Little Miss Muffet Was Onto Something: 71% Of Americans Love Cottage Cheese

Real California Milk snack study¹ finds affection for but lack knowledge of "curds & whey"

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Sep 05, 2017, 06:00 ET

TRACY, Calif., Sept. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Just call her an early trendsetter, because Little Miss Muffet was right: cottage cheese is delicious. A recent survey commissioned by the Real California Milk found a majority (71%) of Americans have a positive sentiment about the delicious dairy product. However, despite its popularity, most Americans were unable to correctly identify the origins of cottage cheese from a list of six presented options.

Cottage Cheese Origins

What is the origin of the name Cottage Cheese?

The national survey found that 87% of Americans were unable to correctly identify the origins of cottage cheese, with 37% believing that "cottage" is French for "curds and whey," and a surprising 5% convinced that cottage cheese is produced from "cows that live indoors." Additionally, 20% of Millennials (ages 18 to 34) were inclined to believe that cottage cheese originated in Cottage, England – a fictional city.

In truth, cottage cheese comes by its name very honestly: the simple cheese was first produced in small batches in country homes (referred to as cottages) from any milk left over after making butter.

Cottage Cheese Sentiment
However, lack of knowledge about the production process has done little to dim the product's popularity; despite once being associated with diet plates and grandma, 71% of Americans have a highly positive opinion of cottage cheese, and 19% identify it as healthy.

Snacking Ideas
Cottage cheese is a protein-packed snack with upwards of 14 grams of protein and less than 100 calories per half cup serving – perfect for healthy snacking on the go. Beyond classic fruit combinations, cottage cheese provides the perfect blank slate for a variety of interesting sweet and savory snacking options for back to school and beyond, including:

California is the number one milk producer in the country, and produces 112 million pounds of cottage cheese per year. Dairy is a great source of protein, calcium and vitamin D, all of which are essential nutrients the body needs at every stage of life.

Consumers can look for the Real California Milk or Cheese Seal on dairy brands to ensure quality products made with 100 percent milk produced by California's dairy farm families. Products with the seals are available in supermarkets and specialty stores across the U.S.

About the California Milk Advisory Board

The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state's more than 1300 dairy families. With headquarters in Tracy, the CMAB is one of the largest agricultural marketing boards in the United States. The CMAB executes advertising, public relations, research and retail and foodservice promotional programs on behalf of California dairy products, including Real California Milk and Real California Cheese. For more information and to connect with the CMAB through social media, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, like on Facebook, watch videos on YouTube, follow on Twitter and Instagram, and pin on Pinterest.

¹ Source: All figures are from YouGov Plc, on behalf of Real California Milk. Total sample size was 1112 adults, with online fieldwork undertaken between 25th-26th July 2017. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+).

SOURCE California Milk Advisory Board