| The daily per capita consumption
of milk and dairy products in Japan is 254.7g and has grown
faster than other staple foods. When compared to consumption
levels in developed European countries and the U.S., however,
per capita consumption in Japan is much less. Indeed, the demand
for milk and other dairy products in Japan remains low.The daily
per capita consumption of milk is about 105g, roughly one third
of the daily per capita consumption in England and Denmark,
and less than one-half of that in the U.S. and Australia. Moreover,
the daily per capita consumption of butter, a major dairy product
in Japan, is 2g, about one fifth of that in England, and about
one twelfth of that in France, the country with the highest
rate of butter consumption. (It typically takes about 5-10g
of butter to butter one slice of toast.) Finally, per-capita
cheese consumption is about one fifth of that in England and
about one thirteenth of that in France. Clearly, for an important
food group, 68% of which is produced domestically, the market
for milk and other dairy products in Japan is underdeveloped
and should be expanded.
In Japan, however, milk is consumed
only as a beverage, butter is used only as a spread for bread,
and cheese is eaten only with sake or on pizza. In Japan,
unlike in Europe, the U.S. and other Western countries, milk
and other dairy products are not widely used in cooking, and
it is here that the potential to increase consumption is most
promising.
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