For the 52 weeks ended Jan. 22, the natural cheese category saw increases in dollar sales (7%), unit sales (0.6%) and an average price increase of 20 cents according to Chicago-based SymphonyIRI Group.

For a child in the 1980s, string cheese was the ultimate must-have lunch snack. The simple act of peeling strings away from a cylindrical-shaped “stick” was both exciting and innovative and transformed the way consumers eat cheese.