A pizza is removed from a wood-burning oven during a protest to demand stricter price controls on the rising cost of pizza in Naples August 27, 2008. "Pizzaioli" or pizza chefs in Naples, birthplace of the Margherita, handed out free pizzas on Wednesday in protest at high prices charged by rivals who, they say, use the spike in commodity prices to rip off consumers. In the city where the classic "Margherita" with mozzarella, tomato and basil topping was invented in the 19th century - and named in honour of a queen with a taste for fast food - 30 cooks lit up six wood-burning ovens to cook 5,000 thin-crusted Neapolitan pizzas for queues of local people and tourists.  REUTERS/Ciro De Luca/Agnfoto (ITALY) - RTR21QSC

The booming pizza industry has flipped America’s cheese hierarchy

5 billion pounds

Pizza has shifted America’s cheese hierarchy. According to the USDA, Italian-style cheese now accounts for most of the 5 billion pounds of cheese made in the US.

Published   |  Photo by Reuters/Ciro De Luca/Agnfoto
A pizza is removed from a wood-burning oven during a protest to demand stricter price controls on the rising cost of pizza in Naples August 27, 2008. "Pizzaioli" or pizza chefs in Naples, birthplace of the Margherita, handed out free pizzas on Wednesday in protest at high prices charged by rivals who, they say, use the spike in commodity prices to rip off consumers. In the city where the classic "Margherita" with mozzarella, tomato and basil topping was invented in the 19th century - and named in honour of a queen with a taste for fast food - 30 cooks lit up six wood-burning ovens to cook 5,000 thin-crusted Neapolitan pizzas for queues of local people and tourists.  REUTERS/Ciro De Luca/Agnfoto (ITALY) - RTR21QSC
5 billion pounds

The driving force behind this shift has been mozzarella, which helped propel Italian-style cheese to overtake American cheese production in the US in 2010.

A pizza is removed from a wood-burning oven during a protest to demand stricter price controls on the rising cost of pizza in Naples August 27, 2008. "Pizzaioli" or pizza chefs in Naples, birthplace of the Margherita, handed out free pizzas on Wednesday in protest at high prices charged by rivals who, they say, use the spike in commodity prices to rip off consumers. In the city where the classic "Margherita" with mozzarella, tomato and basil topping was invented in the 19th century - and named in honour of a queen with a taste for fast food - 30 cooks lit up six wood-burning ovens to cook 5,000 thin-crusted Neapolitan pizzas for queues of local people and tourists.  REUTERS/Ciro De Luca/Agnfoto (ITALY) - RTR21QSC
5 billion pounds

Since then, the trend has only grown: Italian cheese is the new American cheese.

A pizza is removed from a wood-burning oven during a protest to demand stricter price controls on the rising cost of pizza in Naples August 27, 2008. "Pizzaioli" or pizza chefs in Naples, birthplace of the Margherita, handed out free pizzas on Wednesday in protest at high prices charged by rivals who, they say, use the spike in commodity prices to rip off consumers. In the city where the classic "Margherita" with mozzarella, tomato and basil topping was invented in the 19th century - and named in honour of a queen with a taste for fast food - 30 cooks lit up six wood-burning ovens to cook 5,000 thin-crusted Neapolitan pizzas for queues of local people and tourists.  REUTERS/Ciro De Luca/Agnfoto (ITALY) - RTR21QSC
5 billion pounds

The US now makes more Italian cheese than American

A pizza is removed from a wood-burning oven during a protest to demand stricter price controls on the rising cost of pizza in Naples August 27, 2008. "Pizzaioli" or pizza chefs in Naples, birthplace of the Margherita, handed out free pizzas on Wednesday in protest at high prices charged by rivals who, they say, use the spike in commodity prices to rip off consumers. In the city where the classic "Margherita" with mozzarella, tomato and basil topping was invented in the 19th century - and named in honour of a queen with a taste for fast food - 30 cooks lit up six wood-burning ovens to cook 5,000 thin-crusted Neapolitan pizzas for queues of local people and tourists.  REUTERS/Ciro De Luca/Agnfoto (ITALY) - RTR21QSC
5 billion pounds

As Italian cheese production in the US eclipsed American cheese, pizza became even more popular—especially with the rise of fast-causal pizza chains.

A pizza is removed from a wood-burning oven during a protest to demand stricter price controls on the rising cost of pizza in Naples August 27, 2008. "Pizzaioli" or pizza chefs in Naples, birthplace of the Margherita, handed out free pizzas on Wednesday in protest at high prices charged by rivals who, they say, use the spike in commodity prices to rip off consumers. In the city where the classic "Margherita" with mozzarella, tomato and basil topping was invented in the 19th century - and named in honour of a queen with a taste for fast food - 30 cooks lit up six wood-burning ovens to cook 5,000 thin-crusted Neapolitan pizzas for queues of local people and tourists.  REUTERS/Ciro De Luca/Agnfoto (ITALY) - RTR21QSC
5 billion pounds

Franchises like Domino’s have also prospered in the last decade, producing stock gains that outperformed most of the tech industry.

A pizza is removed from a wood-burning oven during a protest to demand stricter price controls on the rising cost of pizza in Naples August 27, 2008. "Pizzaioli" or pizza chefs in Naples, birthplace of the Margherita, handed out free pizzas on Wednesday in protest at high prices charged by rivals who, they say, use the spike in commodity prices to rip off consumers. In the city where the classic "Margherita" with mozzarella, tomato and basil topping was invented in the 19th century - and named in honour of a queen with a taste for fast food - 30 cooks lit up six wood-burning ovens to cook 5,000 thin-crusted Neapolitan pizzas for queues of local people and tourists.  REUTERS/Ciro De Luca/Agnfoto (ITALY) - RTR21QSC
5 billion pounds

Domino’s stock price growth vs. Big Tech

home our picks popular latest obsessions search