'At some point in the year, all GB households are making a dairy product purchase'

In grasping what was driving sales trends, Ms Cacioppo also highlighted that dairy products were often consumed with others from different sectors.

She used the example of butter with bread, alongside milk with tea and pointed out that any downturn of sales in these areas had the potential to replicate for associated dairy products.

Bread was one example given, with Kantar figures showing that volumes bought were down by about 5 per cent or 65 million less packs bought over the last year, as well as tea bag sales, down about 4 per cent during the same period.

Ms Cacioppo also discussed some of the wider challenges and opportunities for the sector, from a consumer and retailer perspective.

She used the example of consumers increased appetite for protein, as well as the potential to capitalise on dairy products consumed outside the home.

She said: “Shoppers baskets contain 6 per cent more protein than five years ago, a demand that dairy products naturally appeals.

“Additionally, products like cold coffee and dairy drinks are well adapted to meet consumer needs around convenience, with 20 to 30 per cent of sales of these types of product taking place outside the home.

“There is a lot we can learn from shoppers and consumers behaviour, but inevitably a lot of this is also dictated by what is available in store and what retailers are doing to influence this.”