Consumption of ice cream per capita in Canada 2004-2016
Ice cream in Canada - additional information
Ice cream, most often classed as a dairy product, comes in a variety of different flavors and is usually made from cream or milk, with added natural or artificial flavorings, sweeteners and colorings. Some ice creams are served soft and some are served hard.
Before the invention of modern refrigerators, ice cream was a luxury product for special occasions. Today, ice cream is eaten frequently, commonly as a sweet treat, snack or dessert. That said, recent statistics indicate a decline in the consumption of ice cream: in the decade between 2004 and 2014, Canada’s per capita consumption of ice cream fell from 9.15 liters to just 5.49 liters. Canada’s neighbor to the south, the United States, also reported a decline in the consumption of ice cream during this time frame, although the decrease was less pronounced.
Canada produced around 195 thousand kiloliters of ice cream in 2014 and imported close to three quarters of a million kilograms in the same year. In recent years, a popular alternative to ice cream has emerged onto the market: frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt, as the name implies, is made from yogurt and usually contains milk instead of cream making it a healthier and less sweet option. Frozen yogurt stores and stands have become a common trend and the dessert is now served in a large variety of flavors with toppings. Canada’s production of both hard and soft frozen yogurt has more than doubled since 2005, exceeding 18 million liters in 2013.