Dairy products such as whole milk and 'full-fat' yogurt are rising in popularity as consumers shun lower calorie alternatives, figures show.
Supermarkets are reporting increasing sales of full-fat dairy, with skimmed milk and low calorie yogurts being left behind on the shelves.
According to a report by The Guardian, searches for the terms 'full-fat milk' and 'full-fat yoghurt' have risen on Waitrose’s website in the past month.
The term 'full-fat milk' has surged by 417%, 'full-fat yogurt' by 233% and 'block butter' by 280%.
The comeback in whole dairy products is thought to be an increasing public desire to eat less processed food.
Maddy Wilson, Waitrose’s director of own brand, told the paper: “There’s been a lot of bad press around so-called healthy products which aren’t nutritious and don’t taste great.
“The growing awareness of ultra-processed food in our diets has seen many customers seeking the basics and embracing a much simpler approach to their diet.”
According to 2024 figures from Kantar, retailer sales of whole milk grew slightly faster than those of plant-based milk, up 1.2% and 0.9% respectively.
Demand for semi-skimmed and skimmed milk declined 2.4% and 0.7%, respectively, but semi-skimmed was still the biggest seller overall.
The figures follow a new UK-based study which concluded that having a large glass of milk every day could help reduce the risk of bowel cancer.
Meanwhile, a separate piece of recent research found that drinking milk lowered the risk of depression, while plant-based dairy alternatives could lead to higher rates of the illness.
