Carbery Group has launched Carbery Dairy, its latest cheese brand, specifically for the ingredient and foodservice markets in Europe and Asia. The range includes natural cheddar, a functional reduced-fat cheese, specialty cheeses and a range of pasta filata, including mozzarella and grilling cheese. The move comes when consumers’ eating habits are evolving with a more significant focus on health.

“Looking at global food and consumption trends in dairy, cheese-like mozzarella provides us with a more diversified product range and an opportunity to build a stronger foothold in new and emerging cheese markets such as Asia, while also providing us with a new product range and market opportunities, in sectors such as foodservice,” Orlaigh Matthews, marketing manager for cheese at Carbery, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

These cheeses are suitable for a wide range of applications, including pizza, baking, ready meals, sauces, seasonings, and snacks. The range offers varied flavor profiles and a high functionality level, such as excellent stretch, sliceability, good melting and low browning characteristics.

The cheeses have been tested in real-life foodservice settings to ensure they perform well under different cooking and baking conditions. They are also available in a number of formats, to suit the requirements of varying kitchen capabilities. 

The varieties of cheese on offer through Carbery Dairy include: 

•    Pasta Filata (mozzarella and grilling cheese) 

•    Natural Cheddar (mild, medium, mature and vintage) 

•    Cheese Extra (a variety of highly functional, high protein, reduced-fat cheeses) 

•    Speciality Cheeses (includes both Italian style and Inclusion cheese with flavors such as smoked, chili, fajita and black pepper)

Carbery is looking at international consumption trends to grow its product offering further. 

“The strategy to focus this brand primarily in Europe and Asia is driven by the Westernization of diets, which is significantly increasing consumer demand for cheese, including cheddar and mozzarella, in Asia,” Matthews continues. 

Moreover, increased market growth and consumer demand for mozzarella is seen in Europe and Asia, primarily driven by the growing pizza market across foodservice and retail, she adds.

Demand for cheese products
In general, global consumers are becoming more health-conscious and are looking for naturally healthy products to include in their diet. 

“In China, for example, consumers are substituting traditional snack products for those that are high in ‘good’ ingredients, such as protein, low in ‘bad’ ingredients, like sugar, and offer genuine nutritional value,” Matthews explains.  

There is an increasing demand for ready meal producers in Europe to reduce their products fat and salt content both from consumers and regulatory bodies. 

“In applications such as ready meals and pizzas, reducing the fat content of the cheese can help make significant strides towards making cheese ‘healthier.’ However, it is essential that the taste and functionality of the cheese is maintained,” she notes. 

There is also a rise in cheese snacks and healthy snacking options across developed and developing dairy markets. In China, for example, there has been significant growth in the cheese snacks market, primarily for children. 

Natural and sustainable claims are also hugely important. According to Matthews, consumers increasingly focus on sustainability and are interested in seeing how companies respond.

Meanwhile, foodservice has been a vital driver of the dairy industry in recent years. “The growth in the global mozzarella market is primarily due to the huge growth in the global pizza market in recent years, with double-digit growth rates seen in Asia and strong growth in Europe,” she argues.

“The pandemic has led to several changes in consumer attitudes and behavior. Most notable is the increasing focus on health and wellness,” she further details. 

“Consumers have realized that their diets and lifestyles, in general, were not as healthy as they could be and as a result, they have been looking at how they can improve their dietary intake.”

Dairy offers many health benefits, including high protein and calcium, and is a natural healthy food to include as part of a holistic approach to health. 

As well as the increased desire to improve their health and well-being, consumers are looking for options to indulge and treat themselves.

“Dairy and cheese specifically work very well as part of this holistic picture, offering many nutritional and natural benefits as well as offering indulgence and premium options,” Matthews adds. 

According to Carbery, the pizza market is a sector that is poised for significant growth. “We will continue to see growth across retail and foodservice channels. Areas such as ready meals for retail and convenience store settings will continue to develop and evolve,” she says.  

“As the foodservice landscape continues to evolve following COVID-19, new applications will likely emerge, and cheese manufacturers will need to be positioned to respond with high quality and functional options,” she concludes.