Berry on Dairy

(Photo source: Dean Foods)

On Dec. 15, 2014, the U.S. 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) met for the seventh and final time to discuss their findings and recommendations. The DGAC will now develop an advisory report for the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and of Agriculture that will provide the scientific basis for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans policy document developed by the federal government.

(To all non-U.S. Daily Dose of Dairy subscribers, it is highly likely that your government has similar programs in place, making this blog a very important read.)

The almost seven hours of the DGAC meeting are available for viewing HERE. The slides and notes from the meeting are available for download HERE.

Presentations at the meeting suggest that the next version of the Dietary Guidelines will have strong advice for Americans to cut back on added sugars, salt and saturated fat. The committee recommended that people should consume diets rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, lower in red and processed meat, and low in sugar-sweetened foods and beverages and refined grains.

The committee’s “added sugars working group” presented evidence that added sugars, especially sugar-sweetened beverages, increase the risks for obesity and type 2 diabetes. The group found moderate evidence linking added sugars to hypertension, stroke, heart disease and other problems.

The DGAC stressed the need to consume less sugar-sweetened beverages, stating water is the preferred beverage choice. “The recommendation to limit added sugars, especially sugar-sweetened beverages, is consistent with recommendations from national and international organizations,” according to the presentation.

To view the “added sugars working group” presentation, advance to 328 minutes HERE.

http://www.agropuringredients.com/our-brands/flavogen/

Importantly, for the first time, the DGAC recommended that people limit sugar to 10% of their calories, or about 50 grams—12 teaspoons—per day for someone consuming 2,000 calories. It also recommended that Nutrition Facts panels express added sugars not only in grams but also in teaspoons, which some believe is far easier for people to understand.

Right before the “added sugars working group” presentation, the “saturated fat working group” stated: The consumption of low-fat and nonfat products made with high amounts of refined grains and added sugars should be discouraged.

Flavored milk marketers, this should concern you, especially if you market nonfat chocolate milk to schools and have done nothing to lower the added sugars content.

About School Milk
Flavored milk is an essential part of the National School Lunch Program in the U.S. and in similar programs throughout the world. But parents and school administrators continue to have concerns about the amount of added sugar. (When you compare flavored milk to other beverages, and you see the powerhouse of nutrients milk contains, the concerns are unwarranted; but consumer opinion is powerful.)

According to new U.S. guidelines, all schools may sell flavored fat-free milk. There are no sugar or calorie restrictions on the products; however, portion size is regulated.

For specific regulations regarding beverages, including milk, which can be sold in U.S. schools, you can access a comprehensive article I wrote for Food Business NewsHERE.

Here’s the deal, studies show that among elementary school children, milk consumption decreases 35% once flavored milk is removed as an option. What’s a milk marketer to do? The answer is to reduce added sugars and maintain taste.

This can be quite challenging, especially in the U.S., as federal regulations require that flavored milk sold through the National School Lunch Program (for reimbursement purposes, not ala carte) can only be sweetened with nutritive sweeteners.

Need additional information on the regulations? USDA offers many resources that can be accessed HERE.

To read more about how flavored milk in schools has change over the years, link HERE.

To read about the policy governing the type of sweeteners allowed in school milk, link HERE.

To read about added sugars in dairy foods, including flavored milk, link HERE.

Dean Foods is a leader in the school milk business with its TruMoo fat-free chocolate milk made with 10% to 15% fewer calories and 15% to 20% less sugar than many other chocolate milks.

“We recognize that school nutrition directors need a solution. On one hand, chocolate milk is preferred by children and provides important nutrients that are hard to replace elsewhere on cafeteria trays. On the other hand, we understand the concerns about added sugars,” said Andrea Carrothers, a registered dietitian and the nutrition communications manager for Dean Foods. “More than half the sugar in TruMoo is lactose, the same natural sugar found in all milk.”

Dean Foods successfully reduced up to 6 grams of sugar, or 1.5 teaspoons, per serving compared with its previous varieties. An 8-ounce serving of TruMoo nonfat chocolate milk contains just 10 grams of added sugar, compared with up to 28 grams in soft drinks and other sweetened beverages.

“We don’t think the students will even recognize a difference between the low-fat and the fat-free milk because TruMoo has such a great mouthfeel,” said Jessica Shelly, food services director for Cincinnati Public Schools, which has been selling the TruMoo nonfat chocolate milk since 2011. “And even with the reduced sugar, the milk still has a great chocolate flavor.”

After it was introduced to the schools, she said, “Not only did our students love it, but parents did too because we were able to keep chocolate milk on the menu but with a better nutritional profile.”

The fact is whether white or chocolate or some other delicious flavor (think mocha, orange cream, salted caramel, the list is endless), milk plays a vital role in helping all consumers, especially children, get the nutrients they need for good health. Flavored milk provides the same nine essential nutrients as white milk, including vitamin D, calcium and potassium. These are three nutrients that many adults and children are lacking in their diet.

Studies show that children who drink flavored milk meet more of their nutrient needs; do not consume more added sugar, fat or calories; and are not heavier than non-milk drinkers, according to the National Dairy Council.

Access a great video clip HERE from pediatrician Dr. Robert Murray, who explains what the dairy industry has been doing to improve flavored milk in schools.

We must never forget that taste is paramount in flavored milk, in particular in schools where the nutrition from that carton of milk is critical to daily nutrient intake. If it does not taste good, the kids will not consume the milk.

In a perfect world, school flavored milk would be either 1% or 2% milkfat. Not only would this improve flavor, mouthfeel and nutrition (there are essential fatty acids in milkfat), it would make it easier to lower the amount of sugar—the real enemy—in the formulation.

In case you missed last week’s blog, which can be accessed HERE, dietary fat is no longer the enemy. Research shows that more, not less, dietary fat--including saturated fat, such as milkfat--is what leads to better health, wellness and fitness. Natural fat is an essential part of a healthy diet. A growing body of research shows carbs, sugars and processed foods are mainly to blame for obesity, diabetes and other weight-related diseases, not fats.

Even though it has been said that 2015 may be known as the year Americans get over their fat phobia, specifically natural, animal-derived fats, it is highly unlikely that milkfat will be allowed back on the flavored milk menu in schools in the near future.

So, to make school flavored milk taste better, processors rely on various ingredient technologies. Recently, the Wisconsin Center For Dairy Research conducted a taste test comparing two school-compliant flavored milks, a control (sample A) and one made with Agropur Ingredients’ flavoring technology (sample B). Participants were asked to identify the sample they would like to see in schools. More than half of the participants indicated sample B as the preferred sample to be served.

There’s no denying it, sugar is on consumers’ radar. According to findings from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2014 Food and Health Survey, 51% of all Americans make an effort to avoid added sugars. Further, three out of five Americans consider sugars content in their foods and beverages to prevent health conditions and maintain a healthy weight. The least mentioned reason for considering sugars content is to help foods taste better, which suggests that consumers believe that a lower-sugar flavored milk can still taste great. That’s up to R&D.

Raise your glass to a better-tasting flavored milk for inside and outside the classroom! Cheers!

The Winter Fancy Food Show took place two weeks ago in San Francisco. It took me nearly five hours to walk more than seven miles (according to my Fitbit) to take in the entire show.

The headline of my post-show Food Business News column sums it up well: Cheese innovations take center stage at Winter Fancy Food Show. You can read the column and view the slide show HERE.

Natural cheese exhibitors were abundant and very impressive, but I noticed a trend of another cheese format. I’ll refer to them as "process-style specialty." It’s within this segment that some very innovative and on-trend creations are emerging.

Cheesy nomenclature
For the record, “natural” refers to the cheesemaking process where milk proteins coagulate by fermentation, enzymatic reaction or direct acidification; curds develop flavor through the addition of bacteria, mold or yeast; and whey drains and curd is collected and molded, pressed or stretched. Natural cheese is considered a living system, as the cultures and enzymes remain active through shelf life.

http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/recipes/article?

For this column, everything else is process-style. The product is based on natural cheese but is processed into a new format. There’s only one problem—and it’s huge—and it’s with the word “process.”

Often when consumers hear the term “processed cheese,” they think the plastic-wrapped slices of American or a loaf of Velveeta. I have nothing against these two process cheese concepts. In fact, you can find both in my home refrigerator. But, the fact is, they do give the category a bad rap, at least in the U.S., where many consumers refer to them as “fake cheese.”

Legally in the States, the term is “process” cheese, not “processed” cheese, and is always preceded by the descriptor “pasteurized.” There are a number of standards for various pasteurized process cheesy concepts in the States and they can be found in Part 133 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which can be accessed HERE.

Source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

But here’s the deal, processed or process, whichever term, in this day and age of consumers seeking out clean, simple and minimally “processed” foods, using either word on package labels or marketing materials can be an aversion to many consumers.

So don’t use the term. Create a non-standardized process-style cheese and call it anything but process cheese. Spreadable is a common descriptor, as is blended. Some companies simply come up with a brand and use the noun “cheese” to describe the product. Interestingly, cheese is not legally defined…go figure. Seems to me like the standards police missed a big one here. Almost every other dairy product and ingredient has a standard of identity. Why doesn’t the word “cheese?”

Moving on...any American who has traveled outside the States knows that process-style cheeses are not only more dynamic in other countries, they are readily embraced as a snack and cooking condiment. Their formulation, shelf life and performance renders them suitable for all types of innovating. They can easily be made into portable snacks, one of the hottest trends these days.

To read more about “Cheese Trends: Portion Packs.” Link HERE.

Now, check out these 10 recent innovations.

Scott’s of Wisconsin recently debuted four varieties of Natural Cheddar Cheese Spreads. Varieties range from on-trend Buffalo and Buffalo Blue to the sweeter side, with Cranberry Cinnamon and Chocolate Walnut. And yes, that is cheddar with chocolate.

Pine River Inc., offers a range of cold pack cheese food spreads, with its most recent addition being Ghost Pepper. At the Winter Fancy Food Show the company sampled a Kimchi prototype that is to die for!

The company, too, has a new spreadable chocolate cheese that is more than 51% dairy, allowing it to sport the Real Seal. Pine River Dairy Fudge is a sweet chocolaty, protein-packed spread based on American cheese. It’s great with graham crackers, pretzels and apple slices.

Chocolate and cheese must go together. (They also both go great with wine!)

Moondarra Cheese Pty Ltd., of Australia, exporters to the States of its namesake uniquely flavored cream cheeses, now offers Chocolate & Hazelnut and Bruschetta varieties. The brand is known for its use of large, identifiable pieces of flavorful ingredients. Popular favorites include Apricot & Almond, Cranberry & Macadamia and Fig & Walnut. The product has an 8- to 10-month refrigerated shelf life.

Beer and cheese go together, too! Two local Pennsylvania companies—Victory Brewing Company and Key Ingredient Market--have joined forces to create the ultimate in cheddar cheesy, craft beer goodness: Victory Cheddar Spreads. The joint venture offers three head-turning cheddar cheese spreads that blend specialty Wisconsin cheddar with best-selling Victory beer brands. Varieties are: HopDevil Cheddar Spread (bold and balanced flavors of HopDevil Ale with jalapenos and chipotles in a creamy cheddar base), Headwaters Cheddar Dip (a blend of pineapple, papaya, ginger and curry with the crisp, clean essence of Headwaters Pale Ale) and Golden Monkey Cheddar Spread (the spicy, herbal qualities of the light-bodied, full-flavored beer with the classic, creamy tang of cheddar).

Here’s another head turner. Hunters Reserve blends game meat with cheese for a flavorful spread. This Minnesota-based game meat purveyor offers these four varieties: Bison & Chipotle Cheddar Cheese, Elk & Roasted Garlic Cheese, Pheasant & Smoked Gouda Cheese and Venison & Queso Cheddar Cheese.

Available in foil-sealed 3.5-ounce cups--individually, in variety gift packs or three same cups in a 10.5-ounce ceramic crock with lid—the shelf-stable dips can be served hot or cold. Each gourmet cheese cup contains a unique blend of creamy Wisconsin cheese surrounded by tiny morsels of the company’s signature wild game summer sausages.

On the tamer side of flavors, BC-USA recently introduced Alouette Brie Fondue, a 4-minute microwaveable fondue featuring brie cheese, a white wine reduction and spices. The new concept debuted for the Christmas holidays, making it easier for entertainers to serve a rich, creamy gourmet fondue perfect for dipping bread, fruit, veggies and more.

At that time, the company also added Cranberry Apple Spice Soft Spreadable Cheese to its Alouette spreadable line.

Bel Brands had something new for the holidays, too. Introduced under its Kaukauna Cheese label, new Peppadew Pepper Spreadable Cheese Ball combines peppadew, red bell peppers and cheddar cheese.

Pimento pieces look like peppadew and are the characterizing ingredient in pimento cheese spread, a staple in most southerners’ kitchens and now making its way across the States. This concept has real potential everywhere. It makes a great dip, bread spread and appetizer.

Red Clay Gourmet markets a line of namesake pimento cheese spreads. Handmade in small batches using local ingredients, the spreads come in four varieties: Classic Sharp Cheddar, Flame Roasted Jalapeno, Goat Cheese & Sundried Tomato and Hickory Smoked Cheddar. The recipe starts with aged, extra sharp white cheddar shreds. The firm texture of the aged cheese allows for the use of very little mayonnaise, as compared to other pimento spreads in the marketplace, according to the company. This is a huge selling point for most of their customers.

At SIAL in Paris this past fall, I saw this new product line from Lactima in Poland. It’s in one of my favorite package concepts: the pouch. (Read more about the potential of the pouch for dairy HERE.)

In the marketplace for about a year, these process-style cheeses comes in four varieties: Blue Cheese, Emmentaler, Gouda and With Mushrooms. The cheese can be squeezed onto sandwiches, pasta, veggies and more. The product is available for export and has a 4- to 6-month shelf life. This product line screams convenience.

Brie gets more convenient. Lactalis introduces President Wee Brie, a creamy, brie-flavored spreadable cheese made from Wisconsin milk. These individually wrapped 40-calories wedges, which come in wheels of eight, are great for on-the-go snacking and lunchboxes.

I think you would agree these products are far from plastic-wrapped slices. They are “Process-style Specialty Cheeses,” a term coined by BerryOnDairy.

“Identify an audience, then develop products that they will want and need,” said Connie Tipton, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association at Dairy Forum 2015 this week.

Innovation was a dominant theme at this year’s Forum. Many speakers emphasized that we can no longer “make the milk, and they will drink it.”

During Tipton’s keynote address, she discussed how the standards of identity for cream, milk, ice cream, sour cream, yogurt and some types of cheeses (yes, dairy is the most highly regulated food category!) impede innovation. To read about “Leveling the innovation playing field,” link HERE to my Food Business News column from this week.

It’s not that the industry wants the standards of identity to go away, but modifications that speak to the needs of the 21st century consumer would be appreciated.

“We need to convince the Food & Drug Administration to allow…better-for-you dairy product innovations to fit within various dairy standards of identity,” said Tipton. “For example, we believe there should be a broader spectrum for innovations using new processing techniques and dairy ingredients. That would allow dairy companies to come up with more creative products that meet consumers’ increasing demands for things like higher protein and less sugar, but can still be called milk.”

http://www.inspiredbyinulin.com/products/natural-origin.html

This includes technologies such as filtration to increase protein content and remove fat and lactose; addition of concentrated milk ingredients to boost protein; the use of non-nutritive sweeteners to lower added sugars (read more HERE), the use of enzymes to lower added sugars (read more HERE) and the use of certain fiber food ingredients to lower added sugars and boost fiber content (read more HERE).

Tipton cited an example of the type of innovation the industry needs more of. “As Business Week quipped, ‘Coca-Cola wants to buy the world a milk.’ But it’s no joke,” she said. “The icon of icons of the global beverage industry has entered into a joint venture with the Select Milk Producers co-op to produce a new value-added milk product that is already on grocery shelves. Called Fairlife, it has been formulated to enhance protein and reduce lactose--50% more protein and zero lactose.”

Fairlife is labeled milk, but the standards of identity require so much additional verbiage to use the word milk, that the product description starts to sound like it was made in a lab, something critics have been quick to say. This is not the case. Fairlife is farm-fresh milk pasteurized and processed using modern filtration technology to produce a nutritionally superior milk product.

The Truth about Milk

The technologies mentioned apply to all dairy foods, in particular fluid milk, which has been making headlines this week, as Dairy Forum served as a platform for the debut of MilkPEP’s new campaign Get Real. It is supported by a new website that you can access HERE.

In the spirit of Super Bowl weekend, it’s accurate to say that the milk industry is finally playing offense. The new initiative, which was officially announced by MilkPEP CEO Julia Kadison on day two of the four-day forum, is countering the misinformation about milk that’s abundant in consumer media. Through the use of industry experts, sound science and third parties, the campaign is designed to set the record straight about milk. It will help take back the conversation about milk, correcting misinformation and communicating the unique nutrient contributions and health benefits of milk, according to the campaign backgrounder.

Marketing to Specific Demographics

Speaking of Super Bowl, the NFL event of the year, let’s talk about formulating and marketing dairy foods to specific consumer segments. In an effort to engage with a wider audience, Dannon’s Oikos brand became the Official Yogurt of the NFL and introduced a product designed to appeal equally to both men and women: Oikos Triple Zero. Through these efforts, Dannon is changing the current market where yogurt is disproportionately consumed by women as compared to men.

Dannon teamed-up with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, to bring consumers a new protein snack in an unexpected location--the yogurt aisle. In a new advertising campaign unveiled on January 12, Dannon and Newton encourage consumers to look beyond traditional staples for protein. Recruiting shoppers from the protein snack aisle into the yogurt aisle, the Panthers star puts his own personal flair in helping to change people’s snacking habits.
You can watch the commercial HERE.

Dannon packs 15 grams of protein into each 5.3-ounce single-serve cup of Oikos Triple Zero. The “triple zero” refers to the fact that the yogurt has zero added sugar, zero artificial sweeteners and zero fat. To sweeten the yogurt without adding sugar, the formulation relies on a variety of technologies, including stevia; chicory root fiber, which contributes sweetness while also delivering 6 grams of fiber per serving; and the lactase enzyme.

Dannon is supporting the launch of the product with a multi-million dollar media investment, but not one to air during the Super Bowl this Sunday. (Oikos did run commercials the past two Super Bowls.)

Back to Dairy Forum, Tipton referenced a speech recently made by General Michael Hayden, a four-star general and former head of the CIA and NSA, where he stated, “It’s now and increasingly the consumers’ world, and we just work here.”

Tipton explained how when we think of traditional dairy--wholesome, good-for-you, most perfect food, does-a-body-good, reliable, affordable and tasty--all come to mind. But today’s diverse consumer hungers and thirsts for more than foods with these descriptions.

“They crave information. Our dairy products may be physically opaque, but consumers want transparency about what’s in them and how they are made,” Tipton said. “And increasingly, they want specifics…lots of specifics…before they reach out for that yogurt, smoothie or package of cheese and put it in their shopping carts.”

This is true of some demographics more than others. To get an idea of what the millennial consumer wants from food, check out this VIDEO. (Please pardon the advertisements. It’s worth the view.)

Tipton told Dairy Forum attendees that today’s consumers, in particular the millennial generation--people born between 1977 and 1994--have a growing inventory of questions they want answered. “For example, were the cows cared for humanely? Was it a large farm or small farm? What were the cows fed? Was the farm environmentally responsible? How far was the milk transported from the farm to processing? And how long from farm to store? Did the processing facility employ sustainable practices for precious resources like energy and water? Is the packaging recyclable? All of these are potential factors that can make or break a consumer’s purchase,” said Tipton.

At the opposite end of the age spectrum are those consumers who are 50 and older. (I’m not there yet; but my husband is, and I love his AARP discount!) This sea of gray is a great opportunity for dairy.

According to “Enrich Life Over 50,” an organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for this demographic, current Census Bureau figures say there are 109 million people in the U.S. who are 50 and older, which is one-third of the total population.

“This segment owns or controls a staggering 70% of the total accumulated private wealth in America and accounts for 50% of the total annual consumer spending,” said Tipton. “Their first project is the development of a national campaign to attract ideas for completely new products and services that will enhance the quality of life for people 50-plus, with awards up to $50,000 for ideas that have the maximum marketability potential.” We can do this!!!!

So what does this group want from their foods? According to an article in Nutraceuticals World, Baby Boomers, which includes those just turning 50 and older, want more nutraceutical ingredients in their everyday foods and beverages. You can access this article HERE.

The number-one nutrient this demographic wants more of is fiber. Many dairy foods, including frozen desserts, milk and yogurt, are excellent deliver vehicles for fiber. Certain fiber ingredients can also assist with fat and sugar reduction.

There are an array of other ingredients that can turn already powerful dairy foods into highly functional dairy foods that today’s and tomorrow’s consumers will crave. Read more HERE.

Just remember Tipton’s powerful message. “Identify an audience, then develop products that they will want and need.” That’s how to score a touchdown in the dairy industry!

Tipton’s full speech is available HERE.

Source: Groupe Danone

In case you have not noticed, caramel is one of the hottest flavor trends. Most recently, data from Datassential MenuTrends declared caramel to be the No. 3 dessert flavor on restaurant menus, right behind chocolate and vanilla.

According to an article published this week in Nation’s Restaurant News, chefs love caramel’s versatility while diners crave its sweetness. To read the entire article and get some new product ideas, link HERE.

http://bs.serving-sys.com/BurstingPipe/adServer.bs?cn=tf&c=20&mc=click&pli=12263191&PluID=0&ord=[timestamp]

Foodservice trends taper down to retail, which is why the flavor trend of caramel is one dairy processors cannot afford to ignore. For starters, traditional caramel confection is made with butter and cream (and lots of sugar), making it a natural inclusion in dairy foods. And for the most part, it is a clean and simple inclusion. It’s made with few ingredients using a simple cooking process and provides loads of color and flavor. When you factor in the indulgence caramel provides, along with how it melds well with so many other flavors and ingredients—from fruits to nuts—dairy processors have a dream ingredient to work with. Of course, in some applications, such as milk and creamer, a liquid caramel flavor—possibly along with caramel color—must substitute for the ooey and gooey confection.

Below are a dozen recent introductions focusing on the flavor of caramel. But before you check them out, here are three ideas I just came up with. I’m sure your innovation team can come up with many more.

1)    Cream cheese or crème fraiche spread with a swirl of caramel—great on a bagel, for dipping pretzels or even a graham cracker
2)    Dual or even trio compartment of cottage cheese or rice pudding—caramel sauce on the side, maybe with chopped nuts, apple sauce or even chocolate flakes
3)    Layered yogurt parfaits with fruit and caramel

Promised Land, a premium brand of all-natural dairy products, just rolled out Salted Caramel Latte flavored milk. The first of three new limited-time flavors to launch in 2015, this variety features the flavors of rich caramel swirled into a café-style latte, topped with a pinch of gourmet salt and blended with Promised Land’s rich, wholesome Jersey milk. The new flavor retails for $2.99 for a quart size bottle, from now until April, or while supplies last.

Emmi has launched a brand of chocolate milk to sit alongside its existing chilled Caffè Latte coffee product line. Choco Lait, comes in Original and Caramel varieties, and is targeted to females as a healthy way to indulge. Made using carefully crafted ingredients, including Swiss chocolate and fresh Swiss milk, the finished taste is lighter, more refined and not too sweet, as compared to other chocolate milk drinks, according to the company.

Arctic Zero, the pioneer of “Fit Frozen Desserts” without all the fat and calories, unveiled its vibrant new look at the Winter Fancy Food Show in January. The elevated packaging puts a spotlight on the brand’s premium ingredients and indulgent offerings, featuring a refreshed logo, updated flavor names, descriptions, hand-drawn illustrations, original typography and organic, earth-toned colors. An emphasis has also been placed on each product’s core attributes with specially designed badges, as well as attention-grabbing lids and side panels that are artfully filled with unique drawings and bold phrases to call out each product’s flavor and dietary profile. Salted Caramel is one of the most recent flavor additions.

General Mills is rolling out Limited-Edition Yoplait Original Coconut Caramel 1% milkfat yogurt. Each 6-ounce cup contains 180 calories, 3 grams of fat and 5 grams of protein.

Sunshine Dairy is introducing three naturally flavored “real cream” coffee creamers. Sold in pint gable-top cartons to convey the “real cream” inside, the creamers come in Mayan Chocolate (has hints of cinnamon), Salted Caramel and Vanilla Stout (vanilla with hints of malt) varieties. Like its other dairy products, the creamers are cold crafted, using a batch pasteurization process of a lower temperature for a longer time followed by rapid cooling. This process is said to better preserve the flavor of milk and cream. The pints have a suggested retail price of $2.99.

The Dannon Company shows consumers that Greek yogurt can be an indulgent dairy snack. Oikos Caramel On Top is a new format of the popular high-protein yogurt. Each 5.3-ounce cup is Greek yogurt topped with a dollop of smooth creamy caramel. There are two flavors: Bananas Foster and Caramel Macchiato. Even with the extra layer of indulgence, the dairy snacks still pack in the protein, with each single-serve container providing 10 grams. A serving also contains 210 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.

There’s also Dannon Creamery, which includes five cheesecake-inspired dairy desserts that use Greek yogurt as a base and then get topped with sauces, one being caramel. The other four are: blueberry, cherry, lemon and strawberry.

Tillamook recently introduced a line of Dessert Yogurts. The Salted Caramel variety is rich, farm-fresh dairy cream sweetened by caramelized brown sugar and buttery Madagascar vanilla. Each bite also contains a pinch of Mediterranean sea salt for a two-in-one taste sensation, according to the company. The other three varieties in the line are: Honey Cinnamon Crème Brulee, Oregon Strawberry Shortcake and Marionberry Cobbler.

America’s number-one Greek yogurt brand--Chobani--has a major portfolio expansion along with new marketing initiatives to continue its category leadership and deliver on its mission to provide better food for more people. Under its successful Chobani Flip Creations brands comes Salted Caramel Crunch. There’s also new Chobani Dulce de Leche Caramel & Dark Chocolate Indulgent Greek Yogurt.

HP Hood’s 2015 ice cream flavor lineup includes Limited-Edition Fried Ice Cream, which is cinnamon caramel ice cream swirled with caramel and cinnamon crust pieces. Caramel is also an important ingredient in the new England Creamery Nantucket Nutty Cone Sundae Ice Cream, which is vanilla ice cream swirled with caramel and chocolate-covered peanuts and chocolate-covered waffle cone pieces.

Towards the end of 2014, Three Happy Cows started rolling out namesake drinkable yogurts. One of the flavors is Caramel, which is joined by Blueberry, Mango and Pina Colada. The drinkable yogurts come in single-serve 7-ounce plastic bottles. Each bottle contains 7 grams of protein, as well as 130 to 140 calories and 2 to 2.5 grams of fat, depending on variety.

And last, but not least, a first in the protein beverage category: Shamrock Farms Salted Caramel Muscled Builder. The new variety joins Chocolate and Vanilla and is making its debut exclusively at 7-Eleven Stores throughout the U.S.

Salted Caramel Muscle Builder is packed with 30 grams of protein and only nine net grams of carbs and is formulated specifically to help build muscle and strength. Its 12-ounce packaging makes it a convenient on-the-go option to drink before or after a workout, or as a quick meal replacement. It’s also lactose free.

The days are longer. The sun is warmer. Ice cream season is near.

Though ice cream is enjoyed all year long, sales do tend to peak during the balmy, hot summer months. This, of course, did not happen in many major cities around the U.S., and for that matter around the world, in 2014. An unseasonably cool summer, combined with astronomical butterfat prices equated to a tough year for ice cream.

Well, I’ve been told by many that 2015 is going to be a much better year. One of the key drivers is the Millennial demographic who finds ice cream to be an ideal dessert as well as an any-time-of-day treat. But not just any ice cream. Read more about what makes Millennials tick.

http://packaging.doublehplastics.com/solutions_icecreamanddairy.php

Understanding Millennials
Born between 1979 and 2000, the Millennial consumer entered a world of infinite choice. Their parents taught them that customization is a necessity not a luxury. (Did you know there are 87,000 possible beverage combinations at Starbucks?)

Millennials (80 million) will comprise more than one-third of the U.S. population this year, eclipsing Baby Boomers (76 million) in number and importance. They are projected to outnumber non-Millennials by 2030.

Every year, more of the Millennial demographic enters the workplace, marries and starts a family. As the purchasing power of these self-proclaimed foodies increases, the culinary scene is adapting to meet their evolving cravings.

According to The Hartman Group Inc., with globalization and digitalization, Millennial palates are experiencing new flavors and textures from around the world on a daily basis. “They have turned toward a whole new world of bold flavors, textures, juxtapositions and techniques,” said Laurie Demeritt, CEO. “They want to be delighted and entertained by the ‘new’ and re-imagined ‘old.’”

The Hartman Group conducted research for the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA) on Millennials and their food purchase habits. For more information on the report, link HERE.

The consumer survey results indicate that 45% of Millennials wants to try anything new and different, as compared to 35% for Gen X and 25% for Boomers. They are more mindful of health, social and environmental issues surrounding their food (See chart.) This influences purchase decision.

Millennials seek out foods made with natural and organic ingredients and are free of GMOs and allergens. Local is very important.
Source: The Hartman Group, Outlook on the Millennial Consumer 2014 (n=2,155 U.S. adults)

Here’s a real life example. At the Dairy Council of California Functional Foods Task Force meeting earlier this week, a fellow board member shared an example of how Millennials think. She said that at her office, when it’s someone’s birthday, a cake has historically been purchased at Costco to celebrate. A Millennial in her office asked that going forward, cakes be purchased from a local family bakery. He even offered to pay the difference, as it was that important.

The food choice factors identified by The Hartman Group are very apparent in today’s restaurant scene.

“As consumers today increasingly incorporate restaurants into their daily lives, they want to be able to follow their personal preferences and philosophies no matter where or how they choose to dine,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant Association (NRA). “So, it’s only natural that culinary themes like local sourcing, sustainability and nutrition top our list of menu trends for 2015. Those concepts are wider lifestyle choices for many Americans in other aspects of their lives that also translate into the food space.”

Every year, NRA gets in the kitchen with chefs to reveal the top menu trends for the coming year. For its annual What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, the NRA surveyed nearly 1,300 professional chefs--members of the American Culinary Federation--to find which foods, cuisines, beverages and culinary themes will be hot trends on restaurant menus in 2015.

For complete What’s Hot in 2015 results, link HERE.

The NRA surveyed 1,276 American Culinary Federation members from October to November 2014, asking them to rate 231 items as a “hot trend,” “yesterday’s news” or “perennial favorite” on menus in 2015.

On the dessert menu, the What’s Hot in 2015 survey predicts “house-made/artisan ice cream” to be the top trend. Gelato remains popular in the #9 spot.

For the first time, the What’s Hot survey highlights overarching trends to watch in 2015. They are:

Environmental sustainability remains among the hottest trends, with restaurateurs focusing on food waste reduction as a way to both go green and manage rising food costs.
Hyper-local sourcing continues to gain momentum with restaurants including house-made, farm-branded and artisan items.
Children’s meals are becoming increasingly gourmet and healthful, as well as more adventurous in flavor profiles.
Ethnic cuisines are continuing to become more mainstream and ethnic ingredients such as cheeses, flour and condiments are increasingly being used in non-ethnic dishes.
Common preparation methods are returning with a new twist, such as pickling with specialty vinegars and fermented flavor profiles.

When asked which current food trend will be the hottest menu trends 10 years from now, environmental sustainability topped the list, followed by local sourcing, nutrition and ethnic cuisines and flavors. These are all attributes that translate to retail dairy foods, in particular ice cream.

So what’s going to be hot this ice cream season?

If you did not read my Ice Cream Flavor Forecast for 2015, link HERE.

Many predictions are already coming to fruition, in particular caramel.

If you missed last week’s blog on how caramel and dairy are the perfect marriage, link HERE.

Häagen-Dazs is right on track with reaching out to the Millennials with its new Artisan Collection ice cream line. The brand teamed up with small confection makers from around the country to craft six gourmet flavors that come in 3.6-oz. (single-serve) and 14-oz. containers.

The varieties are:

Applewood Smoked Caramel Almond (collaboration with Praline Patisserie
Banana Rum Jam (collaboration with The Jam Stand)
Chocolate Caramelized Oat (collaboration with Clairesquares)
Ginger Molasses Cookie (collaboration with The Good Batch)
Spiced Pecan Turtle (collaboration with Christopher Elbow Chocolates)
Tres Leches Brigadeiro (collaboration with My Sweet Brigadeiro)

Another on-track line comes from two-time James Beard Award-winning chef and author Nancy Silverton. Created from recipes inspired by the well-loved desserts served at her acclaimed restaurants, the Nancy’s Fancy collection is churned in Southern California and is made with only the freshest, locally sourced, natural ingredients and pasteurized, artificial growth hormone-free milk, according to the company. The line contains no added preservatives, artificial flavors, colors or high fructose corn syrup.

Nancy’s Fancy is launching with seven flavors and will debut special new varieties quarterly. The flavors are: Butterscotch Budino with Salted Caramel Swirl, Chocolate Rum Fondente with Dark Rum and Chocolate Chips, Chunky Salted Peanut Butter with Crunchy Chocolate, Coconut Stracciatella with Bittersweet Chocolate Strands, Frutti di Bosco (Greek Yogurt and Mixed Berries), Roasted Banana with Bourbon & Pecan Praline and Stumptown Spiced Coffee with Cracked Cocoa Nibs. Nancy’s Fancy will be available across the U.S. in spring 2015 and will retail for $10.99 per pint.

Pierre’s Ice Cream has partnered with Cleveland celebrity chef Steve Schimoler, chef and owner of Crop Bistro & Bar and Crop Kitchen, to create two new flavors for its Pierre’s Chef’s Signature Ultimate Ice Cream Pints line. The two tasty dessert creations were invented and served by Schimoler at his Crop Bistro restaurant.

The two flavors are: Croppy Road, which features chocolate ice cream, chocolate-covered marshmallow cups, almonds and a smoky salted caramel swirl; and Holé Molé, which is cinnamon ice cream blended with chili choco chips, chocolate-covered toffee pieces and molé fudge swirl. The Chef’s Signature line and original Signature Ultimate Ice Cream line can be found in most stores where Pierre’s is sold and retails for approximately $4.99 per pint.

HP Hood’s 2015 ice cream flavor lineup includes Limited-Edition Jelly Donut Ice Cream, which is vanilla ice cream swirled with raspberry, rainbow sprinkles and donut pieces; and Limited-Edition Fried Ice Cream, which is cinnamon caramel ice cream swirled with caramel and cinnamon crust pieces.

Many of Hood’s new innovations emphasize chocolate. The lineup includes Chocolate Marshmallow Swirl Ice Cream (chocolate ice cream swirled with marshmallow), New England Creamery Nantucket Nutty Cone Sundae Ice Cream (vanilla ice cream swirled with caramel and chocolate-covered peanuts and chocolate-covered waffle cone pieces) and Low-fat Chocolate Hazelnut Chip Frozen Yogurt (chocolate hazelnut low-fat frozen yogurt with chocolate chips).

Frozen yogurt, in particular Greek frozen yogurt, continues to experience innovation in the retail sector. In fact, The Dannon Company, which entered the category in May 2014 with six flavors of Dannon Oikos Greek Frozen Yogurt, is adding three new varieties: Cookies & Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip, and surprise, surprise, Salted Caramel. All varieties have half the fat of regular ice cream and 6 grams of protein in every half-cup serving.

Ben & Jerry’s is growing its Core line with Cookie Core. The concept includes a core center down the middle of each flavor. The new Cookie Core varieties are Spectacular Speculoos (dark caramel and vanilla ice creams with speculoos cookies and a speculoos cookie butter core) and Boom Chocolatta (mocha and caramel ice creams with chocolate cookies and fudge flakes and a chocolate cookie core).

Herbs and spices provide an element of health and wellness to an indulgent dessert. A little goes a long way in terms of taste. Building on the salty caramel trend, the flavor of speculoos, a cookie from the Netherlands, is starting to become popular in the States. This shortcrust cookie has a sweet butter flavor and contains a spice blend consisting of cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg. The speculoos flavor works great in ice cream and also makes a flavorful inclusion, possibly coated with caramel or chocolate.

Ginger, which is an important flavor in speculoos, is driving all types of flavor innovation because it provides two types of heat, one that’s refreshing and another that’s spicy. There’s also a healthful halo surrounding ginger, and it has strong ethnic associations.

Kemps has a number of new flavors that complement the dessert-in-dessert trend. There’s Classic Chocolate Cupcake (chocolate cake-flavored ice cream swirled with white frosting and sprinkled with chocolate cupcake pieces) and Marshmallow Brownie (toasted marshmallow-flavored ice cream with thick fudge and chunks of brownies). And surprise, surprise, there’s a new caramel flavor, too. Vanilla Bean Caramel Crunch is sweet and salty ice cream swirled with vanilla bean caramel ribbon and vanilla bean candy crunch.

This final flavor--Tres Leches Brigadeiro from the Häagen-Dazs Artisan Collection--seems like the perfect treat to celebrate Valentine’s weekend. Brigadeiro (bree-gah-day-ro) is Brazil’s favorite and most traditional sweet. It is made from a mixture of chocolate, condensed milk and butter that is slowly cooked until it gets to the right consistency. Upon cooling, it is molded into a round shape and covered with chocolate sprinkles or nuts.

I do hope to see many subscribers at IDFA's Ice Cream Technology Conference this March 31 to April 1 in St. Petersburg, Fla. For more information , link HERE.

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day…and be safe on Friday the 13th!

Before I get into dairy foods for children, let’s talk Dietary Guidelines.

In case you have not heard, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) submitted its report to the Secretaries of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) yesterday, Feb. 19, 2015. The purpose of the advisory report is to inform the federal government of current scientific evidence on topics related to diet, nutrition and health. It provides the federal government with a foundation for developing national nutrition policy. The report is not the Dietary Guidelines for Americans policy or a draft of the policy. The federal government will determine how it will use the information in the report as the government develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans forms the basis of federal nutrition policy, education, outreach and food assistance programs used by consumers, industry, nutrition educators and health professionals. HHS and USDA will jointly release the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015 later this year.

To access the DGAC report in its entirety, link HERE.

http://www.ddwcolor.com/applications/dairy/

During the next few weeks, we will hear and read many opinions and interpretations (these are those “shades” I refer to in the headline) of the DGAC report and its implications on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015. Some will be the obvious, others hopeful and still others a stretch of the imagination.

My colleague Jeff Gelski at Food Business News wrote a comprehensive summary entitled "Let the debate begin--Dietary guidelines recommendations released." You can read it HERE.

Here are a few snippets on how dairy fared in the report.

Soon after it was released, Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation and Connie Tipton, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association jointly released these statements:

“The essential role of dairy foods, as part of dietary patterns that foster good health outcomes, is supported by the totality of the science—low-fat and fat-free milk and dairy products are a core component of the healthy dietary patterns identified by the Committee.”

“The good news for people across the country is that milk, cheese and yogurt not only taste great, but also are nutrient-rich, affordable, readily available and versatile, making dairy foods realistic options to help people build healthier meal plans. Milk is the number one source of nine essential nutrients in the diets of America’s children—including calcium, vitamin D and potassium, three of the four nutrients the 2015 DGAC found to be under-consumed. Dairy foods’ nutrient package can be hard to replace with other foods.”

“We will provide science-based comments on the advisory report during the current public comment period and look forward to the release of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans policy document later this year.”

(Photo source: Aramark)

From the advisory report executive summary, here are lines 61 to 74:

“…the majority of the U.S. population has low intakes of key food groups that are important sources of the shortfall nutrients, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains and dairy. Furthermore, population intake is too high for refined grains and added sugars. The data suggest cautious optimism about dietary intake of the youngest members of the U.S. population because many young children ages 2 to 5 years consume recommended amounts of fruit and dairy. However, a better understanding is needed on how to maintain and encourage good habits that are started early in life. Analysis of data on food categories, such as burgers, sandwiches, mixed dishes, desserts, and beverages, shows that the composition of many of these items could be improved so as to increase population intake of vegetables, whole grains, and other under-consumed food groups and to lower population intake of the nutrients sodium and saturated fat, and the food component refined grains. Improved beverage selections that limit or remove sugar-sweetened beverages and place limits on sweets and desserts would help lower intakes of the food component, added sugars.”

And lines 359 to 364:

“The Committee encourages the food industry to continue reformulating and making changes to certain foods to improve their nutrition profile. Examples of such actions include lowering sodium and added sugars content, achieving better saturated fat to polyunsaturated fat ratio and reducing portion sizes in retail settings (restaurants, food outlets and public venues, such as professional sports stadiums and arenas). The Committee also encourages the food industry to market these improved products to consumers.”

That brings me to children, the focus of this blog.

I would like to reference two recent articles I wrote for Food Business News.

There’s “Beverages for Boys and Girls,” which can be accessed HERE.

And there’s “Colorful Ways to Quench Thirst,” which can be accessed HERE.

Here’s the deal with kids’ foods. It’s a huge market and one that continues to grow.

My friends over at Packaged Facts explain that the kids’ food and beverage category includes products that have a taste kids love, nutrition kids need or entertainment kids crave. Taste alone is not sufficient to qualify a product as being for kids. The product must meet at least one other criterion—nutrition or entertainment.

Further, Packaged Facts estimates that kids’ foods and beverages, so defined, account for roughly 3.5% of total retail sales of foods and beverages, with nearly $23.2 billion in 2013 sales.

And the market is growing. Packaged Facts projects retail sales of kids’ foods and beverages to grow to a value of $29.8 billion by 2018, driven by continued economic recovery, strong new product development and increased demand for health and wellness products suitable for growing kids. The competitive landscape surrounding the kids’ food and beverage market is expected to intensify, as marketers from other consumer product goods categories will look for their share of the “family” consumer dollar. As a result, Packaged Facts projects that the kids’ food and beverage market will continue to gain momentum. (Source: The Kids Food and Beverage Market in the U.S., 7th Edition)

The GREAT news is that EVERYTHING DAIRY is a major driver of this growth.

For 2013, Packaged Facts estimated that kids’ dairy products had retail sales accounting for almost 27% share of the entire kids’ food and beverage market. That’s right, more than one-fourth of the category.

So that brings me to some recent rollouts for this segment…and what they are doing right.

The Yoplait brand offers refrigerated yogurt described as “A flurry of fun! Frolic in the snow with Anna, Olaf and Elsa as you celebrate the magic of Frozen.” The Disney-themed yogurts come in blueberry and strawberry flavors. Sold in eight packs of 4-ounce cups, packages tout the fact that they contain only natural colors and flavors and no high-fructose corn syrup. Each single-serve cup contains only 100 calories and is loaded with live and active cultures, enough to meet the National Yogurt Association criteria for Live and Active Culture Yogurt. A serving is also a good source of vitamins A and D, while being gluten free and kosher dairy.

America’s number-one Greek yogurt brand—Chobani--has a major portfolio expansion along with new marketing initiatives to continue its category leadership and deliver on its mission to provide better food for more people...including the youngest members of the household.

Its new platform designed specifically for kids and tots--Chobani Kids and Chobani Tots—is Greek yogurt in convenient single-serve pouches. The packaging prominently features iconic Disney and Marvel characters, such as Winnie the Pooh and Spider-Man.

Chobani Kids offers 8 grams of protein and 25% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt in kid-approved flavors, empowering kids to choose naturally delicious snacks, according to the company. Flavors are Banana, Chocolate Dust, Grape, Strawberry and Watermelon.

Chobani Tots is whole milk Greek yogurt blended with real fruits and vegetables. The yogurt is also enhanced with the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which is associated with cognitive development. Varieties are Banana & Pumpkin and Mango & Spinach.

Launched on Mother’s Day 2006, Happy Family is the first organic brand to offer a complete line of nutrient-rich foods for babies, toddlers and young children. In 2014, the company added Happy Child Super Nutrition Shakes to its product lineup. Available in Chocolate and Vanilla flavors, each 8.25-ounce aseptic shake is packed with 8 grams of protein, along with 21 vitamins and minerals. A serving is an excellent source of calcium.

WhiteWave Foods now sells Horizon Cheese Shapes for snacking. There are two offerings. Cheddar comes in stars and flowers, while Colby comes in squares and triangles. The new snacking cheeses are sold in 5.5-ounce multi-serving bags that include a callout of “good source of protein.”

U.K.’s Ambrosia Creamery introduces a dairy dessert designed for youngsters. The innovative mini pots are unique to the ambient desserts category. There are six pots per pack, with each 55-gram pot being the perfect size for small appetites, making them a great addition to kids’ lunch boxes, according to the company. The puddings are specially formulated with calcium and vitamin D to promote strong bone growth in children. They contain no preservatives, or artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners.

Yabon Baby Corp., introduced Sunny Yummy dairy puddings this past summer. This shelf-stable dairy snack offers more protein and less sugar per serving than any other portable puddings, yet tastes like a gourmet treat, according to the company. Made from at least 80% fresh skim milk and sweetened with stevia, the grab-and-go products are low in fat and contain no artificial flavor or colors. Sunny Yummy dairy pudding pouches come in five flavors: Chocolate Caramel, Cinnamon, Lemon, Strawberry and Vanilla.

The U.K.’s Happy Monkey markets all-natural dairy beverages designed for young taste buds. The smoothies were first introduced in 2009, while the milkshakes entered the U.K. market this past year. Both products are shelf stable (for about 4 months) until opened, and best served chilled.

The fat-free smoothies come in 180-milliliter packs in three different varieties: Apple & Blackcurrant, Orange & Mango and Strawberry & Banana. Each pack contains about 100 calories and no added sweeteners. Sweetness comes only from 100% fruit juice. The milkshakes come in 200-milliliter prisma-style cartons in Chocolate and Strawberry varieties. Each carton contains 140 calories and 3 grams of fat.

There’s a common theme with these products: keep the formulations simple and clean. Avoid artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. Let’s keep the youngest members of households consumers of dairy for life. This can be accomplished by not just encouraging good habits early in life, but offering them products that maintain these habits forever. There are many shades of opportunity for dairy foods.

GMOs (genetically modified organisms) promise to be a hot button at Natural Products Expo West/Engredia, which kicks off in less than a week in Anaheim. (Hope to see many of you there…looking forward to our “dates” Corrie and Trina!).

Some industries are more versed than others on the GMO topic and have been quite proactive with sourcing non-GMO ingredients. Dairy is starting to come around, which is why sourcing non-GMO ingredients is something you might want to consider as you move forward with your product development efforts.

Background Information
What exactly are GMOs? They are plants and animals created through the use of genetic engineering, bioengineering or biotechnology. These technologies merge molecules of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from the genes of different plant and animal species to create new life forms that previously did not exist in nature. These are forms that could not be created through traditional crossbreeding techniques.

http://ingredion.us/applicationsingredients/Dairy/Pages/dairy.aspx?utm_source=DonnaBerryBlog&utm_medium=Banner_728x90&utm_campaign=Non-GMO

GMOs did not come into being to make a few people rich by “poisoning” the world, as some activists preach. GMOs, like vaccines for humans, which we are hearing a lot about these days, are the result of advancements in science to make life better. GMOs assist farmers and ranchers with economically producing enough food to feed the Earth’s growing human population. With plants, genetic modification can make them resistant to deleterious infestation. The science helps plants grow better in extreme weather conditions, and even possibly in lands other than their natural environment…all with the goal to feed the hungry.

It’s important to understand that FDA does not require foods to be labeled as having been produced with GMO ingredients because it has found that there is no material difference between GMO and non-GMO foods. In other words, a GMO food or ingredient is just as safe and nutritious as its non-GMO counterpart.

But…and that’s a big but, there are many consumers opposed to such advancements in science. In particular, the millennial generation. And GMOs are expected to become a greater consumer concern, as well as a deterrent to purchase, in the near future.

According to February 2014 data from The Hartman Group, 33% of consumers are deliberately avoiding GMOs. And according to a recent study conducted by Consumer Report, more than 70% of consumers believe it’s important to avoid GMOs.

This interest in avoiding GMOs is likely in part due to Whole Foods Market’s announcement in 2013 of its commitment to full GMO transparency. By Whole Foods making GMOs an issue, it became an industry issue.

The natural foods grocer gave its supplier partners five years (by 2018) to source non-GMO ingredients or to clearly label products with ingredients containing GMOs. Whole Foods recognizes the switch is a complicated issue and could require formulation changes.

To watch a video about non-GMO ingredient production and sourcing, link HERE.

According to the Packaged Facts report “Non-GMO Foods: Global Market Perspective,” non-GMO foods represented about 11% of the global market. “However, this market exists largely under the rubric of organic products, and the question remains whether non-GMO will simply bolster the case for organics, or truly mark a fork in the road for the food industry,” says David Sprinkle, research director.

The leading category for non-GMO product introductions globally are those products found in…you guessed it…the dairy case. “From 2009 to 2013, the dairy case accounted for 19% of non-GMO new product introductions globally, though only for 7% of those in the U.S.,” Sprinkle says.

GMOs and Dairy Foods
To assist the dairy industry with better understanding how all this GMO activity impacts day-to-day business, Dairy Management Inc., the International Dairy Foods Association (thanks Cary for sharing!), the National Milk Producers Federation, MilkPEP and the U.S. Dairy Export Council, compiled a list of facts.

Here are some key things to know:

Currently no cloning or genetic engineering of cows takes place in commercial dairy cow breeding.
Milk is not genetically modified, but the feed for the cows on dairy farms can be grown from genetically modified seeds.
Genetically modified crops allow farmers to grow feed and foods more efficiently using the same amount of land to maximize crop yields and minimize usage of water and other natural resources.
Scientific experts have confirmed that the crops are safe and provide the same nutrition, for animals and people, as other crops.

The LA Times published an informative article on this topic. To read it, link HERE.

Here are some points of clarification:

On certified-organic dairy farms, the feed comes from crops that are not genetically modified.
Cows on dairy farms across America eat feed that’s made of hay, corn and grains, much of which is grown from genetically modified seeds. Some cows graze on pasture too, but it’s not practical in many locations and climates. Scientific experts and health organizations have confirmed that genetically modified crops are safe and provide the same nutrition, for animals and people, as other crops. Importantly, because cows digest the feed completely, the milk itself isn’t any different; there’s no modification, genetic or otherwise, in the product.
Research confirms the milk is no different, whether the dairy cows were fed conventional or genetically modified feeds.

For additional resources compiled by Federation of Animal Science Societies, link HERE.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, FDA and the three states (Connecticut, Vermont and Maine) that do have GMO-labeling laws do NOT consider the feed the cows eat as part of GMO. It’s only the actual food and the ingredients. Because milk is not genetically altered, it is not considered. However, the Non-GMO Project and various activists do want the feed to be considered.

Did you know that Australia is a GMO-free country? This means that all Australian cheese, as is or in ingredient format, is GMO free, as exemplified in the Old Croc line.

For more information on non-GMO cheese ingredients, here’s an article I recently wrote for Food Business News entitled “A flavor of cheese for every food.” Link HERE.

Look Who is Non-GMO
As mentioned, certified organic dairy products, by definition are void of any GMOs. Because organic milk is at a premium, processors are choosing to source (and flag on product labels) specific ingredients that today’s consumers want, or claim to want. For long this was limited to milk from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones. In the past few years, this list has grown to include artificial ingredients such as some sweeteners, flavors and colors. Now we are seeing processors choose ingredients free from GMOs.

Maia Yogurt, marketed by Healthy Mom LLC, recently received non-GMO Project verified certification for the six core flavors of its non-fat Greek yogurt line.

“Our mission is to bring the most delicious and nutritious local grass-fed cow’s milk yogurt to consumers,” says Hamilton Colwell, founder of Maia Yogurt. “Non-GMO Project verification is a big step towards earning their whole-hearted trust, and we are thrilled to offer our customers and trade partners assurance that we produce the highest quality and healthiest products possible.”

The Non-GMO Project offers North America’s only independent verification for products without GMOs. The process for Maia’s Non-GMO Project verification lasted 16 months, during which their ingredients underwent a rigorous series of audits and tests to ensure that they follow industry best practices for GMO avoidance—including testing, traceability and segregation.

“We care greatly about our customers and their health, and we have made significant efforts to create the best product possible. Many dairy manufacturers cannot receive Non-GMO Project verification due to the co-mingling of milk,” said Colwell.

The yogurts’ label reads: “rBST-free, made from grass-fed cows milk from family farms, not treated with hormones.” It also includes a non-GMO call out. And those varieties that have been verified will soon include the Non-GMO Project verified checkmark.

The first Non-GMO Project verified Greek yogurt came from Stonyfield Farm. Brown Cow Non-GMO 0% Fat Greek Yogurt is sold exclusively through Whole Foods. In fact, it was a direct response to Whole Foods’ GMO transparency announcement, as when that announcement was made, the natural foods retailer stopped selling Chobani Greek yogurt to make room for non-GMO alternatives, in particular Brown Cow Greek yogurt.

In a statement, Whole Foods said it “challenged its Greek yogurt suppliers to create unique options for its shoppers to enjoy, including exclusive flavors, non-GMO options and organic choices. Chobani has chosen not to differentiate in this way, so Whole Foods Market will be phasing Chobani Greek yogurt out of its stores in early 2014 to make room for other product choices that aren’t readily available on the market.”

Some processors find value in sourcing and flagging the use of non-GMO ingredients without Non-GMO Project verification. This is particularly true with crops that are questionable. For example, with about 90% of U.S. corn crops being genetically modified, any corn-based ingredient can deter a GMO-avoider from purchase.

This inspired the manufacturers of Enlightened Ice Cream to use non-GMO soluble corn fiber in order to provide 5 grams of fiber in every 75-gram stick novelty. Each bar in the seven-flavor line (Coffee, Fudge, Mint, Orange Cream, Peanut Butter, Toasted Almond and Vanilla Bean) also contains a mere 70 to 80 calories, 2 grams of fat, 3 grams of sugar and 8 to 9 grams of protein, depending on variety.

It’s not surprising that the original socially and health-conscious ice cream marketer, Ben & Jerry’s, is a huge supporter of mandatory GMO labeling and a consumer’s right to know what’s in their food. Ben & Jerry’s is not Non-GMO Project verified but the brand speaks for itself. The company discusses GMO transparency in length on its website, which can be accessed HERE.

Hope to see you in Anaheim!

Hi loyal subscribers,

I needed a travel/mental health day to get to and get in the mindset for Expo West/Engredion in Anaheim.

Not to disappoint….here are a few items for your reading enjoyment.

For starters, if you are involved in the development, marketing or distribution of ice cream, please plan to attend the Ice Cream Technology Conference March 31 to April 1 in St. Petersburg, FL. For more info, link HERE.

http://www.idfa.org/forms/meeting/Microsite/Ice_Cream_Tech_2015

If you are involved in cottage cheese or other cultured dairy products, as well as fluid milk and milk beverages, you should plan to attend the Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Conference May 19 to 20 in Minneapolis. For more info, link HERE.

I emphasize cottage cheese, because this original high-protein cultured dairy product was featured in the March 2015 issue of Shape magazine. (Pictured to the right.)

That same issue featured an article about why dairy fats are good fats. (Scroll down to read the article.)

I recently wrote a column for Food Business News entitled “Scientifically based nutrition advice: Eat butter, meat and cheese.” It includes an interview with Nina Teicholz, author of the New York Times bestseller The Big Fat Surprise-Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet. You can read the column HERE.

Back to Expo West/Engredion. My Friday plans are to start in the early-morning hall (9:00am sharp at the Hilton) and walk up and down every aisle until I end the day at Engredion (Hall A).

Hope to see many of you there. Please shoot me an email HERE with your booth number and what time you will be there, and I will make an effort to visit. Think 9:00 Hilton, about 9:45 Arena, 10:30 Hall E (lower level), 11:15 Next Pavilion, noon Hall D, 1:00 Hall C, 2:00 Hall B, 3:00 (to the Marriott for State of the Industry symposium), 4:15 Hall A.
Aggressive schedule! I know, hence no blog. My apologies.

Sincerely,
Donna Berry
P.S. Don’t forget to move your clocks ahead Saturday night. Spring is almost here!

Here's the Shape magazine article:

Photo source: Tate & Lyle

The 35th annual Natural Products Expo West took place less than a week ago in Anaheim, CA. And what an amazing Expo it was!
Having attended this show annually for the past decade and occasionally the decade before, I can honestly say that this year dairy products had the strongest presence ever. (But so did dairy alternatives...more on this later.)

As the world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products event, Expo serves as a reunion for many of the industry’s original players. I was not there in the beginning, but I do remember the early days…like the one “clothing optional, fig leave acceptable” year.

Not sure what year was my first, but I do remember there were only three dairies with booths larger than a tabletop. They were Stonyfield Farm, where Gary worked the booth in jeans and Birkenstocks; Organic Valley, which was then still referred to as CROPP, where George, in his predictable jeans and flannel shirt, was advocating for national organic standards; and Horizon, still owned by its founding fathers, Mark and Paul, was the newbie in the trio, and had grand plans in place to make organic milk available nationally.

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Congrats to all three and the many, many more dairy companies selling everything from cheese to ice cream to kefir to yogurt. You all shined at this year’s Expo.

This past week, the Daily Dose of Dairy began featuring new products that debuted at the show. This will continue, most likely, for the next month, as there were so many innovations. Below is a sneak peak of what’s to come.

But first, some general show highlights.

The 2015 event grew 7.2% from the previous year, bringing together more than 71,000 industry members, more than 2,700 exhibiting companies and 634 first-time exhibitors.

These are some of the macro trends influencing the marketplace.

Transparency: Consumers are increasingly demanding to know what is in their food, and brands are responding by using technology and other innovations to provide greater transparency and traceability for their products.
Ancient Wisdom Gets Wiser: Brands continue to innovate by producing simple, delicious products that take minimal processing to new levels and contain short lists of nutrient-dense ingredients.
Packaging Innovated: From edible cups to packages featuring famous cookbook authors, the packaging innovations made advancements in sustainability, consumer education and shelf stability.
Protein Invasion: Responding to consumers’ insatiable hunger for protein, natural and organic brands are packing new offerings with protein in every conceivable form.

Many companies were recognized with awards at Natural Products Expo West, including one dairy product. Noosa Yoghurt LLC’s Vanilla Yoghurt was a runner up in the “Best of West: Press Award.” Congrats!

Noosa is a whole milk yogurt described as Aussie style. It is made using fresh Colorado milk at the family-owned Morning Fresh Dairy in Bellvue, Colorado. Noosa partners with Colorado-based Beyond the Hive to lightly sweeten its yogurt with golden Clover Alfalfa honey.

Most recently the company began offering its two most popular flavors—Blueberry and Tart Cherry--in four packs of 4-ounce cups. Each 4-ounce cup contains 140 calories, 5.5 grams of fat, 14 grams of sugar (including milk’s inherent sugar) and 7 grams of protein. The convenient on-the-go cups join the 8- and 16-ounce containers.

As mentioned, both dairy products and dairy alternatives were trending at Expo. Dairy processors should be aware of the competition, and that includes manufacturers and marketers of dairy alternatives. To read an overview of the dairy alternatives category and view product examples in a slideshow, link HERE to an article I wrote for Food Business News this week.

Something I point out in the article is that some of these alternatives rely on ingredients that you would not find in grandma’s pantry, which contradicts the clean-label trend. Dairy processors are fortunate to be starting with a highly functional and all-natural base material—cows milk—and have many clean-label ingredients readily available to them in order to provide health- and wellness-seeking consumers with products close to what Mother Nature intended.

To read more about formulating clean-label yogurt and other dairy products, link HERE.

Here are some product highlights from Expo. Remember to watch for more as a Daily Dose of Dairy the next couple weeks.

McConnell’s showed attendees that sea salt goes with more than caramel. Handcrafted in Santa Barbara, CA, Sea Salt Cream & Cookies Ice Cream starts with a base of dense, velvety smooth and creamy sweet cream ice cream. This gets layered with a hint of local sea salt and bountiful bits of chewy, house-made, Guittard chocolate chunk cookies.

Both Tillamook and Organic Valley rolled out cheese sticks designed for adult snacking. Organic Valley’s packages state “made with milk from our pasture-raised cows.” In addition to sporting the USDA Organic seal, the company wants to make sure consumers understand that “organic is always non GMO” and that it never uses “antibiotics, synthetic hormones, toxic pesticides or GMOs” and states so on the package. Organic Valley’s (0.75-ounce) sticks come in Medium Cheddar and Pepper Jack varieties. They are sold in bags of six.

Tillamook’s cheese sticks are also 0.75 ounces and come in 10 packs. Marketed as “a natural snack for kids of all ages,” there are two varieties: Colby Jack and Medium Cheddar. These varieties have long been part of the 0.75 ounce Tillamoos cheese portion packs. The company is growing this line with three adult-centric varieties: Hot Habanero Jack, Sharp White Cheddar and Smoked Black White Cheddar. (The latter is incredibly delicious!)

The good culture company used Expo to officially launch its namesake line of sweet and savory single-serve organic cottage cheese cups. The initial rollout includes five varieties: Blueberry Açaí Chia, Classic, Kalamata Olive, Strawberry Chia and Sundried Tomato. The single-serve containers come in convenient, on-the-go 5.3-ounce packs. For more info link HERE.

Stonyfield also used Expo West as its official launching pad for Oh My Yog! This tri-layer yogurt made its soft launch at the Fancy Food Show in January and has started rolling out to the retail marketplace. The top layer is cream, the middle layer is honey-sweetened whole milk yogurt and the bottom is flavorful fruit, or in the case of the Madagascar Vanilla Bean variety, vanilla-infused yogurt. The fruit varieties are: Apple Cinnamon, Gingered Pear, Orange Cranberry, Pacific Coast Strawberry and Wild Quebec Blueberry. Each 6-ounce cup contains 190 calories, 5 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein. For more information, link HERE.

WhiteWave Foods showcased many innovations, for both the refrigerated and ambient dairy cases, as well as grocery. Let’s focus on dairy.

The company made its official industry debut of yulu Aussie Style Yogurt at Expo, which Daily Dose of Dairy was first to write about in February. This is an Australian-style yogurt, which is known for its velvety texture and creaminess as well as inclusion of large, identifiable pieces of fruit. For more information, link HERE.

Under the company’s Horizon label, is an industry first in the U.S. New Super Squeeze is shelf-stable pouches of milk and real fruit. The highly viscous product is made with organic milk and organic fruit purees, with each pouch containing 100 calories, 5 grams of protein, 15 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber and no fat. For more info, link HERE.

My friends at Lifeway Foods have been very busy this year. In case you missed this week’s Daily Dose of Dairy on the company’s new Lifeway Protein Kefir, a line extension designed to aid in muscle recovery after exercise, you can read about it HERE.

Other innovations from the company include Lifeway Pretty Plain ProBugs. It’s the first no-sugar-added flavor in Lifeway’s popular line of organic whole milk kefir smoothies designed for younger children, and it comes in the same fun 4-ounce sippy pouch as the rest of the ProBugs family. That means an easy grip for little hands along with a no-spill spout--exclusive to Lifeway--that makes it car-safe.

Personified on the package by a cartoon bug character named Pretty Plain Pearl who “likes her life clean,” the new product joins ProBugs’ Sublime Slime Lime, Orange Creamy Crawler, Goo Berry Pie, Strawnana Split and Kiwi Kale Critter varieties, each with its own giggle-inducing persona to keep kids entertained.

Also new for this summer is Lifeway Lowfat Watermelon Kefir. Scheduled to hit store shelves in June, this summertime special is lightly sweetened with only 8 grams of additional sugar and has just 20 fat calories in each 140-calorie serving. It’s also 99% lactose-free, gluten-free and all-natural with 12 live and active probiotic cultures, 11 grams of protein and 30% of your daily recommended calcium, plus the natural watermelon flavor everyone loves. No melon carving needed!

The folks over Smari Organics have also been super busy and are growing their line of refrigerated Icelandic namesake yogurts. Smari yogurt debuted about two years ago and was written about first by Daily Dose of Dairy HERE.

Smari yogurt is made with milk from grass-fed Jersey and Guernsey cows, with each 6-ounce cup delivering 20 grams of protein. The original line is four fat-free options: Blueberry, Pure, Strawberry and Vanilla. Now the line includes fat-free Peach, Pure Whole Milk, Vanilla Whole Milk and low-fat Coconut.

Mark your calendars for Natural Products Expo East 2015, which will return to the Baltimore Convention Center, September 16 to 19, 2015, in Baltimore, MD. For more info, link HERE.

Natural Products Expo West 2016 is scheduled to take place March 11 to 13, 2016, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. Details will be available later in the year.

A Groupon email yesterday had this subject line: Eating—It’s the Fad Sweeping the Nation! I could not agree more. For many, eating today is more about the experience than sustenance. This is being driven by Millennials, who are more than a demographic. Being a Millennial is actually a state of mind.

How Millennial are you?

Pew Research Center developed a 14-item quiz to determine how Millennial you are on a scale from 0 to 100. You can access it HERE.

Your responses are compared to those of respondents to a scientific nationwide survey. You can also find out how you stack up against others your age. (I scored an 80, which is pretty darn good for a Gen-Xer. My 32-year-old niece, a prime Millennial, scored 98.)

Celebrating Good Food
Yesterday was also the first day of the 11th annual Good Food Festival & Conference in Chicago. I was fortunate to attend some sessions and met and heard some movers and shakers in the Good Food movement. By the end of the day, it became very clear, Good Food is what Millennials want.

The words natural, organic and GMO never came up during an incredibly moving speech by Chef Rick Bayless. Rather he emphasized local agriculture and deliciousness.

Bayless opened his first restaurant, Frontera Grill, in Chicago, 28 years ago today, and since has been a major influencer of changing the way chefs procure produce, meat and other ingredients in The Windy City. And, as he pointed out, at O’Hare airport, where Frontera operates a quick-serve restaurant run on the same principles as his downtown sit-down establishments.

He said he knew early on the only way he was going to succeed in the highly competitive Chicago restaurant scene was if he served up a plate of deliciousness. This was only going to be possible by sourcing the freshest ingredients, which, of course, is not the easiest thing to do in the Midwest. But he found a way, and today that way has become the Rick Bayless Farmer Foundation, a very impressive program designed to support local farmers. To read more about it, link HERE. This was the first time I had heard of it, and I remain in awe.

To read more about the Good Food Festival & Conference, link HERE.

A big thanks to Organic Valley, the only dairy to be an official sponsor of the event. (Loved the protein drinks you provided.)

What became apparent to me at the conference is that yes, organic, natural and non-GMO are important to a fast-rising number of people—the Millennials—but at the same time, if you are buying good food, consumers trust that these foods are made as organic, as natural and as free of GMOs as possible.

At lunch I spoke with a Millennial entrepreneur from Ohio who said he understands that GMOs are necessary to make food affordable and available to the many people hungry in the U.S. and around the world. (The guy is a genius in my book. Nice to have met you Nick.)

After Bayless spoke, there was a panel discussion featuring Good Food business success stories. Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, along with three other entrepreneurial leaders spoke about their early beginnings and how they became the success they are today. The unified theme was simply doing the best possible to offer consumers the best good food, along with investing in the communication of this goodness.

Let’s face it. Gone are the days of families eating frozen TV dinners. (Remember those metal trays? If you were lucky, you got one with dessert…some scary chocolate mush.) Though I occasionally crave my mom’s quick Friday Lenten fix…Kraft mac and cheese mixed with canned tuna and canned peas…it is highly doubtful Millennials have ever tasted or ever will taste what once a staple meal for many.

There’s no doubt that changing American demographics and the evolving food culture are affecting how we live, shop and eat. The good news for the dairy industry is that we produce some pretty darn good food. It’s a good time to be in dairy…but it is critical that you understand how to communicate your products’ goodness to consumers.

http://www.iddba.org/engagingevolvingshopper.aspx

Source: IDDBA, Engaging the Evolving Shopper survey, 2014

IDDBA’s latest study, “Engaging the Evolving Shopper: Serving the New American Appetite,” concurs that Millennial shoppers are at the forefront of the “New American Appetite.” From this study, conducted by The Hartman Group Inc., IDDBA has developed an on-demand webinar entitled “Tapping the Momentum of Millenials in Fresh Perimeter Categories.” This includes dairy. You can view the webinar HERE.

Source: IDDBA, Engaging the Evolving Shopper survey, 2014

The Hartman Group’s research shows that Millennials engage with fresh perimeter categories differently than Boomers. Millennials use the fresh parameter both as a healthy source for ready-to-eat meals and snacks, and for fresh ingredients to cook. Dairy marketers are smart to offer more convenience options.

Millennials shop more frequently. They want fresh ingredients purchased the same day. Dairy marketers are smart to offer smaller sizes of products for one-time use.

Source: IDDBA, Engaging the Evolving Shopper survey, 2014

Millennials will try everything. They think in terms of ethnic cuisines, sometimes even regional specificity.

Selection and wide variety in the dairy department resonates with Millennial shoppers. They want good food. They want more local food.

This is an easy one for dairy!

I just returned from attending the 7th Anuga FoodTec in Cologne, Germany. Also known simply as AFT, this expo is not to be confused with Anuga, the world’s largest finished food fair taking place later this year (October 10 to 14) in the same location.

The AFT is held every three years. It is the only trade fair in the world that covers all aspects of food production. Five exhibition segments of AFT--Food Processing, Food Packaging, Food Safety, Ingredients (new for 2015) and Services/Solutions--form one transparent information system for all areas of the industry and for all levels of resources. For the industry visitor, AFT encompasses all the synergies of a process-orientated production chain, from raw material to delivery-ready end product.

The expo ends today, March 27, and final numbers are expected to show that more than 43,000 highly qualified trade visitors traveled from around 130 countries to view the more than 1,500 supplier exhibitors representing 49 countries.

Both the dairy and meat industries showed the most growth in terms of exhibitor numbers and space, as compared to the 2012 expo. To read some highlights from the dairy sector, as reported by Koelnmesse, a co-organizer of the event, link HERE.

As an attendee of many, many trade shows, I am exposed to a lot of innovation. The AFT was no exception; however, there were definitely some innovations that stood out. Here are two of them.

This gadget from the German packaging company Poppelmann GmbH & Co., takes the foon (fork plus spoon), also sometimes called spork (spoon plus fork), to a new level, as it has a foldable design so that it fits into the dome of a single-serve cup container. When removed, the consumer straightens it, snapping together the two halves of the handle to form a foon that is 125 millimeters long. It is also stable and long enough to reach the bottom of the container without effort and without getting hands dirty.

The company supplies the cup, the dome and the foon, but the pieces are available individually, too. This type of container is ideal for high-protein dairy foods such as cottage cheese (with delicious inclusions), yogurt blended with grains such as chia, oats and quinoa, and desserts such as rice pudding and quark.
To read more about the foon, link HERE.
The foon recently won a German Packaging Award. Read more HERE.

The second show stopper for me comes from Ecolean, a Swedish aseptic filling and packaging company that markets a uniquely shaped stand-up plastic pouch for refrigerated and shelf-stable beverages, including milk and drinkable yogurt. During AFT, the company sponsored a seminar entitled “Packaging innovation and brand regeneration,” and showed attendees through customer testimonials how the stand-up pouch can help a dairy increase sales of fluid milk.

“We have been able to double the sales of the brand since the launch of the Ecolean package and this can be attributed to the new innovative package format,” said Syed Waqas Azhar, general marketing-dairy, Engro Foods Ltd., Pakistan, marketers of the Olper's brand of milk.

The flexible stand-up package is shaped like a pitcher. It has an air-filled handle that adds to the stability of the package, as well as makes it convenient for pouring. It comes in varied sizes, from single serve to family size. It can be colored or clear, and even have an attached straw. The flexible packaging has a well-suited surface for high-quality print, which together with a generous primary display panel, functions as a billboard to get the attention of today’s fast-paced consumer. To read more about the package, link HERE.

Now here’s the yummy product concept. Whenever and wherever I travel, I make supermarket visits. Germany always has some of the most innovative dairy products, and this one is definitely new, as I did not see it the last time I visited the country in October 2013 for Anuga.

It’s a cream cheese- and butter-based bread spread with large and plentiful flavorful inclusions. It is designed to be spread on bread or a baguette and then baked in the oven or toaster oven for about 8 minutes. The spread bubbles and firms up on the bread, which simultaneously gets toasted.

Hochland offers five varieties: Bruschetta, Chicken Tuscany, Mediterranean Vegetable, Pizza and Tarte (ham, onions and a touch of black pepper.)

Edelweiss is rolling out three varieties under its Milkana brand. There’s Hawaii, (ham and pineapple), Salami and Tarte.

This TV commercial—there’s two, and it’s the second one—shows you exactly how the spread bakes up. Watch it HERE.

I purchased the Hochland Tarte product and did not have an oven handy. But I spread it on some bread and it was super delicious even chilled. I would really love this product in America. Hint, hint.

There will not be a blog next Friday, April 3rd, in respect for Good Friday. Have a lovely Easter and Passover holiday, and for many, a sunny and warm spring break. Watch out Key Largo, the Berry’s will arrive soon!

Nothing like a long weekend during spring break with seven teenagers (three boys, four girls, all 15 years old) to gain insight to the grocery shoppers of tomorrow. These are the youngest millennials, having been born in either 1999 or 2000. They survived Y2K. And, oh my, do they have strong opinions of the foods they eat.

Fresh is paramount. I was very surprised that the baby carrots and celery sticks disappeared before the potato chips and pretzels. Eventually the chip bowl was cleaned out. The pretzels remained. (That contradicts better-for-you snacking!)

When I asked for requests from the grocery store for breakfast and snack foods, I was very pleased that almost all of them asked for yogurt. Whole fruits, hard-boiled eggs and green tea also made the list. (What happened to Pop Tarts and doughnuts? I bought them anyway. Eventually, they were consumed, too.)

http://ingredion.us/applicationsingredients/Dairy/Pages/IceCream.aspx?utm_source=DonnaBerryBlog&utm_medium=Banner_728x90&utm_campaign=Dairy_CleanLabel

When I asked for milk preference, they unanimously said 2%. One girl even went as far as explaining to me that it contained healthy fats. I was very impressed. But then one gal did say her mom likes to buy raw milk. Not to throw her mom under the bus, but I did break into a brief explanation of why raw milk is unsafe and why I will not be buying it.

Though they did not seem to understand the term “clean label” when I asked them, they did have strong opinions of what they want to read on package labels. Surprisingly, organic was not as important as I thought it would be. “Nothing artificial” was something all seven agreed was a purchase requirement. (This did not hold them back from eating the cookies I made with artificially colored M&M’s.)

I’m not surprised that they do not understand the term clean label, as it really is not a consumer term. Shoppers are not walking up and down the aisles of the supermarket looking for the clean-label shelf. Retailers do not have a designated clean-label section, much like they do for organic and ethnic foods. Clean label is a marketing initiative for the R&D team, with the effort often varying by product category.

Clean label is not necessarily natural, which is a good thing, because natural is itself an ambiguous term. But I think we can all agree that natural infers that it came from Mother Nature, at least before it was processed and packaged, rather than concocted in a lab. It’s suggestive of good-for-you, minimally processed and even nontoxic.

Clean label is sometimes that, and other times it is not. Clean label involves transparency, which refers to the act of communicating to consumers the story of the food they are buying.

Transparency was identified as a key macro trend at the 35th annual Natural Products Expo West that took place in early March in Anaheim, CA. This term incorporates many facets of product marketing, including ingredient sourcing, nutrition claims, product description, packaging graphics and even a company’s business philosophy. When all of these are kept as clean, simple and truthful as possible, consumers often perceive the product to be close to something grandma would make in her own kitchen, with this notion of homemade being very appealing with today’s foodie society. The millennials, including my teen aged house guests, are all over it. (Little do they know that those cookies I claimed to make from scratch were refrigerated dough to which I added some topical M&M’s for that “made by Mrs. Berry” touch. I know, I was not very transparent. Shame on me!)

Clean really is about being clear. “The move from ‘clean’ to ‘clear’ labeling is a key trend for 2015, reflecting a move to clearer and simpler claims and packaging for maximum transparency,” says Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Insights. “Meeting the needs of the millennial consumer has also become a key focus, as has targeting the demands of the gourmet consumer at home, re-engineering the snacks market for today’s lifestyles and combating obesity with a focus on positive nutrition.”

According to Clean Label Report 2015 from Nutrition Business Journal, no one in the industry seems to agree on an exact definition, yet suppliers, manufacturers and retailers are increasingly responding to and driving the movement. The report confirms that few consumers have even heard of the term, yet more and more of them are demanding food, supplement, personal care and household products that adhere to its strictures of fewer synthetic ingredients, fewer ingredients overall, “free-from” formulations and transparent supply chains.

So while only 23% of consumers surveyed say they have heard the term “clean label” and have at least some idea what it might mean, 83% say they actively try to avoid high-fructose corn syrup and 71% say “no” to artificial colors and flavors, according to Nutrition Business Journal research. The report shows that these and other ingredients are quickly on their way out of the natural channel, with mass retail following suit.

A recent report from Packaged Facts entitled What America Eats: Paradigms Shaping Food Choices identifies a number of positive shifts in American eating habits that bode well for the future. Chief among these is the finding that in 2014, 39% of consumers indicated they are eating less processed food than they were a few years ago. And while consumers are more likely to say they are shifting away from processed food, they say they are moving toward foods/food types that encompass “real foods,” such as fresh fruits/vegetables, locally produced foods and all natural proteins. Dairy is all this and more!

At IDFA’s recent Ice Cream Technology Conference in St. Petersburg, FL, Doug Goff, professor of food science at the University of Guelph, addressed the formulation challenges for clean labels. He provided data showing that consumers are clamoring to buy products with clean labels, fewer ingredients and less food additives. With ice cream, as well as refrigerated dairy desserts such as mousse and pudding, there are challenges with going clean label as emulsifiers and stabilizers serve key functions in texture, product stability, and with frozen products, controlling ice crystal development. The good news is that ingredient suppliers have stepped up to the challenge and have solutions to allow for cleaner-label formulating.

Here are some recent clean/clear label product launches.

Turkey Hill Dairy is rolling out All Natural Gelato, making it the first major ice cream brand to release an all-natural gelato product line.

“Our loyal fans are looking for great taste and simple ingredients,” says John Cox, Turkey Hill Dairy president. “Given the success of Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream--and realizing gelato is a rapidly growing category—we’re excited to bring this traditional Italian ice cream to grocery store shelves, adding a touch of Turkey Hill’s Lancaster County roots to every bite.”

Turkey Hill All Natural Gelato contains fresh milk and real sugar, and has less air than most ice creams giving it a richer mouthfeel. It is available in eight flavors: Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Coffee Chip, Hazelnut, Mint Chocolate Chip, Peach Mango, Purely Vanilla and Sea Salted Caramel.

In case you have not heard, the industry finally has the next Cookies and Cream. It is Salted Caramel. Read more about this trend in a recent column I wrote for Food Business News that you can access HERE.

Hudsonville Creamery and Ice Cream Company is rolling out Hudsonville Naturals. This ice cream line is described as artisan and made with local ingredients, and natural colors, flavors and sweeteners. Front labels boast a “rBST Free” logo. The website explains how the ice cream is sweetened with pure cane sugar and how, for example, the strawberry flavor is colored by the strawberries. In addition to Strawberry, there’s Chocolate Cocoa Bean, Vanilla Bean, and surprise, surprise, Salted Caramel.

Family-owned Graeter’s Ice Cream expands its hand-crafted, artisan ice cream and gelato line with five new flavors, providing consumers with an indulgent dessert experience. The new flavors are: Bananas Foster Gelato (super yummy!), Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Black Raspberry Gelato, Dark Chocolate Mint Crunch Gelato and Toasted Coconut Gelato.

Entrepreneurs like Graeter’s Ice Cream are increasingly coming up with unique flavors that remain true to the brand’s original mission. That is, creating the finest, creamiest, most deliciously indulgent ice cream in the world, 2 ½ gallons at a time. Communicating this batch-made, hand-crafted process is all about the company’s clean and clear communication.

Committed to creating healthy snacks made with simple, wholesome ingredients, the Outshine brand has launched a new line of Simply Yogurt Bars. These frozen yogurt bars are simply made with 100% yogurt and blended with real fruit or fruit juice. Flavors are: Blueberry, Lemon, Mango, Peach, Pineapple, Strawberry and Strawberry Banana. Each bar contains 90 calories, 5 grams of protein and 10% of the Daily Value of calcium. Simply Yogurt Bars also include live and active cultures. Outshine Simply Yogurt Bars are available in four-count boxes at a suggested retail price of $4.39 at major retailers nationwide.

Three Twins Ice Cream, a San Francisco Bay Area-based organic ice cream manufacturer, celebrates its 10th anniversary with the rollout of two new flavors: Banana Nut Confetti and Cherry Chocolate Chunk. Committed to a giving-back model and providing a great product at an even better price, Three Twins created Ice Cream for Acres in 2011 and to date the land conservation initiative has saved nearly 130,680,000 square feet and counting. All Three Twins ice cream pints top out at $4.99 per pint and include a charitable donation to the Global Wildlife Conservation in collaboration with 1% for the Planet. The company uses USDA-stamped organic ingredients, including milk and cream sourced from family farms within a short distance of its factories.

On the refrigerated dessert side of the business, French premium dairy processor, Marie Morin, which now manufactures product in Canada and exports to the U.S., uses clear glass packaging to communicate the simplicity of the product inside. For example, Caramel Flan is a creamy custard baked with a layer of decadent caramel sauce. Made with only natural flavors, this product comes in two packs of 4.6-ounce glass jars.

Something I learned during my weekend with the youngest millennials, just like every generation before them, they do not always do as they say. But they definitely are more knowledgeable about food then previous generations, which is why clean and clear is so important.

It’s that time of year where people who live in “real” four-season regions are finally seeing color. Since the holiday lights were taken down after the first of the year, many of us—and God bless my friends in Boston who have had it especially challenging—have been only seeing shades of black and white…the sleeping trees, the newly fallen snow, and then that dirty, messy, previously white stuff that covers cars, sidewalks and our walk-loving pets.

Today, the trees are budding greens and bulbs are blooming a rainbow of colors. It’s amazing how color uplifts the day.

And then there’s milk….the perfect white canvas. In fact, artists have been known to say that whole milk is the ideal shade of white. But it’s a white begging for color.

With dairy products, color is sometimes added for attention. Other times, it’s for correction, or simply to deliver to consumers the color they expect in strawberry yogurt and cheddar cheese spread.

Here are seven recent innovations that rely on added color to provide an eye-appealing product.

Just in time for the warmer weather, Onken (in the U.K.) is marketing Onken Biopot Wholegrain Summer Berries. This is a blend of creamy yogurt with summer berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and elderberries). It also contains five different types of wholegrain cereals (rye, wheat, oats, wheat bran and barley) for a chewy texture that bursts with berry flavor. This variety, as well as the Strawberry variant, relies on beetroot juice concentrate and carrot juice to round out color. There’s also a Peach variant that includes peach juice concentrate for a color boost.

In the U.S., the latter product could be described as being naturally colored, as peach juice is being used in a peach product. The berry varieties could only be described as not containing artificial colors.

Tarte Asian Yogurt is a unique French-Vietnamese fusion yogurt produced by a namesake family-owned and operated company located in Southern California. Winston and Henry Lee found inspiration from their mother’s homemade Southeast Asian yogurt recipe after realizing a void in the yogurt industry and craving a nutritious, slightly sweet, somewhat tangy, real authentic “good for you” yogurt. The company began in 2010, and the yogurt’s debut was first reported as a Daily Dose of Dairy in September 2013. You can read the posting HERE.

With no other products like it in the U.S. market, and with U.S. consumers craving new styles of yogurt, the product line was a big hit at Natural Products Expo West in March. Industry movers and influencers were impressed with its creamy consistency, delicate sweetness and subtle tartness.

Unlike Greek yogurt, Tarte is not strained, which allows the yogurt to retain its natural goodness including higher electrolyte and calcium content, according to the company. When compared to traditional flavored yogurt, Tarte has an average of 60 fewer calories, 50% less sugar, and nearly double the calcium. Tarte also contains double the protein of regular yogurt, with zero fat.

The yogurt gets its lightly sweet flavor from the natural milk sugars that are caramelized during a slow-cooking process. Extra sweetness comes from the use of a stevia-based sweetener, which keeps calories low (115 to 120 per serving).

Tarté Asian Yogurt comes in five flavors: Original, Green Tea & Honey, Mango & Coconut, Blueberry & Acai, and Strawberry & Guanabana. The fruit varieties all use fruit and vegetable juice for color.

Unilever Ice Cream is rolling out a number of new frozen treats for this summer. The new Magnum Double Peanut Butter bar is made with the perfect balance of rich peanut butter ice cream, peanut buttery sauce and Belgian Chocolate. Caramel color adds a visual touch of decadence. Each 3.38-ounce single-serve bar contains 340 calories and 24 grams of fat.

BC-USA recently added two new flavors to its popular Alouette Soft Spreadable Cheese line. New York Cheddar is described as a smooth spread with a touch of sour cream and chives. English-Style Brown Ale Cheddar delivers a bold kick of ale flavor that’s provided by malt extract. Both spreads use paprika and beta carotene to provide an eye-appealing cheddar cheese color. A 2-tablespoon serving of either contains 70 calories and 5 grams of fat.

In select European markets, Unilever is growing its Becel range of dairy and vegetable oil blended spreads with a variety designed for baking and cooking. Like all Becel products, the company says this product is heart-healthy because of its omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid composition. It contains 50% less saturated fat than traditional butter. A touch of beta carotene gives it a buttery rich color.

Perry’s Ice Cream is just starting to launch a new ice cream line branded Escapes. These pint- and quart-sized treats are designed to take you on a journey, a flavorful one, according to the company. Colors help convey the adventure.

“The majority of our consumers prefer ice cream flavors that are loaded with inclusions; the more, the better,” says Eva Balazs, director of marketing and contract sales at Perry’s. “The trick is finding the right ingredients that complement each other for distinct and indulgent flavor combinations. Sometimes it takes several attempts before we identify that perfect cookie, fruit or nut piece and the right fudge, caramel or fruit swirl for a new flavor.”

When it comes to swirl, the Queen of Hearts flavor includes a raspberry swirl that relies on a red berry color to provide visual impact. That color is based on a blend of juices from black currants, blackberries and elderberries.

Piece of Cake is yellow cake-flavored ice cream with chocolate frosting swirls and pound cake pieces. To communicate the richness of yellow cake, without adding extra calories, the cake batter ice cream base contains some annatto color. That’s also the secret to making the pound cake pieces look like they were made with pounds of farm-fresh butter.

There are 20 flavors in total, all targeting adult palates. Stay tuned, this product line will be featured as a Daily Dose of Dairy this coming week.

As Eva says, inclusions, and lots of them, are paramount. To read a recent article I wrote for Food Business News entitled “Inclusion innovation: More than a Chip or a Chunk,” link HERE.

This final product shows us how important color is, as it truly makes the celebration. Friendly’s Ice Cream, the operator of more than 250 Friendly’s restaurants and a manufacturer of ice cream products distributed in over 7,500 retail outlets in the U.S., has combined forces with Crayola, a colorfully innovative brand, to introduce a new, one-of-a-kind, premium Crayola Decorate Your Own Ice Cream Cake. Topped with freshly whipped icing, each ice cream cake serves as an edible artist’s canvas that can be customized with packets of blue and red icing, rainbow confetti and green and yellow sprinkles that are included with every package.

Perfect for birthday parties, family gatherings and celebrations of any kind, Friendly’s Crayola Decorate Your Own Ice Cream Cake is sold in a single 60-ounce size that easily serves 12 to 15 guests. Each cake is handmade at Friendly’s creamery in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and boasts layers of creamy vanilla and rich chocolate ice cream separated by chocolate crunchies.

Have a colorful spring day!

Photo source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

This week more than 1,500 consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail professionals came together in Austin, TX, for the IRI 2015 Summit. I was fortunate to be one of a handful of trade journalists to attend. With the theme of “Accelerate the Path to Growth,” speakers focused on how to change the old way of doing business to complement the changing composition of the U.S. household, including consumers’ increasing dependence on digital mobile devices.

Yogurt Leads IRI’s New Product Pacesetters
At the Summit, IRI announced its annual New Product Pacesetters. Once again, yogurt remains hot. Four products, including Chobani Simply 100 (No. 3 on the list with $120.9 million in sales), Activia Greek (No. 5; $86.5 million), Chobani Flip (No. 6; $83.2 million) and Yoplait Greek Blended (No. 10; $69.4 million) all landed spots on the ranking’s top 10.

“Consumers cannot get enough of that protein filled, on-the-go snack and meal time replacement,” said Susan Viamari, editor of Thought Leadership for IRI.

http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/recipes/article?rid=3037

To read more about the New Product Pacesetters, you can link HERE to a comprehensive article written by Keith Nunes, executive editor of Food Business News, who attended the conference with me.

Here's some interesting consumer data from the IRI MarketPulse Survey conducted in February 2015:

66% (of consumers) make a shopping list prior to going to the store
52% choose a store because it has the lowest prices on needed items
47% stock up on items because they are on sale
27% buy brands other than their favorite brands because they are on sale
15% will not go down certain aisles to avoid unplanned purchases

Photo source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

Here are some points raised at Summit:

“By 2020, more than 90% of digital access will be on mobile devices,” said Andrew Appel, president and CEO, IRI. “We are witnessing the biggest change in consumer buying since the invention of the car.”

Thomas Greco, CEO, Frito-Lay North America, emphasized the importance of leveraging science as the foundation for innovation and growth. He explained how the 50-year-old Gatorade brand has always focused on the athlete and how the beverage drives competitive performance. Watch an impressive Gatorade video HERE.

Starbucks fans get ready for this: a new app feature that allows you to order your beverage and it will be ready at the pick-up counter in four minutes. Michael Conway, president-global channel development, Starbucks, said the feature is just debuting in select markets but should be available nationwide by the end of the year. He also said that currently, about one-third of in-store transactions are cashless. Specifically, 18% are made through the phone app.
“U.S. households are getting smaller,” said Denise Morrison, president and CEO, Campbell Soup Co. She cited data showing that only one-fifth of U.S. households include families with married parents and their own children. Further, in 1950, 78% of U.S. households were married. In 2010, this figure dropped to 48%. “The new American family household is more like a mosaic. And every member of that household wants to be recognized as unique,” she said. “They are demanding that companies and brands connect with them.” She explained there’s an explosion of interest in fresh and packaged fresh foods. (This is great for dairy!!!) “Winners will be companies that adapt successfully; that have differentiating principles and authentic ideals that resonate with consumers,” she said.

Photo source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
That word differentiate brought attendees to the final keynote speaker, Sally Hogshead, a best-selling author and a leading expert on fascination. Just think about these statements she made:

Different is better than better.
Branding is helping the product be more of what it is.
Consumers’ current attention span is nine seconds. It used to be 20 minutes. After nine seconds you either have to renew their attention or they move on.
To renew, you need to create a fascinating experience.

To watch a five-minute video recap of day one at Summit, link HERE.

To watch a five-minute video recap of day two at Summit, link HERE.

Differentiate and Fascinate with Cheese
The cheese departments—both packaged dairy case and specialty deli counters—are reinventing themselves, and innovating through differentiation in order to fascinate the consumer. The growth of online shopping, snacking, bold flavors, pairings, convenience foods and an on-going trend of consumers choosing natural, artisan foods will impact the ways Americans eat cheese in 2015, according to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB).

With American cheese consumption increasing 42% over the past 25 years, according to USDA figures, there’s no arguing that U.S. cheese consumption is at an all-time high. While opportunities for continued growth in the category appear strong, the ways in which people are consuming and enjoying cheese continues to evolve thanks to marketers who provide points innovative options.

Mega trends like natural and specialty cheese consumption, the Millennial generation’s impact on the food industry, snacking and the growing use of social networks and apps for recipes and purchase decisions will continue to gather momentum. The top cheese trends also reflect the constant evolution of the American palate and a growing desire for unique, bold flavors.

The eight ways Americans will eat cheese in 2015 are:

With a cheesemonger. According to a recent report from the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA), shoppers are looking for more from their primary stores when it comes to specialty cheese. As a result, each year, grocery stores are moving closer to becoming restaurants with expanding prepared food choices, dine-in space and chefs and cheesemongers taking up residence. With an expanding palate and more choices from their neighborhood cheese expert, more and more Americans are exposed to and are consuming natural, artisan cheeses.
As a snack. Social media and guiltless food bloggers have taken snacking to the next level, making it okay for us, particularly women and millennials, to express our obsession with snack foods. It’s having a big impact on how Americans choose their “meals.” According to a recent report from IDDBA, snacking represents 50% of all eating occasions. Cheese is well aligned with today’s growth trends in snacking and enjoys a position as a unique snack, both healthy and indulgent. In 2015, consumers will snack on cheese in all forms, from simple string and cube nibbles to elegant cheese picks and meal-replacing cheese boards.
With hard cider. Hard cider and cheese is the next big thing in food and beverage pairings. Dry ciders pair well with rich, buttery cheeses like cheddar, aged gouda or blue, while semi-sweet ciders are perfect with mild, nutty, soft-ripened cheeses such as brie and camembert. With the array of new pairing options, we’ll see cider and cheese combinations in high-end restaurants, hip eateries and at home.
In their sweets. Our obsession with trendy baking and cutting-edge pastry chefs has made unique flavor combinations mainstream and impacted how Americans view their sweets and breakfast foods. Cheese is the perfect addition to traditional sweets like cookies and pancakes to satisfy sweet-salty cravings and the answer the constant search for unique twists on classic flavors. This year, we’ll see more sweet-savory cookies made with cheddar, blue cheese and other cheeses and more pancakes with cheese fillings and savory ingredients such as ricotta, blue, Swiss and gorgonzola.To read a recent article I wrote for Food Business News on cheese ingredients, link HERE.
With a kick. According to IDDBA, shoppers, especially Millennials, are increasingly looking for cheeses that reflect their globalized palate. The constant search for unique and bold flavors will continue into 2015 as consumers crave cheese with hints of jalapeño, herbs, smoke, garlic and basil, as well as bitter flavors like espresso.
At their convenience. Convenience remains a top priority for consumers. Cheese slices, shreds, spreads and snack sticks make up a large share of convenient products launched over the past year and will continue into 2015. According to the WMMB’s custom IRI database, shredded cheese will continue to outpace other top forms of cheese and account for a 27% volume share of the total retail cheese category. Two other convenient cheese forms are cheese curds and stick cheese, both achieving double-digit volume growth rates each year.
With a story. Sales of natural cheese have steadily been on the rise for the past few years and the trend isn’t going anywhere. According to the WMMB’s custom IRI database, natural cheese accounts for close to 80% volume share of the total retail cheese category. The recent shift in the consumer need to know where food comes from will take cheese buying to a whole new level in 2015. According to IDDBA, the recent call to get closer to your food has taken food beyond “natural” into the realm of authenticity, transparency and storytelling through cues around “local” and “artisanal.” Not many foods tell a better story than cheese, and with 600 varieties, types and styles coming from Wisconsin’s finest cheesemakers alone, they’ll be a top choice at U.S. groceries in 2015.
With a smartphone. More than two-thirds of Americans are using smartphones, according to Nielsen data. Of those, more than 80% of Millennials are using a smart phone and rely on their mobile devices when shopping. They’re choosing, planning, experiencing, sharing and buying food online, and that includes cheese. New mobile websites and apps, such as Wisconsin Cheese Cupid that you can link to HERE, help shoppers pair cheeses with their favorite beer, wine or spirit.

I would like to add a ninth way, and that’s with bacon. Before heading to Austin, I attended the 7th Annual Baconfest Chicago. Bacon and dairy—cheese, dips, ice cream and even yogurt—go together.

To read more about this trend, link HERE to an article I wrote on the event for Food Business News.

In conclusion, when it comes to using cheese in foodservice, the new Wisconsin cheese blends calculator from WMMB helps foodservice professionals expertly blend varieties of Wisconsin cheese for hot applications, maximizing for flavor and performance. The new online tool features more than 500 customizable two-, three- and four-cheese blend combinations ideal for use in pizza, pasta, sauces, soups and more. This of course can be translated to the CPG business as well. You can link to this tool HERE.

“The blends were expertly created taking into account the many factors that can affect cheese performance in a hot application, such as fat content and acidity, melt and browning ability, stretch, oiling off and more,” says Allen Hendricks, vice president of channel programs-foodservice at WMMB.

Greek yogurt sales are flattening according to data from the IRI DMI Custom Database, which was provided courtesy of Midwest Dairy Association.
(See chart and graph below.)

The word on the street is that hummus, in its many flavors and snacking formats, will be the next big thing. Makes sense…it complements the plant-based diet recommendations from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. It’s also low in carbs and high in protein and healthful fats, the dietary platform many consumers are currently following.

The dairy industry had to know this time would come, as consumers tire easily.

This is not to say Greek yogurt is going away, but if yogurt marketers want to experience continued sales growth, they are going to have to innovate to keep consumers interested.

Don’t believe me? Then read what Michael Gonda, vice president of communications at Chobani, has to say. My colleague, Monica Watrous, at Food Business News conducted a very insightful interview with him regarding Chobani’s plans to reach new consumers through innovative Greek yogurt products. You can read the article HERE.

Source: IRI DMI Custom Database, Courtesy of Midwest Dairy Association

I’ve been keeping my pulse on the global refrigerated yogurt category and have identified five opportunities for innovation. Here they are.

1. Yogurt for Foodservice

In case you have not heard, USDA approved Greek yogurt to be available for U.S. students to purchase through their school lunch programs starting in fall 2015. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement that the inclusion of Greek yogurt in school lunches “will increase demand for Greek yogurt across the country, while at the same time providing another healthy food option in the lunchroom.” This is true…but, let’s be proactive and learn from the milk category. What do I mean? Make the yogurt cartons kid friendly! Don’t sit back and expect the yogurt to sell itself.

Kid-friendly flavors, eye-catching graphics, contests, fun facts, the list goes on…create a product and a package that appeals to this student demographic. This might require a different line for middle school and high school, maybe even different products and packages designed to appeal to males and females. How about playing up the muscle-building power of dairy proteins to appeal to high school athletes?

There is so much opportunity here to grow the business. We cannot blow it.
If you want to read more about Greek yogurt’s approval on the school lunch program, link HERE.

Source: IRI DMI Custom Database, Courtesy of Midwest Dairy Association

Also in foodservice, have you noticed how more breakfast bars and buffets are starting to serve large bowls of plain Greek yogurt with toppings instead of single-serve containers? Make sure you are offering a foodservice-size yogurt.

2. The Pouch

I’ve written many times about the pouch package and how it is not just for kids’ yogurt. This package is an ideal format for high-protein cultured dairy snacks for on-the-go adults. There’s a great deal of opportunity for innovative products delivered via the pouch. Read “Appreciating Dairy Packaging; the Potential of the Pouch” HERE.

In Australia, Chobani offers its regular Greek yogurt and now its Oats products in the pouch. Both are targeted to all consumers, with the Oats product in flavors more suited to adult palates.

Chobani Greek Yogurt Oats bridges the breakfast gap between yogurt and oats. Each 140-gram pouch contains 10 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber from gluten-free steel-cut oats and added oat fiber. There are four varieties: Apple Cinnamon, Banana Maple, Coconut and Cranberry.

3. Extra Nutrition

Those added oats…that’s the third opportunity. Blending yogurt—Greek or traditional—with whole grains, nuts and seeds--everything from flax and oats to chia and quinoa--transforms yogurt into a hearty meal.

Epicurean Dairy in New Zealand now offers yogurt and chia and yogurt and granola under The Collective Great Dairy brand. The chia line includes: Berries & Chia; Coconut Lime & Chia; Date, Cacao & Chia; Mango & Chia and Manuka Honey & Chia. The granola line has a sub-brand of Tummy Love, as it’s loaded with prebiotics and probiotics. It comes in Apricot and Blueberry variants.

4. With Texture

These additions feed into the texture trend. Millennials are the texture generation. They are into experiencing multi-sensory sensations, which means it’s not enough to taste good, the product must provide oral pleasure. Crunchy, chunky, chewy…texture adds an extra dimension to yogurt, a product traditionally considered smooth and creamy.

The Swiss retail chain Migros recently introduced private-label, limited-edition Passion Crunchy Coffee Yogurt. This unique yogurt not only is flavored with real liquid coffee extract, it contains 2.5% coffee chips.

In select European markets, Danone now offers a dual-compartment yogurt with candies in the smaller side and layered yogurt and candy sauce in the other. The M&M’s version has chocolate sauce while the Twix variant has caramel sauce.

5. Indulgence and Full Fat

In case you have not heard, milkfat is no longer the enemy. In fact, research indicates that dairy fats are actually good-for-the-body fats. Of course, as with anything, they should be consumed in moderation.

I recently wrote a column for Food Business News entitled “Scientifically based nutrition advice: Eat butter, meat and cheese.” It includes an interview with Nina Teicholz, author of the New York Times bestseller The Big Fat Surprise-Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet. You can read the column HERE.

It should be no surprise that whole milk yogurt is outselling fat-free yogurt these days, as it simply tastes better. And taste is paramount, especially with millennials. To read more about how millennials like good and good-tasting food, link HERE.

To read about more cultured dairy product trends, link HERE.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Conference, which will be held May 19 to 20 in Minneapolis. For more info, link HERE. Hope to see you there!
Source: IRI DMI Custom Database, Courtesy of Midwest Dairy Association

A special thanks to the lady from Rutter’s Dairy who sat next to me during lunch at The Pennsylvania Association of Milk, Food and Environmental Sanitarians Annual Meeting this past week. She summed up my trends and innovations presentation very nicely with “It’s not your daddy’s dairy anymore.”

Times have changed. Best-business practices must change as well in order to not just survive, but also to thrive. This is paramount in today’s competitive business environment.

I explained to conference attendees that the food and beverage business is experiencing a convergence of two strong powers: millennials and technology. As these two come together, their powers gain force. In fact, according to Andrew Appel, president and CEO of IRI, we are witnessing the biggest change in consumer buying since the invention of the car.

http://www.beneo.com/Ingredients/Human_Nutrition/Functional_Fibres

Think about it. When households got a car, mom no longer was limited to shopping for groceries at the neighborhood store. She could shop multiple stores and had access to more brands and varieties. The competition began.

The competition is now greater. The growing and very powerful millennial demographic is using technology to shop for everything, including dairy foods.

The way you need to do business is not the way daddy did it. It’s time to get on board for the new marketplace.

My colleague Keith Nunes at Food Business News wrote “Millennials driving shift in buying habits.” I highly encourage you to read it HERE.

He expands on what Appel said during the IRI Summit a few weeks ago. “We are in the midst of a consumer buying revolution, where media and thousands of other influences affect the market,” said Appel. “By 2020, 90% of digital access will be mobile and the average person who saw 500 ads per day years ago will see 5,000 ads.”

It has never been more important to be 1) transparent, 2) clean label and 3) valuable. These are the three tactics to help you sell more dairy foods to technology-savvy millennials.

1) Tell consumers that all milk is tested for antibiotics, as well as other real facts about dairy. Be TRANSPARENT.
The truth about antibiotics is that if any are found in milk, FDA requires that the milk be rejected for human consumption. This is true for all milk sold or processed in the U.S.

(Link HERE for a great source from Cornell University on milk facts.)

Communicating this fact to consumers is part of the TRANSPARENCY tactic. And apparently, the dairy industry has taken for granted that consumers simply know this fact, as Dean Foods suggests this week with its rollout of DairyPure, the first and largest fresh white milk national brand in the U.S. (Link HERE for more information.)

Wakefield Research conducted a consumer survey of 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults. Data showed 82% of American parents said they would make a separate trip to the store if they ran out of milk. The same survey found that most American parents (71%) are concerned with the quality of the milk they serve their children.

To put parents at ease, Dean Foods is communicating to consumers that all DairyPure milk, whether it’s packaged by Alta Dena in California or Mayfield in Tennessee, is backed by an exclusive Five-Point Purity Promise:

No artificial growth hormones
All milk is tested for antibiotics
Continually quality tested to ensure purity
Only from cows fed a healthy diet
Cold shipped fresh from your local dairy

Let’s face it, most fluid milk processors follow these five principles and more. But they have not taken the time to communicate this to consumers.

There are other truths about milk that the industry needs to do a better job of communicating to consumers. They are identified in MilkPEP’s campaign Get Real, which debuted earlier this year. You can find out more HERE.

The point is, TRANSPARENCY is paramount. It’s not your daddy’s dairy anymore and it is necessary in this technology-driven age to be up front with the facts. Speculation can be dangerous.

Kudos to my friends at Blue Bell Creameries for being very transparent with communicating the company’s product recall and the actions the company is taking to rectify the situation. You can read the most recent update HERE.

2) Watch out for more “unacceptable ingredient” lists. Whole Foods Market has long had one, and now so does Panera Bread. This week, the bakery-café chain issued a list of ingredients it will no longer allow to be in foods and beverages on the menu (by the end of 2016). The “no-no list,” as the company calls it, contains artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives, as well as other varied ingredients. What’s interesting is that the two lists, both of which include a disclaimer stating that banned ingredients are not limited to the list, are different. For example, Whole Foods’ list does not specify titanium dioxide, which is used as a whitening agent. Panera’s list does. Panera’s list also includes lard and caramel color (classes II, III and IV). Whole Foods’ list does not.

To read Panera’s no-no list, link HERE.
Whole Foods’ list can be found HERE.

The point here is it is critical to make CLEAN LABEL a goal. More of these no-no lists are inevitable. It’s better to be proactive then reactive.

3) Do not devalue your product. When I discussed in last week’s blog, which can be accessed HERE, the leveling off of Greek yogurt sales, a friend of mine at the Midwest Dairy Association was quick to point out that the reason this is happening is because manufacturers have been commoditizing it. The value is gone…for consumers, retailers and the manufacturers. We need to stop the madness.

I shopped Meijer last weekend and Chobani was not only on sale for 88 cents, the store offered a downloadable manufacturer's coupon to save one dollar off three. (I am a crazy coupon lady!) This brought the purchase price down to about 55 cents each.

This will never fly with millennials. They do not want big box. They do not want commodities. They like artisan, specialty, hand-crafted and value added. They do not want to buy the same products that the crazy coupon lady buys. Do not devalue your product.

In fact, ADDING VALUE is a great approach. Marketing the protein content of dairy foods is the first step. Adding extra goodies—nutritional or just yummy—is the next.

For example, have you heard fiber is the new protein? Well, not exactly. Fiber is not going to replace protein as the on-trend nutrient, but I have read in more than one place that fiber is expected to be the next really big positive nutrient.

There’s a number of forces in play here. For starters, fiber builds on the satiety and weight management platforms. (To read about formulating weight management-positioned dairy foods using functional ingredients from natural sources, you can download a white paper by linking HERE.)

Another force: all the protein everyone is consuming is causing a bit of a backup in some folks. Fiber to the rescue.

Finally, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015 are expected to emphasize increased intake of fiber. Dairy foods are ideal carriers for value-added ingredients such as fiber.

Remember these three tactics to help you sell more dairy foods to technology-savvy millennials. Be transparent. Formulate clean label. Add value; do not devalue.

Happy Mother’s Day!

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) recently filed comments with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services requesting that the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which will be issued later this year, encourage flexible eating patterns based on nutrient-dense foods, including dairy foods. Because dairy foods provide nutrients that are under-consumed by most Americans and are associated with numerous health benefits, IDFA called for the Dietary Guidelines to encourage Americans to eat or drink one more serving of dairy each day.

To read a summary of IDFA’s comments, link HERE.

http://web2.ticgums.com/acidified-beverage-formulations-dl?utm_campaign=2015&utm_medium=ads2015&utm_source=daily-dose-1505

To read IDFA’s complete comments, link HERE.

Despite the important nutritional contributions of dairy foods, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee report submitted on February 19th stated that “more than 80% of the entire U.S. population does not meet the daily dairy intake recommendations.”

A key take-away in my eyes is that consumers need more dairy-based beverage choices, because let’s face it, they are not pouring more white milk.

The fact is, although per capita consumption of fluid milk has been declining for more than 40 years, the use of dairy ingredients in all types of beverages continues to grow. This is in part due to dairy’s healthful halo, as many of the ingredients contribute protein and essential vitamins and minerals, most notably calcium.

I recently wrote a beverage formulating and trends article for Food Business News entitled “Beyond Milk: Dairy Ingredient Trends.” You can access it HERE.

Depending on the beverage and the production process, either fresh fluid dairy, such as milk and cream, or concentrated dry dairy ingredients may be used. There are a number of considerations that need to be taken into account when formulating and processing such beverages. For starters, almost always these products require some stabilization and texture modification, which is often achieved through the use of hydrocolloids.

To read an article I recently wrote for Food Business News entitled “Hydrocolloids: Managing Moisture and More” in dairy products, link HERE.

To watch a video about how gums can assist with stabilizing dairy based beverages, link HERE.

Here are 7 innovative dairy-based beverages designed to keep consumers drinking dairy.

The Borden Dairy Company delivers the taste of Mexico to the U.S. with new imported LaLa Frutas dairy and fruit beverages. The first offering arrived on retailers’ shelves this past March in Southern California. The products will be available to Texas consumers later this year.

“An estimated 10 million Hispanic individuals reside in Southern California, and they are interested in authentic Mexican brands with a genuine, made-in-Mexico taste. We are thrilled to bring some of Mexico’s most-loved LaLa products to our customers in the U.S. Whether they remember growing up with these brands or want to introduce them to their children, Borden is happy to deliver the true taste of Mexico,” says Jenica Oliver, senior director of brand marketing and innovation at Borden Dairy Company. “We have made it a top priority to keep formulations and packaging the same as in Mexico to ensure brand authenticity and nostalgia. It’s all about delivering the best of the best for those missing the tastes of home.”

The company cites Nielsen research stating that 50% of consumers don’t prefer plain milk. With LaLa Frutas, an innovative mix of acidified low-fat milk and fruit, adults and children can more easily get their daily dose of dairy. LaLa Frutas come in Mango and Strawberry flavors.

An 8-ounce serving contains 180 calories, 3 grams of fat and 4 grams of protein. The drinks start with a base of cultured reduced-fat milk. Fruit puree stays in suspension through the innovative use of hydrocolloids. For more information, link HERE.

Valio, Finland’s largest dairy processor, has introduced what it describes as a softer- and milder-tasting kefir product to better suit the palate of the Finnish consumer. New Valio Kefir LGG comes in Natural, Peach and Raspberry varieties.

Kefir is traditionally made using kefir grains, which is a combination of live bacteria and yeast. To obtain a milder flavor but still maintain kefir’s characteristic effervescence, the company is using a proprietary strain of dairy cultures along with its probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. The beverage is being marketed as a drinkable snack. For more information, link HERE.

B’more Organic is a line of creamy Icelandic-style skyr smoothies loaded with protein and probiotics and naturally very low in sugar. They are also free from fat, lactose and GMOs and made with organic grass-fed cows milk. There are five flavors: Banana, Café Latte, Mango Banana, Vanilla and newly launched Strawberry.

Available in retail markets across the eastern U.S., the product line recently began distribution on the campus of the University of Maryland. B’more Organic is designed as a quick grab-and-go beverage for hectic lifestyles, especially long days on campus. For added motivation, the Caffe Latte variety provides 160 milligrams of caffeine.

“Particularly as summer arrives and the temperature heats up, consumers tend to indulge in creamy, cool treats,” says Andrew Buerger, founder of B’more Organic. “We are excited to meet this need by providing a uniquely rich and delicious beverage that is protein packed and free of added sugar.”

Organic stevia keeps the sugar content at 6 grams per 8-ounce serving. (Each bottle contains two servings.) A serving also delivers 23 grams of protein and 118 to 130 calories, depending on variety, For more information, link HERE.

In March, Starbucks Doubleshot Coffee & Protein Beverage debuted in three varieties: Coffee, Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Bean. Sold in sleek 11-fluid-ounce cans, the drinks start with a base of brewed Starbucks coffee to which four dairy ingredients are added (reduced-fat milk, skim milk, milk protein concentrate and calcium caseinate). This combo provides 20 grams of protein per can. Hydrocolloids keep the beverage smooth while monk fruit extract and chicory root fiber keep added sugars down. The latter also delivers 2 grams of fiber per serving.

For more information, link HERE.

Tea is the new coffee, or at least that’s the buzz in the beverage world. Hain Celestial now offers four on-trend flavors of ready-to-drink, shelf-stable Celestial Lattes. The flavors are described as being inspired by the “secret menus” at the world’s best coffeehouses. Made with 2% milk and sweetened with pure cane sugar, Celestial Lattes provide barista-quality beverages brimming with the goodness of real brewed tea.

The four varieties are:

Dirty Chai--lively masala chai spiked with bold espresso
The Godfather--authentic masala chai with bold espresso and rich cocoa
Matcha Green--a smooth blend of brewed green tea and traditional matcha
Mountain Chai--a traditional masala chai with ginger, cardamom and cloves

Consumer demand is growing for coffeehouse-style beverages that have the healthfulness of tea without sacrificing exciting new flavors, according to the company. Innovative tea lattes satisfy this demand and provide the convenience factor these consumers expect.
For more information, link HERE.

In Canada, the President’s Choice brand is debuting Coffee Yogurt Shots. Sold in packs of four 93-milliliter shots, this drink provides a better-for-you option to other energy shots in the marketplace. Sold refrigerated, the shots are made with 1.5% fat yogurt and coffee. There are two varieties: Caramel and Espresso. One shot contains 80 calories, 3 grams of protein, vitamins and minerals and the caffeine equivalent to 100 milliliters of brewed coffee.

For more information, link HERE.

Dairy ingredients are even making their way into energy drinks to help improve their healthfulness. Rockstar Inc., recently introduced non-carbonated Rockstar Energy Horchata Dairy Beverage. Made with whole milk and nonfat milk, the drink gets energized from the brand’s proprietary energy blend of caffeine, ginseng, guarana, inositol, L-carnitine and taurine.

For more information, link HERE.

The Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest will take place on September 15, 2015, at the International Dairy Show in Chicago. It represents the culmination of student training by college professors who are experts in dairy product evaluation. A group of industry experts select the six products to be judged in each of the six categories and they evaluate them using the same attributes and scoring values taught by the coaches.

The six dairy products evaluated are: 2% fluid milk, butter, cheddar cheese, vanilla ice cream, cottage cheese and strawberry-flavored Swiss-style yogurt. During the competition, the students utilize sensory skills to evaluate the quality of the product. Teams and individuals to score closest to the expert evaluations are honored with awards.

This is an annual contest among approximately 50 to 100 college students who are predominately majoring in food processing. Students typically train on the sensory aspects of dairy products for eight weeks to more than a year to prepare for the contest. As you can imagine, these students need a high level of commitment and are usually high performers within their programs. This is just one of the great reasons to get your company name out in front of these future leaders.

You can learn more about the contest by linking HERE.
To learn about sponsorships, which is how this nearly 100-year-old contest continues, by linking HERE.

Happy Summer!

Photo source: Vitamix

The food scientist in me has been having fun experimenting with a concept I learned about while attending the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show this past month. It’s called the “smoothie bowl.”

A special thanks to the folks at Vitamix who hosted a media luncheon and showed attendees how their power machine assists foodservice operators with creating all types of goodies, from sauces and dressings to soups and smoothies. The company’s Chef and Recipe Development Manager Bev Shaffer introduced me to the smoothie bowl. It got me thinking that this could be something for my dairy industry friends.

The smoothie bowl is just what it sounds like. It’s a smoothie in a bowl intended to be consumed with a spoon not a straw. And you add toppings, such as nuts, diced fruit or granola.

Sound familiar? Yes, it’s sort of like yogurt, but it’s blended fruit. I think it can be both fruit and dairy. It can be sold in a bowl, ready to eat, or in a pourable format.

This week I purchased a number of ready-to-drink refrigerated smoothies. I mixed them with varying portions of Greek yogurt and added extra whey protein. I portioned some into single-serve containers. Others I repackaged into the original smoothie bottle. Over the course of the week I have been enjoying the creations with my family.

Here’s what I learned and hope can assist with your product development efforts. Depending on the fruit/veggie smoothie, the best ratio was about 70% to 80% fruit/veggie to 30% to 20% whole milk Greek yogurt. By far, whole milk Greek yogurt tasted much better than lower-fat versions and it also provided a desirable creaminess and visual appeal. I also added a decent amount of whey protein. That’s something you will have to play around with to achieve a target protein content.

They were all super yummy, especially with added toppings.

To commercialize and obtain a longer shelf life, some clean-label stabilizer might be useful. A boost of fiber, preferably a prebiotic one, makes sense. It’s the complete package. Protein and fiber to fill you up. Prebiotics and probiotics for digestive health. And fruits and veggies to comply with the Dietary Guidelines.

Who will be first to market with this concept?

It can be sold in a bowl-like package, similar to single-serve oatmeal containers, but probably recyclable plastic. Maybe a larger Greek-style yogurt container would work. It can come with a dome or a separate packet of yummy toppings. Don’t forget the spoon in lid. It’s perfect for coffee shops, airport kiosks and convenience stores.

It’s more interactive and customizable than a drinkable smoothie. The varied textures provide a sensory adventure.

Another option is pourable. It can be sold in the dairy case or in the produce department. Consumers can purchase their own toppings.

After getting my R&D fix making spoonable smoothies this past week, I sat down to read the June issue of Shape. Lo’ and behold, the “eat right” department was all about smoothie bowls. (See visual.)

I sure hope some of you jump on this idea. Cannot wait to see who is first to market!

The smoothie bowl complements many of Dairy Council of California’s Spring 2015 Nutrition Trends, as you will learn in the following report. Dairy Council’s trends tracking system identifies food and nutrition issues likely to impact the dairy industry in the next three to five years. Dairy Council staff identifies the trends and then compiles the information in a newsletter twice a year to distribute to industry leaders for their own communication and planning purposes. Here’s the latest issue.

Top 10 Nutrition Trends for 2015

1. Transparency is critical as food landscape becomes increasingly complex.
A healthy diet used to mean one that provided all the nutrients and food groups in the correct amounts. Now it encompasses many other factors such as environmental and agricultural considerations. As a result, consumers are increasingly confused over their food choices. Should they choose organic milk? Should GMO-produced foods be avoided? What about hormones, antibiotics and water usage?

Advances and innovations in food production and processing are concerns for some people. In general, consumers are more willing to accept new technologies when there is transparency and when they see a benefit—for example, when technologies reduce the amount of pesticides needed, minimize water usage, result in greater production on less land or improve nutrition.

To maintain trust and integrity, it will be important for the food industry to continue to practice transparency and communicate with consumers on issues such as where and how food is produced. This can be done through product labels, websites or point-of-purchase print materials. Dairy Council of California helps educate consumers about the benefits of these technologies so that they can make educated decisions about the food they purchase and consume.

2. Public policy advocates for plant-based diets due to environmental concerns.
As sustainability becomes a key aspect of food production practices, public policy is on the verge of incorporating environmental measures into dietary recommendations. As an example, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) included sustainability in its meeting discussions for the first time.

Many health agencies are advising plant-based diets not only for health reasons but also out of concern for the environment, citing research that greenhouse gas emissions are higher for animal-based versus plant-based foods. These recommendations often discourage consumption of dairy foods, resulting in an increased demand for alternatives such as almond, rice and coconut beverages. Many organizations also advocate for locally produced, natural and unprocessed foods to reduce environmental footprint.

Nutrient density is an important concept to include in discussions of sustainability, as ultimately it is nutrition that sustains consumer health. The dairy industry—and its animal-agriculture counterparts in other areas—must ensure that food choices are based first and foremost on health and nutritional attributes to avoid unintended consequences such as nutrient deficiencies and chronic disease. Dairy Council of California is monitoring this issue closely and advocating for consumer health through messages about nutrient density.

3. Community health is seen as instrumental to disease prevention and management.
Significant changes are affecting the structure, staffing and availability of health care. Community clinics are appearing in drug, warehouse and grocery stores for everything from prescription refills to flu shots and are staffed by paraprofessionals. Peer health workers conduct in-home consultations that assess both consumer health and living situations, including community, family, socioeconomic status and other factors that impact health and disease risk.

With the increase in incidence of obesity and related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, health care gatekeepers are focusing on disease prevention and self-management in addition to wellness. Groups that are often remiss in preventative health, such as low-income groups and specific ethnic groups such as Hispanics, may particularly benefit from greater access to health care with a focus on disease prevention.

Schools are another venue for health care delivery, with school-based nutrition education and health centers on the rise. It is well-accepted that disease prevention starts in early childhood with healthy diet and lifestyle habits. Therefore, children can benefit from nutrition and health messages, and families are reached through take-home materials. Dairy Council of California is embracing these changes in community health by reaching children and caregivers through widespread connections in schools and by exploring venues through community health workers.

4. Dairy’s list of health benefits grows increasingly diverse but skeptics abound.

Research on milk and dairy foods continues to expand beyond calcium and bone health to preventative effects against high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sarcopenia and obesity. Milk, chocolate milk and whey protein are also top-of-mind for many athletes for muscle-building, hydration and muscle-recovery benefits. All in all, dairy research—both on whole dairy foods and on their individual nutrients—continues to be very positive for preventing a number of chronic diseases and optimizing lifelong health.

Skeptics, however, may question the reliability of research funded by the dairy industry. It is critical to conduct research at credible universities with highly respected scientists and to publish in peer-reviewed journals. Third-party spokespeople can also help disseminate positive dairy messages when the research warrants it. Dairy Council of California engages in credible dairy research and uses researchers, public health experts and credible stakeholders to present at key meetings and conferences.

5. The face of nutrition education is changing.

Factors such as improved technology and consumer eating patterns are changing how nutrition education is being delivered. Technology plays a significant role in health and nutrition as consumers become more adept at accessing personalized information from websites and mobile applications. At the same time, the 24/7 availability of snacks and convenience foods is changing the way consumers eat. When they do eat at home, they often “assemble” meals rather than cook from scratch.

All of this means that nutrition messages need to be more creative, reaching consumers where they are—whether at the workplace, at school, at the store or elsewhere—with mobile device applications, videos, websites and social media. Successful messages need to be tailored to individuals and be motivational and feasible. Dairy Council of California programs are based on strategies that promote positive changes in behavior using multiple concise touch points with emotional connections that resonate with today’s consumers.

6. Public health recommendations focus on dietary patterns.
With the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans to be released later this year, considerable discussion has centered on healthy dietary patterns. The DGAC draft recommendations for a healthy diet include low-fat or fat-free dairy, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, legumes and nuts. Reduced consumption of red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened food and beverages and refined grains is also recommended. These dietary patterns include two to three servings of dairy per day.

The focus on dietary patterns rather than on specific nutrients is positive for milk and dairy products. For America’s children, milk continues to be the number one source of nine essential nutrients, including three of the four nutrients deemed under-consumed—calcium, vitamin D and potassium. Dairy’s irreplaceable nutrient package continues to position it in the Dietary Guidelines as an important food group. Dairy Council of California provides nutrition education to children and adults focused on all five food groups, with milk as a cornerstone of a healthy diet.

7. Snacking is more prevalent among all demographic groups.

Trends show that snacking now provides about one quarter of calories and a substantial proportion of daily fat, sugar and salt intake. Snacks can be an opportunity to fill nutrient gaps from meals that may be lacking in food groups or nutrients. However, consumers tend to indulge rather than consider nutrition when snacking. The message that snacks can taste good and be nutritious is important.

Consumers benefit from learning to plan healthy, appealing, convenient snacks throughout the day. Milk and dairy foods are a perfect match for these messages as cheese sticks, single-serve yogurt containers and individual plain and flavored milks are healthy, transportable and tasty snacks at any time of the day. Dairy Council of California is implementing strategies to teach parents and children how to plan and prepare healthy snacks, with a focus on nutrient-dense, convenient and tasty options.

8. Sugar continues to be demonized as the culprit in many diseases.

Sugar continues to take the blame for many health ailments from obesity to diabetes. As a result, various strategies seek to lower the sugar content of foods, educate consumers and discourage consumption of products high in added sugar. One example is the taxing of sweetened foods and beverages.
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines may follow the World Health Organization’s recommendation that sugar comprise less than 10 percent of calorie intake.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing changes to Nutrition Facts labels to include a separate line for added sugar, making it easier for consumers to distinguish between natural and added sugar. Much of the sugar in dairy is natural in the form of lactose; however, increased attention on sugar could demonize both added and natural sugar. In addition, flavored milk and sweetened yogurt will need to declare how many grams of added sugar they contain.

Consumers and health professionals alike will need to be reminded that some products contain sugar but also provide significant nutrients—in other words, that nutrient density is a better measure of a product’s nutritional contributions. All foods consumed in moderation, even those that contain sweeteners, can be part of a healthy, balanced diet. Dairy Council of California provides education around nutrient density and highlights the difference between natural and added sugar.

9. Research on probiotics and the gut microbiome gains steam in the health arena.
Probiotics, known for their benefits to intestinal health and the immune system, are now being investigated for their preventative effects against chronic diseases such as cancer, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. Recent studies have even made a connection between probiotics and mental health—an area of interest given our aging population.

The microbiome—the collection of trillions of microbes living in the gut—is recognized as playing a role in many basic life processes, greatly impacting health and disease. Scientists believe that the microbiome may be responsible for a broad range of metabolic and developmental processes from food digestion to vitamin synthesis to brain function.

However, probiotics and the microbiome are not yet top-of-mind for most consumers. While there was some mention of the topic in recent DGAC discussions, the 2015 dietary recommendations are not expected to address probiotics. Consumers will likely drive the market based on word of mouth, the media and product manufacturers. Dairy Council of California will continue to educate health professionals and consumers on the substantiated effects and good sources of probiotics such as yogurt, kefir and fermented milks and the growing research around the microbiome.

10. Protein continues to carry a health halo.

Protein-containing products are riding the wave of popularity, driven by research showing that protein is beneficial for many areas beyond muscle building, including weight management, blood sugar control, bone health and sarcopenia prevention. Consumers are seeking high-protein foods, and in turn, manufacturers are adding protein to earn product labels stating, “good source of protein” and “excellent source of protein.”

Animal protein from meat and dairy is the highest quality protein. However, a lack of understanding of protein quality has plant sources often lumped together with animal sources. Protein consumption that is evenly distributed throughout the day is thought to provide the most benefit, which means that for many Americans, more protein is needed at breakfast and lunch to even out the daily distribution. Dairy Council of California is informing consumers about the expanded health benefits of protein, quality protein sources and ways to plan diets with evenly distributed protein content.

For more information or to receive a hard copy of the TRENDS newsletter, email HERE.

For more information on the Dairy Council of California, link HERE.

Last week’s blog on smoothie bowls, which can be read HERE, got a lot of folks talking. I was bombarded with questions about the concept and how to best approach it. I don’t have the answers, but what I can do is show you some like products scheduled to enter the marketplace this month.

I can also provide insight on how to best label and market such products. Because in between attending the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA) conference in Atlanta on Sunday, and FMI Connect and United Fresh in Chicago on Tuesday, I was able to interview Hank Cardello, lead author of the recently published report “How Supermarkets Are Shaping Up and Growing Their Lower-Calorie Products” that has been cited by numerous media outlets this week.

Excerpts from the report are located after a sneak peak at a couple of new products rolling out this month. Here’s what Cardello had to say about yogurt.

“From years of research we know consumers view foods such as yogurt as healthful,” he says. “When a marketer calls out on the front panel that an already-perceived healthful product has additional healthful attributes, such as lower in calories, no added sugar or enriched with fiber, the consumer response is positive. They don’t fight it.

“But when you attempt to make an indulgent food more healthful, it is best to take the stealth approach,” says Cardello. “Companies are constantly monitoring ingredient costs and making changes to improve their bottom line. They don’t brag about these changes to consumers. That’s the same approach many companies should take with improving nutritional profiles. Make the changes gradual over a number of years.”

Here’s a sneak peak at a new product from General Mills that will be featured Monday as a Daily Dose of Dairy. (Be patient, you will get the scoop in a couple of days.) Basically Yoplait Plenti is a smoothie bowl. It is nonfat Greek yogurt blended with fruits, whole grains and seeds. The fruit and granola toppings usually served alongside a smoothie bowl are simply already mixed into the yogurt, creating a smoothie-like consistency. The descriptor “plentiful” says it all.

“Sometimes it is best to convey healthfulness through product descriptions or branding,” says Cardello. He cites the examples of lower-fat ice creams described as slow-churned rather than low fat.

“Skinny Cow also gets the message across,” he says.

I believe Plentiful does as well.

Cardello applauds General Mills for its 2005 commitment to improve the nutritional profile of its foods. To date, General Mills has improved the health profile of nearly three-quarters of its U.S. retail sales volume. To read more, link HERE.

“They are walking their talk,” he says. “I think they are very good marketers. I would expect they did their homework and checked in with their core consumer base before making any nutritional improvements in order to not hurt their franchise.”

This was his response to my query about General Mills making a 25% reduction in sugar in its flagship Yoplait Original yogurt line. The reformulated product line—all 25 varieties—just started rolling out a few weeks ago.

To read more about new Yoplait Original with 25% less sugar, link HERE.

“Our consumers are our top priority, and when they voiced concerns over the amount of sugar in our products we were determined to find a solution,” says Susan Pitt, marketing manager for Yoplait. “We understand that making good nutritional choices isn’t always easy. With less sugar, fewer calories and more protein per cup, we have no doubt that our renovated line of Yoplait Original yogurts will make it easier than ever for our consumers to feel good about their daily yogurt choice.”

Determined to deliver on their brand promise, Yoplait is offering a taste guarantee for Yoplait Original with reduced sugar. Any unsatisfied customer can mail in their Yoplait Original receipt to receive a refund (up to 88 cents).

At IDDBA, General Mills’ convenience and foodservice division debuted Yoplait Smoothie Pro. The product resembles the company’s squeezable, recloseable bags of yogurt for making fresh fruit parfaits. Based on the company’s research with experienced and inexperienced smoothie makers, the bags are five-times faster than blender-made smoothies. Simply open and squeeze to portion with ease!

Made with cultured low-fat milk, Smoothie Pro comes in two varieties: Mixed Berry and Tropical. Each bag is 60-ounces and they come in cases of six. These ready-to-serve smoothies can easily be portioned into a bowl with spoon rather than a cup with straw. Think smoothie bowl self-serve bar.

Dannon has been busy in the drawing room as well. This past spring, Evolution Fresh and Dannon teamed up to launch “Evolution Fresh Greek Yogurt Products, Inspired by Dannon.” The platform consists of three product concepts: smoothies, yogurts and yogurt parfaits.

The Evolution Fresh Smoothies have been available for a few months at regional Starbucks stores and select locations within grocery retailers. The Greek yogurt parfaits debuted in May at Starbucks stores nationwide. The fruit-on-the-bottom Greek yogurts should be hitting grocery shelves nationwide this month.

Each product is made with simple ingredients that highlight the delicious taste of fruits and vegetables and a proprietary Greek nonfat yogurt. Dannon and Evolution Fresh worked together for two years to develop this proprietary Greek nonfat yogurt that is not only creamy, but is the perfect canvas for the high-quality fruit and vegetables used in these unique products, according to the companies. Further, all of these products are made without artificial flavors or sweeteners and no preservatives.

The smoothies are made with the Greek yogurt and cold-pressed 100% real fruit and vegetable juice that has been high-pressure processed for food safety. They come in three made-to-order varieties--Mango Carrot, Strawberry and Sweet Greens—and can be customized by adding fresh kale, protein powder or extra Greek yogurt for an extra boost of nutrients or protein.

The parfaits are crafted by hand from proprietary, creamy, Greek nonfat yogurt, artisan granola and real fruit. They will be available year-round in Dark Sweet Cherry and Strawberry varieties, and seasonally in Fresh Berries and Honey options.

With these two product concepts now implemented, joining the Starbucks’ stores hot oatmeal line, I think smoothie bowls will be on the menu soon.

The fruit-on-the-bottom Greek yogurts are what’s happening on the retail front this month. Available in four flavors--Black Cherry, Blueberry, Pineapple Passion Fruit and Raspberry Blackberry—the yogurts comes in clear packaging that consumers can easily see the high-quality craftsmanship and simple ingredients that go into each spoonful. The cups are 5.3-ounces, which has become the standard in the Greek yogurt segment, but the clear packaging and the shape are unique to Evolution. Each container contains 120 calories and has a suggested retail price of $1.69.

Lower-Calorie Research
Cardello presented his research to the retail food industry at a morning educational session on Tuesday at FMI Connect. His research showed that lower-calorie foods and beverages drove the bulk of sales growth for supermarket chains between 2009 and 2013, making up 59% of growth, compared to just 41% for their higher-calorie counterparts. This is the first report to examine the business impact that sales of lower-calorie items have on supermarket chains.

Those trend lines did not hold, however, for foods and beverages that contribute the most calories to the diets of children and adolescents, items such as desserts, snacks, sugary drinks and pizzas. During the study period, higher-calorie versions of these products made up more than 70% of sales and grew more than 12%, whereas lower-calorie foods and drinks saw growth of roughly 5%.

Source: Hudson Institute
The overall shift in supermarket sales to lower-calorie products is largely consistent with recent changes in the restaurant and food and beverage industries, the report found—except that sales of lower-calorie items grew at an even faster rate for the latter two sectors, indicating that supermarkets could be taking better advantage of the public’s shift in food preferences.

“Customers are looking for lower-calorie choices wherever they are,” he said Tuesday morning. “The good news is, supermarkets’ growth is being driven by these products, but compared to other sectors they’re still leaving money on the table. There is a tremendous opportunity to drive even more sales by focusing more on lower-calorie options.”

To produce the report published by the Hudson Institute and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Cardello and his team analyzed Nielsen Scantrack data from 2009 and 2013 for 202 individual food and beverage categories for the three largest supermarket retailers in the U.S., including their 26 banner chains. The categories include a wide range of foods, such as cereal, pasta, fruits, vegetables, packaged meals, milk and snacks. The researchers used data on the average number of items on a store shelf, and, most important, the total sales in dollars for each category. Together the three retail ownership groups account for 45% of the U.S. supermarket industry.

Researchers then classified each product as either lower-calorie or higher-calorie based on criteria developed previously in conjunction with the Nutrition Coordinating Center at the University of Minnesota. For instance, cereals with 150 calories per serving or less, beverages with 50 calories or less, and skim and 1% milk would all qualify as lower-calorie items.

“Supermarket chains have every reason to continue to increase their sales of lower-calorie items, because it’s good for their bottom line,” says Victoria Brown, senior program officer at RWJF. “They also need to make more progress to promote and sell foods and beverages popular with kids that are not just lower in calories, but truly healthy too.”

Source: Hudson Institute

Cardello says that chains can grow their sales of lower-calorie items by giving them more prominent shelf placement, highlighting them on in-store ads and displays, and selling more of them in check-out lanes.

The new report also compared sales of stores in food deserts—areas with limited access to healthy, affordable foods—to those not in food deserts. Cardello and colleagues found that lower-calorie sales were growing at a greater rate than higher-calorie sales in both areas. However, the share of total sales in food deserts from lower-calorie items was less than for stores not located in food deserts—enough to equate to $500 million in forgone lower-calorie revenue for stores in food deserts.

Finally, the lower-calorie share of total sales for products made by private-label companies trails that of branded products, but it is catching up. Closing the gap between private-label and branded products could have a more than $600 million impact on total dollar sales of lower-calorie products. (See chart.)

To access the complete report, link HERE.

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