GERMANY – The prepacked cheese market has jumped by 6% in just one year, according to price recording agency ZMP.

The news means that around 80% of cheese sold in German retail outlets is now prepacked and marketed in the self-service areas.

ZMP has identified the self-service boom as a major factor in cheese sales growth in Germany. The agency reported that total cheese purchases by households in the first quarter of this year are around 3% up on the same period in 2003.

That puts per capita cheese consumption at over 22 kg per year, which still leaves the Germans behind the Greeks and the French. In 2002, the last year complete figures are available for these countries, per capita cheese consumption for was 27.5 for Greece and 25.8 kg for France.

Production in Germany’s cheese plants hasn’t altered for the first quarter, however, with Germany still the most important cheesemaking EU member state, with around 450,000 tonnes in the first quarter. This is followed by 410,000 tonnes in France, 240,00 in Italy and 170,000 tonnes in the Netherlands.

The best selling cheeses in Germany include Edam, Gouda and Emmental – between them these cheese command over 50% of the market. According to ZMP, the Mozzarella market is growing fast and accounted for 8% of cheese sales in the first quarter.