43,860 tonnes of camembert were purchased by households in 2021, reports Kantar data published by FranceAgriMer.
If Camembert remains the second best-selling cheese behind the 148,757 tonnes of Emmentaler consumed by the French, it is about to be overtaken by raclette cheese (38,997 tonnes) and mozzarella (38,545 tonnes).
A boom of more than 55% in sales for mozzarella
Indeed, its two competitors have experienced a boom in sales over the past five years: +34% for raclette cheese and +55.4%.
for the mozzarella.
Conversely, the Camembert shows a fall of 18.3%.
Its two challengers, for their part, even manage, between 2020 and 2021, to see their sales increase (+2.3% for raclette and +1.8% for mozzarella), while they fell for the rest of the cheese section.
The reasons for their success stem from their use as ingredients in dishes.
On the contrary, camembert is a mythical element of cheese platters, less and less popular with households.
A lack of adaptation of its consumption which could cost it its second place in the coming years.
In terms of value, the Camembert already beaten
Especially since in terms of sales value, the study reveals that Camembert has already lost.
Previously third behind Emmental and Comté, raclette had already passed Norman cheese in 2019. Last year, it was finally mozzarella that caught up with it.
For the year 2021, the trend is not reversed since the raclette brings in 388.69 million euros and the mozzarella 329.72, against 319.18 million euros for the camembert.
Despite everything, the little round cheese has not said its last word and is trying to renew itself by taking the form of croques or bites.