Flat-Out Popular

Annual consumption here hovers around 40 pounds of tortillas per person. That’s just 10% of the 410 pounds consumed per person in Mexico each year (about 1.2 pounds of tortillas a day).

* Tortilla sales are projected to increase 16% this year and 58% by 2000. About 63% of the revenues is from the sale of flour tortillas.

* Tortilla chips--which Americans snapped up at the rate of 1.2 billion pounds in 1993--fall second only to potato chips on the list of Americans’ favorite snack foods.

* On average, non-Latino tortilla consumers spend $22.66 a month on tortillas and tortilla-based products.

* Move over, bagels. Americans consumed about 60 billion tortillas in 1995--about 225 tortillas per person--making them the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. baked goods industry.

* The Western U.S. is the largest market for tortillas, with 31% of revenues.

* Many Americans are forgoing fast-food runs to eat store-bought tortillas, as illustrated by a recent jump in retail sales of tortillas, which are growing faster than restaurant sales.