement over the same time period. Read more on U.S. cheese sales here.