Analysis of the cheese market in Ukraine from the branding and marketing agency FINE in Ukraine: Development Company: AI, Blockchain, IoT, Kyiv, Lviv, Odessa, Dnipro, Vinnitsa

Cheese is a product with a long history and is still consumed today. Probably about 10,000 years ago, shepherds invented cheese from curdled milk. In Italy and France, cheese was produced as early as 2000 BC.

Cheese is a rich source of healthy protein and animal fat. They provide the body with many substances necessary for the proper functioning of the substance of calcium, phosphorus, salt and vitamins. Yellow cheeses are also a source of tryptophan and phenylethylamine, which influence the secretion of serotonin, the hormone of happiness. They also have anti-cancer effects.

The variety of cheeses depends primarily on: the quality of milk, the processing of cottage cheese and cheese, the type of microflora present in it and the ripening conditions. Differences in production technology underlie the variety of different types of cheeses and determine the possibilities of their use.

Depending on the amount of water in the cheeses, we can divide them into: very hard (26-34% water), hard (35-45%), semi-hard (45-55%), semi-soft (55-80%) and soft cheeses (over 60% water). If the separation criterion concerns the fat content in the dry matter of the cheese, we divide it into: cream - 50%, very fat - 45%, fatty - 30-40%, semi-fat - 20% and low-fat, cheeses containing up to 10% fat.

The 20th century is considered to be the beginning of cheese production in Ukraine. At the moment, about 150 companies are engaged in its production in Ukraine, and 2/3 of them are engaged in the production of hard cheeses, and the rest are soft and processed types. Since 2013, there has been a decrease in cheese production, which is about 38%. Since 2018, according to the European directive on the quality of milk, it must be bought by enterprises in specialized farms.

The largest cheese producing companies in Ukraine: Milkiland, Milk Alliance, Terra Food, Cheese Club. The most famous brands: Ferma, Bila Liniya, Yagotynske, Yagotynske for Children, Aktimel, Danissimo, Como and others. Dutch and Russian cheese have been the leading types for a very long time. It should be noted that domestically produced cheeses are in most cases of high quality, but there are also producers of cheese products that focus on low customer opportunities.

Consumer profile: According to the data, people with incomes below the average are more likely to consume cheese products with a lower cost (eg processed cheese). People with higher incomes prefer hard cheeses. Young people prefer sliced ​​cheese, while older people rely more on better quality sliced ​​cheese. Also, most of the population is guided by the belief that imported cheeses are better than domestic producers.

There are two main trends in the cheese market that consumers are looking at. In addition to the quality and taste of the cheese, it is also natural, and functionality and aesthetics of the packaging. Interesting graphics, original and functional packaging sell this product. Customers are looking for an excellent quality product in interesting packaging that preserves long-term freshness. Products that are already sliced ​​and in a small aesthetic package will sell the best, as the consumption of cheese will be easy and enjoyable. The already shabby versions of the cheeses will also appeal to consumers as they simply make the cooking process easier. And of course, in the assortment of many brands you can see the appearance of packaged cheeses, for example, in a “one-time” portion, in which case you no longer need to look for a refrigerator to hide the rest, you do not need to worry about keeping the product fresh.

Trends:

• It is estimated that almost 40% of people read labels. People are becoming more aware of the health impact of food, they read labels, they increasingly want to choose pure, natural products without unnecessary chemical additives, and this is driving the development of the cheese segment in accordance with this trend. This is where the trend for premium cheese appears. There is tremendous potential for companies to eliminate preservatives and colorings from products and their labels. The premium cheese market is developing much better and more stable than the entire cheese segment. Regardless, this is an immature market and there is still a lot of work to be done for companies in the industry.
• Fashion for a vegetarian diet. Cheese is an important and popular ingredient in a vegetarian diet. Therefore, more and more attention is now being paid to the label claim that the product is vegetarian, with clear information on the alternative ingredients used.

FINE marketing agency Development Company: AI, Blockchain, IoT, Kyiv, Lviv, Odessa, Dnipro, Vinnitsa, Ukraine will prepare a study of the dairy and cheese markets, prepare the packaging of your product, as well as an advertising campaign.