U.S. coffee drinking patterns changing, survey says

BOCA RATON, Florida (Reuters) - The coffee industry's message is finally getting through to the U.S. consumer in the form of increased consumption, the coffee trade learned at their annual convention held in Boca Raton, Florida on Saturday.

"Nearly eight out every 10, 79 percent, of Americans age 18 and above now drink coffee daily or occasionally, compared to 77 percent last year," reported Mark DiDomenico, manager of market research for Sara Lee Coffee & Tea Foodservice, based in Bensenville, Illinois.

"This is an increase of 5.4 million, to 166.6 million people," DiDomenico added as he presented the topline data from the National Coffee Association's (NCA) 2003 drinking trends survey.

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