Dive Summary:

• Group Lactalis owns both the Sorrento and Galbani brands of Italian-style cheeses.
• The French owner is killing off the Sorrento name, but not the products or the Buffalo-based operations.
• The Sorrento facility in upstate New York produces is the top producer of ricotta cheese in North America, churning out some 75 million pounds per year.

Dive Insight:

Sorrento was a strong brand in the Northeast, but had next-to-no name recognition or market share in the rest of the country. Given the increasing power of national retail chains, it was inevitable that Group Lactalis would begin consolidating regional brands.