Even with Greek yogurt growing in American markets and consumers flocking to anything with live, active cultures, 2012 may be best remembered as a year associated with milk’s diminished role.
Last August, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report said domestic 2011 beverage milk sales tallied 53 billion pounds (roughly 6 billion gallons), the market’s poorest performance since 1984. Whole milk beverage sales in 2011 stood at less than half of 1980s’ levels, the report noted. It cited such factors as shifting consumer preferences and other new beverages.