Pizza is one of the most consumed foods in the world and crosses international and cultural boundaries as the ultimate convenience food. The widespread availability of pizza was sparked by U.S. development of low moisture mozzarella. The American innovation of the individually quick frozen (IQF) process creates access to top quality, universally dependable shredded cheeses that help minimize labor costs. Both whole milk and part-skim varieties of the melting cheese can be chilled for regional transport or frozen for international transport. Cheese blends that replace 20% to 50% of the part-skim mozzarella with whole milk cheeses like provolone, Monterey jack and cheddar provide new flavor twists and improve melt coverage without oiling off challenges. Colored cheddar is a popular choice, as it provides extra depth to the browning perception.  

The U.S. dairy industry supports category creativity with innovations such as cheese-filled crusts, IQF cheese and cheese blends, and ingredients such as permeates that help create flavorful reduced-sodium dough. Dairy ingredients and products from the United States help product developers keep on-trend with innovation in the pizza category. Learn more about U.S. dairy products in the Product Section. 

Pizza Trends

The retail pizza market offers an attractive option to time-pressed consumers, particularly in light of economic conditions. 

In a highly competitive market, pizza formulators constantly seek to uncover the next big trend. The top flavors used in new pizza product launches consistently highlight cheeses. Meanwhile, bold new cheese blends help pizza formulators create new taste twists that carry fewer calories to address consumer health and wellness trends.  

The world's pizza purveyors have new focus on upscale offerings to meet demands from ever-sophisticated consumers for ready-to-make taste sensations. Meanwhile, smaller servings of pizza provide convenience spin-offs in the category.   

Taste Sensations

New product development in the pizza category has a sharp focus on authentic, restaurant-quality products suitable to share with family and friends and available for impulse or advance purchase. The wide retail availability of ready-to-bake frozen and chilled fresh pizzas provides consumers with a convenient and cost-effective alternative to home delivery, take-away and eat-in restaurants.  

Cheeses including mozzarella and parmesan remain popular on all varieties of ready-to-make pizza. But new bold, gourmet flavor profiles use pizza cheese blends to provide new twists. A mozzarella base incorporates small amounts of more intense cheeses like provolone, Monterey jack and cheddar to provide additional taste satisfaction with fewer calories. Lower-sodium pizza alternatives to suit health and wellness trends are also on product developer radars with the help of dairy permeates that offer an alternative to salt without taste sacrifices.   

Convenience Spin-offs

The need for single-serve products that are ultra-convenient and at least somewhat healthy remains one of the biggest global drivers in food and health.  Driven by a demand for innovation, recent pizza applications such as dipping strips, bagel bites and pizza pockets are prime examples of consumer interest in convenient food items.   

Utilization

U.S. dairy ingredients provide flavor, function and nutrition. The chart below illustrates the benefits of common dairy ingredients.

Access U.S. Dairy Export Council prototype formulations for inspiration on new twists on pizza, both for the toppings as well as for the crust.