Consumption of milk and dairy drinks plunged in Switzerland last year by 9.9%.
The Union of Swiss Milk Producers claims that the marked reduction was because of government meddling. The Bern lawmakers changed variable, and often high, fat content in drinking milk to a strict 3.5% minimum in 2008 which was then adopted as standard by most dairies. This resulted in consumption dropping, says the Swiss Union.
However, the average annual consumption of milk and other dairy products is 377 kg per head and remains one of the best in Europe.
The 2009 report also noted a 5.4% decrease in butter sales in the country. But sales of cheese in 2009 were up on the year by 1.1% and yogurt by 1.6%. Last year, 42% of all milk produced in Switzerland was made into cheese and annual per capita consumption was 21.4 kg.