Italian cheeses are the most frequently consumed foreign cheeses in France. This is according to data from the Economic Observatory on Buffalo Mozzarella from Campania DOP, a tool developed by the Consortium for the Protection of Buffalo Mozzarella in partnership with Nomisma and UniCredit. According to the study, six out of ten French people prefer Italian cheeses, followed by Dutch and Spanish cheeses.
The French love Buffalo Mozzarella
Among Italian stretched curd cheeses, buffalo mozzarella is the favourite in France, with almost 7 out of 10 French people consuming it in the past year, followed by burrata and stracciatella, with consumption rates of about 50%. Buffalo mozzarella is chosen primarily because it is a fresh dish and is considered one of the symbolic products of Italian cuisine, according to La Presse agency. The preferred way of consuming it for one in two French people is in a Caprese salad. 90% of the French interviewed identify Italy as one of the main countries of origin for high-quality foreign cheeses. This further confirms the leadership of Made in Italy in the international dairy sector," said Fabio Benassi, a researcher at Nomisma, during the presentation of the study. Italy is the main exporter of cheeses and dairy products to France, with a market share of 34% by value (the Netherlands follow with a 19% share). From 2018 to 2023, the value grew by 80%, approaching 1 billion euros.
The favourite dairy product among under-18s
France is the main export destination for buffalo mozzarella from Campania, with a market share of 29%. According to Nomisma, in Italy, buffalo mozzarella from Campania DOP is the most popular stretched curd cheese among under-18s: 40% of parents say that buffalo mozzarella is their children's favourite stretched curd cheese (compared to 37% for cow's milk mozzarella, 8% for stracciatella, and 6% for burrata). There is a growing preference for DOP Buffalo Mozzarella, so much so that 84% of national consumers would continue to buy buffalo mozzarella from Campania even if it were more expensive, and 35% would continue to buy it even if the price increased by 1 euro per 200/250g package.z
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