The past year has been a rollercoaster ride for the cheese category. While the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced demand for cheese in foodservice, the category’s growth at retail was extensive, notes Kelly Slentz, associate brand manager, cheese for La Farge, Wis.-based Organic Valley.

The current era of exalting everything “real” is turning processors away from the artificial and highly processed ingredients that once were principal tools in food formulators’ kits.