—Consumption


--Total U.S. production of ice cream and related frozen desserts in 2006 amounted to about 1.55 billion gallons, an increase of 0.73 percent over 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

--In 2006, total U.S. sales of ice cream and frozen desserts reached $22.8 billion. Of that total, $8.9 billion was spent on products for at-home consumption, while $13.9 billion was spent on away-from-home frozen dessert purchases in venues such as scoop shops, foodservice, and other retail sales outlets, according to IDFA Dairy Facts/International Ice Cream Association research.

--Ice cream and related frozen desserts are consumed by more than 90 percent of U.S. households, according to product trends tracker Mintel.

--Regular ice cream accounts for the largest share of the frozen dessert market, at 62.4 percent. Reduced-fat, light, low-fat, and nonfat ice cream account for 25 percent of the market, followed by frozen yogurt (4.3 percent), water ice (4.1 percent), sherbet (3.4 percent), and other products (0.7percent), according to the USDA.

Novelties

--The total frozen novelty market in 2006 was valued at $6.1 billion, up from $5.7 billion in 2005, according to IRI research.

--IRI data from 2001 showed that, mirroring a similar trend in ice cream, vanilla was the top flavor for novelties, with more than 27 percent of the volume share. Fudge was the next highest standalone flavor share, with nearly 8 percent.

--In 2001 ice cream bars held the largest dollar market share (25 percent) of the frozen novelty market in supermarkets, followed by yogurt novelties (20 percent) frozen ice (14.1 percent), ice cream sandwiches (13.5 percent), and ice cream cones (10 percent), according to the same IRI data.