Fall is a beautiful time of year and a great time to enjoy an ice cream treat. It is super popular and is enjoyed by just about every person during any season. In fact, the average American consumes approximately 23 pounds of ice cream and frozen desserts annually. It is no wonder the dairy industry has a big economic impact.
Impact on the Economy
According to the International Dairy Foods Association, or IDFA, the US dairy industry pumped $752 billion into the economy in 2021.
In addition, more than 3 million jobs were created and direct wages for workers totaled $41.6 billion.
American dairy companies contribute significantly to the economy and their impact continues to grow every year.
In fact, according to the IDFA report, ice cream adds $13 billion in direct economic impact and supports 28,800 dairy industry jobs.
In Maryland, the report found the dairy industry has a direct economic impact of $3.1 billion,
contributes $2.7 billion in total wages and provides more than 17,000 jobs.
Why Americans Love Ice Cream
According to FoodBusinessNews, the top five ice cream flavors consumers like are Chocolate, Cookies N’ Cream, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Chocolate Chip. IDFA president and CEO Michael Dykes, D.V.M., tells the publication “America’s love for ice cream knows no bounds.” The desire for the comforting and satisfying treat grew during the pandemic and Dykes adds, “sales continue to set a blazing pace at grocery, scoop shops, and corner stores.”
Some other fun facts about ice cream, according to the 2022 IDFA’s National Ice Cream Trends Survey: Consumers prefer waffle cones to sugar cones, but slightly more prefer to eat their ice cream out of a bowl. Chocolate is the most popular topping sauce, pecans are more popular than peanuts, and strawberries topped the list of favorite fruit toppings.
73% of Americans eat ice cream at least once a week, and 2 out of 3 consume ice cream in the evening.
The ice cream sandwich is the most popular novelty product, followed by cones and pops. People also rank non-dairy ice creams and plant-based ingredients at the bottom of their list.
There are many reasons why people love their ice cream. It can be eaten anywhere; it takes sadness away; there are a variety of flavors to choose from; it is an easy dessert; it soothes a sore throat; you can take a scoop and save the rest in the freezer; it cools you off, and it can be enjoyed with others.
Norwood Ice Cream& Candy Company is located in Eldersburg, Maryland. Our address is 5957 Exchange Drive, Suite F. Each unique flavor is handcrafted in the store in small batches, offering customers exciting new ice cream flavor choices every time they come in. The shop also sells the finest chocolates and old-fashioned candies from Wockenfuss, one of the oldest candy makers in Baltimore. Drop on by or give us a call at 410-875-7238.