A private equity firm made a serious bet on cottage cheese earlier this year, and protein is the reason why. TikTok helped turn a food many people had written off decades ago into a blank canvas for chasing protein, and shoppers followed closely enough that investors started paying attention, too. Cottage cheese is emerging this year as a category attracting fresh investment and product launches, with grams of protein per serving at the center of the pitch.
Protein has become a metric many shoppers now track closely, whether they are counting macros for the gym or just trying to stay fuller while keeping calories relatively modest. Cottage cheese delivers a lot of it for very little effort, and TikTok turned that fact into content, with cottage cheese ice cream becoming one of the recipes most closely associated with the initial craze before the ingredient spread into flatbreads, pancake batter, dips and dozens of other foods.
Consumption catches up with the moment
Per-person cottage cheese consumption reached 2.37 pounds in 2024, the highest level since 2009, according to U.S.Department of Agriculture data. That is the most recent per-capita figure USDA has published. Retail volume rose 9.4% in 2023, 12.5% in 2024 and 14.3% in 2025, reaching 746.6 million pints, according to Circana data reported by Dairy Herd. That kind of three-year acceleration helps explain why private equity firms are treating the category as more than a passing food fad.
A brand built entirely around protein
Dairy Farmers of America is directly chasing that demand. In April, the co-op launched MULU, a cottage cheese brand built around a two-layer whey and casein protein system that the company says delivers 18 grams of protein per half-cup serving, 33% more than the leading cottage cheese brand.
DFA describes the formulation as fast-digesting whey paired with slower-releasing casein, language more commonly associated with performance nutrition than traditional cottage cheese marketing. MULU launched exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide in 16-ounce cartons, an indication that the protein trend is changing formulations, not just marketing.
Private money is chasing the trend
Good Culture is the clearest sign that investors see lasting value in the category. In January, private equity firm L Catterton agreed to acquire a majority stake in the brand, one of the most visible winners of cottage cheese’s rise on social media. Good Culture said its sales have nearly quadrupled over the past three years, while the broader cottage cheese category grew nearly 60% over the same period. Neither company disclosed the financial terms. Reuters and The Wall Street Journal reported that the deal valued Good Culture at more than $500 million.
The expansion continued after the deal was announced. On June 16, Good Culture announced a partnership with Michigan Milk Producers Association to invest in cottage cheese production at a facility in Remus, Michigan. MMPA acquired the existing plant in 2025, and the partnership will add cottage cheese production at the site to increase Good Culture’s capacity. The investment suggests both companies expect demand to last beyond the initial social media surge.
The bigger protein appetite behind it
The protein obsession extends well past cottage cheese, as high-protein snacking, protein-fortified everything and grocery aisles reorganized around grams per serving are now common. Cottage cheese happens to be a convenient way to add protein without extensive preparation. Seventy percent of Americans said they were trying to consume more protein in IFIC’s 2025 Food & Health Survey, which helps explain why a decades-old dairy staple suddenly has this much attention. TikTok also kept cottage cheese recipes highly visible, with users posting everything from desserts to savory dishes and giving the ingredient a much larger audience.
Manufacturers reformulated cottage cheese, investors backed one of its fastest-growing brands and eating habits moved toward protein, while social media kept the ingredient in view. Whether cottage cheese can sustain this momentum will depend on whether demand for high-protein foods outlasts the social media trends that helped accelerate its comeback.
Mandy Applegate is the creator behind Splash of Taste and seven other high-profile food and travel blogs. She’s also the co-founder of Food Drink Life Inc., a unique and highly rewarding collaborative blogger project. Her articles appear frequently on major online news sites, and she always has her eyes open to spot the next big trend.