-21-


individually, but even more so for regional areas. Because of the
lack of periodic and comprehensive data, it is practically impossible
to derive trends over time in per capital consumption by product for
individual states or regions.

 It is possible, however, to obtain a fairly reliable estimate
of per capital consumption rates for individual dairy products by regions
for 1955 from,a series of studies by the United States Department of
Agriculture.25/,26,/27'/28'/29 In these studies, quantities of dairy
and other foods used in a seven-day period were obtained from a sample
of households in each region. From these data, it was possible to 30/
calculate the annual per capital consumption of major dairy products.-

 On a per capital basis, the South consumed considerably lower
amounts of most fluid milk products than any other region in the United
States (Table 10). Fluid whole milk accounted for the major proportion
of fresh fluid milk products consumed in all regions. Consumption of
fluid whole milk in the South was less than one-half that of the North
Central region, the highest consuming area, and was only about three-
fourths of the national average. Per capital consumption of fluid skim
milk, fluid creams and cottage cheese in the South approximated one-
third of the average for the United States. It was one-fifth or
less of the consumption in the region with the highest rate of



 25/Food Consumption of Households in the United States, Report
T1o.1 (Washington, D. C.: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural
Research Service and Agricultural Marketing Service, December 1956).
 26/Food Consumption of Households in the Northeast, Report No. 2
(Washington, D. C.: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural
Research Service and Agricultural Marketing Service, December 1956).

 27/Food Consumption of Households in the North Central, Report
No. 3 (Washington, D. C.: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural
Research Service and Agricultural Marketing Service, December 1956).

 28/Food Consumption of Households in the South, Report No. 4
(Washington, D. C.: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural
Research Service and Agricultural Marketing Service, December 1956).

 29/Food Consumption of Households in the West, Report No. 5
 (Washington, D. C.: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural
 Research Service and Agricultural Marketing Service, December 1956).

 30/Annual per capital consumption equals consumption per household
per week divided by household size multiplied by 52. Complete data are
given in Appendix A, Table 46.