Infographic: Specialty Food Industry Sales Top $100 Billion

The specialty food industry is a bright spot in the U.S. economy. In 2014, retail and foodservice sales of specialty food broke a record, topping $100 billion for the first time, growing 19 percent from 2012 to 2014 versus a tepid 2 percent increase for all food.

The Specialty Food Association, New York, indicates that specialty foods, fueled by small businesses, now boasts 15 segments that exceed $1 billion in sales, including cheese; coffee; meat, poultry and seafood; chips, pretzels and snacks; candy; and yogurt.