Not so long ago, market surveys used to show a surge in the consumption of margarine, which was prevailing over butter. The milk industry associations and particularly APEL (Alliance of Educational Milk Promotion) have repeatedly protested, warning that margarine is not a dairy product and that consumers should be more careful. A survey by market research company AC Nielsen shows margarine sales to have dropped in 2002, which all those in the business verify. The survey reports that margarine sales shed 11% in terms of volume (from over 32,000 tonnes to some 28,000 tonnes) and were worth $34.4 million instead of the $35.6 million in 2001. The number of units sold also fell approximately 11% from 89 million small containers/packs in 2001 to 79 million small containers/packs in 2002. Cristian Herciu, APEL executive says one of the reasons behind shrinking margarine sales could be the campaigns carried out by this organisation. "We have used every channel to warn margarine is not a dairy product, and maybe it worked. Second, I think the lower purchasing power probably made a difference, as well," Herciu explained. ZF
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