Berry on Dairy

This is the first of three blogs focused on ingredients, technical sessions and themes that dairy foods formulators should focus on at IFT15--Where Science Feeds Innovation. This annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) takes place in Chicago July 11 to 14. See you there!

Sessions to Attend
Here are some sessions taking place at IFT that should interest anyone involved with the future of the dairy foods industry.

Futurist and Author Mike Walsh will speak on Monday, July 13, from 8:30am to 10:00am. He will share emerging trends and technologies, as well as shifts in consumer behavior, and how these disruptive changes are likely to impact the food industry. For a sneak peak, link HERE.

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

At IFT booth #709

Breakfast foods are trending with consumers. You can expect for IFT exhibitors to be showcasing their ingredients in all types of breakfast applications. Dairy foods will be part of the menu.

Here are five technical sessions that address fiber and protein, key components of the most important meal of the day.

Session #40: New Frontiers in Dietary Fiber: Health and Nutrition Benefits (Sunday, July 12, 1:30pm to 3:00pm)
Session #78: Appetites and Applications: Satiety’s Influence on New Product Trends and Development (Monday, July 13, 12:30pm to 2:00pm)
Session # 86: New Frontiers in Dietary Fiber: A Complex Chemistry (Monday, July 13, 2:15pm to 3:45pm)
Session #90: New Process Innovations Leading to Enhanced Dairy Protein Performance and Creation of New Products and Textures (Monday, July 13, 2:15pm to 3:45pm)
Session #109: Translating Protein Science: New Insights on the Importance and Power of Protein (Tuesday, July 14, 10:30am to 12:00pm)

Innovations that Focus on the Breakfast Occassion
According to Laurie Demeritt, CEO, The Hartman Group, almost every sector of the food and beverage industry is intently focused on “the breakfast occasion.” And for good reason, as ongoing tracking of food and beverage occasions by The Hartman Group shows that almost a third (32%) of eating and drinking events occur in the morning.

“America’s cultural transition to a snacking culture is altering consumers’ shopping and eating behaviors and changing the meaning of the breakfast daypart,” she recently stated in a blog. “When we take a deeper look at the 32% of morning meal or snack occasions, we find that consumers describe 15% of these as ‘breakfast,’ 8% as pre-breakfast ‘early morning snacks’ and 9% as post-breakfast ‘morning snack.’

“Whether viewed as morning snack or meal, with about a third of eating occasions occurring in the morning, the cultural transformation of breakfast is unleashing new business opportunities for diverse food and beverage marketers,” she wrote. “The new American weekday breakfast is moving from light, grain-based breakfast foods tied to old notions of nutrition to include snacking and higher-satiety foods that consumers believe will give them sustained energy to cope with an unpredictable schedule.”

For more information on The Hartman Group Eating Occasions Compass, link HERE.

Dairy needs to be part of that breakfast menu, which is recognized by a number of food manufacturers. Surprisingly, dairy processors are slow to hop on board. This is a HUGE opportunity.

The Quaker Oats Co., a subsidiary of PepsiCo Inc., was first to recognize the dairy-breakfast connection and at the end of 2013 introduced the shelf-stable Quaker Breakfast Shake. Each 11.1-fluid-ounce bottle contains 8 grams of whole grain oats, 10 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber and 200 calories. The protein comes primarily from milk protein isolate. The fiber comes from a combination of whole oat flour, polydextrose and hydrocolloids. Calories are kept low through the use of the high-intensity sweetener sucralose in combination with sugar. To read more about this product, link HERE.

The company continues to lead with innovation in the breakfast segment. At the recent FMI Connect, the company debuted Quaker Real Medleys Granola & Yogurt Blends. The product elevates the breakfast eating experience through a shelf-stable convergence of crunchy granola, real fruits and nuts, and creamy yogurt. Each 2.29-ounce single-serve cup contains dried nonfat yogurt, which becomes creamy yogurt when a half-cup of cold milk is stirred in and the product sits for two minutes. When made according to direction, a serving contains 25 grams of whole grains, 10 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, all for under 300 calories. In addition to the dried yogurt, whey and whey protein concentrate contribute to the protein content. There are three varieties: Apple Cinnamon, Raspberry Pecan and Strawberry & Almond.

Nestle Health Science wants a piece of the grab-and-go breakfast market. Earlier this week, the Daily Dose of Dairy featured its new Carnation Breakfast Essentials Grab ‘n Go! This shelf-stable pouch product targeted to adults combines yogurt and fruit. Each 6-ounce pouch contains 190 calories, 4 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. The fiber comes from fructooligosaccharides and inulin sourced from chicory. The protein comes from the cultured milk as well as added whey protein concentrate. To read more about this product, link HERE.

To read more about the potential of the pouch package for dairy, link HERE.

Along with the pouch rollout comes Carnation Breakfast Essentials High Protein Complete Nutritional Drink. This is basically a higher-protein-with-fiber version of its original Carnation Breakfast Essentials Complete Nutritional Drink. The new offering contains 15 grams of protein per 8-ounce bottle, compared to 10 grams in the original. The high-protein version also contains 220 calories, 6 grams of fat, 12 grams of sugar and 3 grams of fiber. The fiber comes from fructooligosaccharides and inulin sourced from chicory. The protein comes from milk protein concentrate and soy protein isolate. Sugar content is kept low through the use of stevia.

At the recent International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association, Garden Fresh Foods introduced Breakfast Cups. These 4-ounce single-serve refrigerated cups combine Greek yogurt with fruit, oats and flax seeds. There are four varieties: Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry Maple, Mango Almond and Strawberry Vanilla and Apple Cinnamon.

Earlier this week, the Daily Dose of Dairy featured new Yoplait Plenti, which is a combination of Greek yogurt with fruits (except the vanilla variant), whole grain oats, flax and pumpkin seeds. Each serving provides 140 to 150 calories and 1.5 to 2 grams of fat, depending on variety, as well as 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar and 12 grams of protein. The protein comes from the cultured nonfat milk and the grains and seeds. The fat and fiber come from the grains and seeds. To read more about this product, link HERE.

Chobani was the first to combine Greek yogurt, fruit and oats when the company introduced Greek Yogurt Oats this past fall. To read more about this product, link HERE.

Others soon followed. Zen Monkey combines apple juice-infused rolled oats, diced fruit and Greek yogurt in a pre-mixed, ready-to-eat cup. Each container carries the tagline of “breakfast solved.” Each 5.3-ounce cup contains 180 to 190 calories, 1.5 to 2.5 grams of fat, 12 to 15 grams of sugar and 2 to 3 grams of fiber, depending on variety. Each serving also provides 9 grams of protein. To read more about this product, link HERE.

Yoatz combines Greek yogurt, whole fruit and oats. Each 5.3-ounce single-serve cup contains no fat, 11 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and a mere 6 grams of sugar. Described as “sugared responsibly,” the Original variety is slightly sweetened with honey and brown sugar. The fruit varieties rely on honey and stevia. To read more about this product, link HERE.

Some consumers prefer to drink their breakfast. Slingshot is a yogurt protein drink with a crunchy shot wrapped around the bottle neck and intended for the consumer to pour into the yogurt, shake and drink. That shot is a patented plastic stick pouch filled with chia seeds, rolled oats and toasted almond bits. It contributes 3 grams of fiber and 600 milligrams of the omega-3 alpha linolenic acid to the beverage. The beverage is made with low-fat yogurt enhanced with milk protein concentrate and sweetened with agave. A serving contains 295 to 355 calories, 10 to 11 grams of fat and 18 to 20 grams of protein, depending on variety. To read more about this product, link HERE.

With origins in Asia, Cereal Milk Drink is just what its name implies: a milk-based, cereal-enhanced drink. With a 24-month ambient shelflife, the 250-milliliter cans come in four varieties: Banana, Chocolate, Strawberry and Sweet Corn. To read more about this product, link HERE.

In the U.K., new Weetabix On The Go Breakfast Drink is a smooth, portable milk-based drink designed specifically for breakfast. The primary dairy components of the drinks are skimmed milk (51% to 64%, depending on variety), and milk protein concentrate. They also are enriched with vitamins, minerals and soluble wheat fiber. A serving contains 215 to 226 calories, 6.9 to 8.2 grams of fat, 8.5 to 9.5 grams of protein, 20 to 22 grams of sugar, depending on variety, as well as 5.8 grams of fiber. To read more about this product, link HERE.

In Australia, Sanitarium Health & Wellbeing markets FibreStart, which combines filtered water with skim milk powder, milk protein concentrate, almonds and three plant fibers (soybean, corn dextrin and inulin). A 250-milliliter serving contains 150 calories, 4 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber, including soluble and insoluble forms. To read more about this product, link HERE.

Hope to see many of you at this year’s IFT! Shall we make breakfast plans?

This is the second of three blogs focused on ingredients, technical sessions and themes that dairy foods formulators should focus on at IFT15--Where Science Feeds Innovation. This annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) takes place in Chicago July 11 to 14. See you there!

As we get closer to the show, two formulation trends are emerging as key themes. The first being solutions to replace artificial colors with colors from natural sources. The other being egg replacers to deal with the current shortage of real eggs, a shortage that will impact egg-containing formulations including dairy products such as custard, eggnog and French vanilla ice cream for at least two years.

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

Keep It Clean and Simple
When walking the expo floor and exploring suppliers’ offerings, formulators must keep in mind that an increasing number of consumers are seeking transparency from the food and beverage industry and shunning artificial ingredients. Eighty-seven percent of Americans look at the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods and beverages at least sometimes, while more than half (56%) actively seek out nutritional information and guidelines, according to the recently published Packaged Facts report “Nutritional Labeling and Clean Labels in the U.S.: Future of Food Retailing.”

Two out of three consumers (67%) favor groceries with fewer and simpler ingredients, while roughly the same percentage take nutritional content statements, ingredient-free statements and statements about health benefits into consideration when buying packaged foods and beverages. These consumers are becoming more vocal—through social media, focus groups, consumer surveys and even petitions—about what they want and do not want in their foods and beverages.

As consumers begin to look more closely at what goes into their food and beverages, the industry is reformulating and repositioning mainstream products and lines to have cleaner labels. For example, just this week, General Mills announced its commitment to removing artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources from all of its cereals in response to consumers’ changing preferences. Today, more than 60% of General Mills cereals are already without artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources and have been that way for a long time.

According to a survey conducted by Nielsen on behalf of General Mills, 49% of households are making an effort to avoid artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources. To respond to this growing need, General Mills cereals will be using more recognizable, familiar ingredients to create its colors. This includes ingredients such as fruit and vegetable juices and spice extracts such as turmeric and annatto to achieve the fun red, yellow, orange and purple colors.

“We have a lot of hard work ahead of us and we know some products will present challenges as we strive to uphold the taste, quality and fun in every spoonful of cereal,” says Kate Gallager, General Mills cereal developer. “Cereals that contain marshmallows, like Lucky Charms, may take longer, but we are committed to finding a way to keep the magically delicious taste as we work to take out the artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources.”

Photo source: DDW

Similar efforts are taking place in the dairy foods sector. To read about various options, link HERE.

One category where there’s been a lot of activity is strawberry dairy beverages, including drinkable yogurt, flavored milk and meal replacements. Red #40 has long been the go-to for strawberry color in beverages, as well as ice cream and yogurt. In recent years, to avoid artificial color, product developers were using cochineal extract or carmine, which are colors exempt from certification, a.k.a. “natural.” But for many of today’s clean-label-seeking consumers, this color sourced from insects doesn’t fit the bill. Photo source: DDW

There are more naturally sourced red colors available. (See visual.) For more information on replacing carmine in dairy beverages, link HERE.

Earlier this year, Kraft Foods Group announced plans to remove artificial colors and preservatives from its flagship Original Macaroni & Cheese boxed dinner mixes beginning in January 2016. Kraft will replace the synthetic colors with those derived from natural sources, most notably ingredients that are a source of carotenoids. These are the compounds responsible for yellow, orange and red colors in many fruit, vegetable and algal sources. Within each source, carotenoids vary in concentration, proportions and chemical structure, all of which influence how it can be used in a food product such as cheese. Food coloring carotenoids include annatto, beta-carotene, paprika, lycopene, lutein, carrot oil and saffron. Each contains different types and ratios of carotenoids. Photo source: DDW

For more information on coloring cheese products with carotenoids, link HERE.

Kick off this year’s IFT by attending two sessions on colors on Sunday morning. Early risers will want to attend a primer session focusing on the science behind the safe use of colors. Speakers will provide information on the strong safety record of food colors, both synthetic and natural. They will also explore the current challenges impacting the use of these colors internationally, both by regulatory bodies and due to a misinformed public.

Session #2: The Science Behind the Safety: Exploring Global Challenges to Natural and Synthetic Colors (Sunday, July 12, 7:15am to 8:15am)

Immediately following is a symposium regarding establishing standards on naturally sourced colors. From a quality and safety perspective, the certification process for FD&C lakes and dyes (artificial colors) includes a high level of quality control and safety evaluation for certification. However, for “natural sources” there is a general lack of product definitions or publicly available purity, quality and safety specifications that are consistently applied. The risk of adulteration and contamination across the field of natural products ranges from plant sourcing and product labeling to product claims. To address the pressing needs for consistent standards for generation and application of colors from natural sources, a panel with expertise in plant biology, food chemistry, food toxicology, food product development and manufacturing, as well as food quality and regulatory affairs will convene at IFT. They will discuss and describe the use of natural colors in the food industry and discuss quality attributes and safety hazards affecting sourcing and use of natural colorants.

Session #10: Establishing Standards on Colors from Natural Sources (Sunday, July 12, 8:30am to 10:00am)

Pictured: Dreyer's Strawberry Shortcake Frozen Custard is naturally colored with beet juice. It gets its extra thick and creamy richness from egg.

The Incredible, Unavailable Egg
Moving onto eggs, in case you have not heard, there’s an egg shortage in the U.S. due to avian influenza, also known as bird flu. The only way to eradicate bird flu is to destroy the infected flocks. No hens means no eggs.

As in any scenario of when demand exceeds supply, price goes up. In efforts to explain the increase in cost of shell eggs and liquid egg products to shoppers, grocers around the country are posting notices about the egg shortage. Food manufacturers using egg ingredients don’t have this luxury. For them, it’s also not just economics. It’s availability. They need eggs to make their products and eggs are just not available.

Many food manufacturers are turning to the varied egg replacement ingredients suppliers offer that are designed to replace anywhere from 25% to 100% of eggs in products ranging from baked goods to dressings to meatballs…and of course, dairy foods.

Replacement is not as easy as it sounds because of the more than 20 different functions eggs possess. Further, the standards of identity for a number of products that use eggs, most notably frozen custard and eggnog, require minimum amounts of egg ingredient. If those requirements are not met, the product name must be changed.

Lots to think about while you attend this year’s IFT. Hope to see you there.

This is the third and final blog focused on ingredients, technical sessions and themes that dairy foods formulators should focus on at IFT15--Where Science Feeds Innovation. This annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) takes place in Chicago July 11 to 14. See you there!

With the organic claim losing power and the natural claim highly scrutinized, many food and beverage marketers have started playing the clean-label and sustainable card. Terms such as “artisan,” “clean,” “earth friendly,” “local,” “pure” and “simple” are being used on product packages and websites. These terms, as well as non-GMO, promise to be talking points at IFT.

Marketers planning to make any of these next-generation label claims should be aware of their lawfulness. For immediate information on this topic, you can access an article I just wrote for Food Business News entitled “Clean Label Claims: A Legal Perspective.” You can access it HERE.

http://www.ingredion.us/IFT2015/SitePages/index.html?utm_source=DonnaBerryBlog&utm_medium=eNewsletter_728x90&utm_campaign=IFT2015_Pre

According to Innova Market Insights, the concept of clean label has moved beyond being a trend and is now regarded as standard in the food industry. Consumers are demanding shorter and more recognizable ingredient lists and manufacturers are responding by increasingly highlighting the naturalness and origins of their products.

Innova data show that more than 20% of U.S. products tracked in 2014 featured a clean-label positioning, up from 17% in 2013. However, with growing concerns over the lack of a definition of “natural,” there is a need for more clarity and specificity, with consumers, retailers, industry and regulators all driving the demand for more transparency in food labeling.

Photo source: Ingredion

“This demand for clean labeling has now brought the need for clear labeling equally to the fore,” says Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova, “resulting in a move to clearer and simpler claims and packaging for maximum transparency and necessitating an industry response in terms of reformulation and new communication strategies.”

“From Clean to Clear Label” was identified by Innova as number one in their top-10 trends for 2015, recognizing that it is no longer a niche area for the food and beverage industry. Clean label will be one of the areas addressed by Innova at its Taste the Trend Pavilion on the IFT expo floor.

Every expo day (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday), the following live presentations will be made:

12:00pm: Clean Label and the Consumer
1:30pm: Top Trends for 2015
3:00pm: The Incredible Rise of “Free From”

Other Must-See Sessions for Dairy Foods Formulators

Session #61: Formulating for Clean Label Products: Regulatory, Market Drivers and Ingredient Selection Options for the Product Developer (Monday, July 13, 10:00am to 11:30am)

Photo source: Ingredion

In this session, speakers will explore the market
dynamics, drivers and patterns of clean-label formulating, setting a hierarchy of consumer product attributes within the clean-label space. This will be followed by a look at the regulatory and guidance landscape to help define terms and boundaries with an eye towards future direction of the regulatory bodies. Finally, there will be discussions on clean-label ingredient options for designing product texture and stabilization using gums and starches. Specific application segments such as beverage, dairy, protein drinks, bakery, sauces and dressings will be covered.

Angelina De Castro, senior marketing manager for wholesome innovation at Ingredion will discuss functional clean-label starches. She recently authored a white paper entitled “Novel Clean Label Stability Solutions: Functional Native Starches.” You can download the paper HERE.

She explains how delivering clean-label products on an industrial scale can be challenging, from processing and transportation to storage and preparation. In this white paper, readers learn how functional native starches perform to produce novel clean-label stability solutions within different applications and storage conditions.

Photo caption: Dairy Pure & Natural Sour Cream now comes in a new squeeze bottle.

“Industry standards are evolving to include clean-label ingredients, specifically those that can withstand the harsh rigors of modern food processing and offer equivalent shelf-life stability to the modified standards, all with a simple, consumer-friendly label,” she writes. “Introduced more than a decade ago, functional native starches are a well-established solution for clean-label formulations. Functional native starch ingredients are different from traditional native starches, such as corn starch. Through proprietary processing, they possess the functionality of modified starches, but can be labeled simply according to their base description (e.g., corn starch, tapioca starch, rice starch, potato starch).”

For more information, please attend her session, as well as download that white paper HERE.

Photo source: Ingredion

A particularly challenging area is the category of stirred yogurt. For specific formulation information on clean-label stabilization, download a white paper HERE.

My colleague Keith Nunes, editor of Food Business News, recently wrote a comprehensive article on the evolution of clean-label formulating, explaining that the clean-label trend is about establishing trust. You can access his article “Clean Label and the Trust Factor” HERE.

Session #82: Formulating from Seed to Shelf: GMO and Non-GMO Considerations (Monday, July 13, 2:15pm to 3:45pm)

Research from the Natural Marketing Institute shows that brands are at risk of losing volume from a majority of consumers (65%) if they do not go GMO-free, with almost one-third saying they would completely stop buying the brand if it contained GMOs. In this session attendees will learn more about the consumer landscape for non-GMO foods and the complex issues ingredient suppliers and consumer packaged goods companies face to ensure their products meet non-GMO standards. This session will also present an overview of identity preservation, from the field to the shelf.

Photo source: Ingredion

In case you missed the past two blogs on must-see sessions and trends at IFT, you can access them here:

IFT Trend #1 = Formulating Breakfast Foods. Link HERE to read more.
IFT Trend #2 = Formulating with Colors from Natural Sources—And P.S., There’s an Egg Shortage. Link HERE to read more.

To U.S. subscribers of the Daily Dose of Dairy: have a wonderful Independence Day holiday weekend.

Hope to see all dairy foods formulators at IFT!

It’s less than 10 weeks until the International Dairy Show takes place in Chicago (September 15 to 18). Today’s blog sponsor—Chr. Hansen—will be exhibiting at booth 7137. Chr. Hansen is also sponsoring the Daily Dose of Dairy Live! presentation on Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 10:00am to 10:30am on the show floor. The topic is Innovations in Yogurt and Cultured Dairy Foods. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend.

Today’s blog highlights some of the trends you can expect to see showcased at the International Dairy Show.

The Greek yogurt market continues to mature (36% volume share, +1.5% from a year ago), according to data from the IRI DMI Custom Database, which was provided courtesy of Midwest Dairy Association. This is while traditional non-Greek yogurt products are nearly flat and both Australian and Icelandic-style yogurts are showing rapid growth. But that growth is still very nominal, with sales of both combined accounting for only about 1% of volume. (See chart and graph below.)

http://www.chr-hansen.com/products/product-areas/dairy-cultures/our-product-offering/exactr.html

What’s driving volume sales growth across all sectors: whole milk formulations. Why? Because mouthfeel matters, and whole milk, fermented with premium cultures, produces a yogurt that is naturally creamy and delicious without the addition of thickeners or stabilizers. It’s the natural way to be clean label and apparently quite appealing to today’s consumers, as reflected in the IRI volume sales data showing whole milk yogurt is up 8.6% for the 52-week period ended May 17, 2015.

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

Research supports that whole milk dairy can be part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. A study published in June 2015 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that eating full-fat cheese and whole milk did not relate to weight gain or weight loss among healthy men and women. Similarly, a review of research published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that, in the majority of the studies evaluated, people who consumed more whole milk dairy products either weighed less or gained less weight over time. Researchers believe that this may be because whole milk dairy products, which contain more fat, might be more satisfying, meaning people might eat less of the richer version and this effect may also carry over into eating less in their overall diets.

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

Embracing this information, siggi’s is launching a new line of whole milk skyr yogurt in five varieties—Plain, Vanilla, Strawberry & Rhubarb, Mixed Berries and Fig & Lemon Zest--with the last variety exclusive to Whole Foods Market.

What is skyr? Pronounced “skeer,” skyr is the traditional yogurt of Iceland and until now, has always been nonfat. It is a strained yogurt that is extra thick and creamy and loaded with milk’s nutrients. Approximately four cups of milk go into the production of one cup of skyr, with the finished product containing two to three times the protein count of standard yogurt.

The new 4% milkfat varieties of siggi’s Icelandic-style yogurt continue the brand’s tradition of simple ingredients and not a lot of sugar. Made with whole milk yogurt and a touch of cream for a richer taste experience than the 0% and 2% milkfat varieties, the yogurts contain more protein than sugar per serving, without using low-calorie sweeteners or sugar substitutes.

Sold in 4.4-ounce containers, each serving contains 5 grams of fat along with 100 to 120 calories, 10 to 11 grams of protein and 3 to 8 grams of sugar, depending on variety.

“My father eats his skyr the old-school way by pouring fresh cream over it, and that inspired me to create siggi’s whole milk yogurt; it honors his tradition. Plus, I have to say it is pretty delicious,” says Siggi Hilmarsson, who started making his yogurt in the kitchen of his New York City apartment in 2004. “I am excited to share that experience with siggi’s fans everywhere, especially now as people are starting to embrace the satiating quality of fat.”

Siggi’s whole milk yogurt became available in U.S. grocery stores on July 1, 2015, and have a suggested retail price of $1.69. For more information, link HERE.

The company also markets a unique drinkable yogurt that resembles traditional filmjölk in Sweden. Filmjölk is to Scandinavians what kefir is to Eastern Europeans and it can be enjoyed straight from the bottle or poured over fruit or granola. It is slow fermented using Lactococcus and Leuconostoc culture strains to give it a soft buttery flavor. It is also loaded with probiotic cultures, delivering one billion per serving.

siggi’s Filmjölk comes in four flavors: blueberry, plain, raspberry and vanilla. The nonfat drinkable yogurt contains 8 grams of protein per 8-ounce serving, along with 100 to 120 calories, depending on variety.

Arla Foods is launching Arla Skyr into the U.K. market as part of the company’s expansion into the yogurt category. The product comes in two sizes and multiple flavors. The 150-gram single-serve pots come in Apple & Lingonberry, Natural, Nordic Mixed Berry, Nordic Sour Cherry and Strawberry. There are also 450-gram multi-serve containers in Honey, Natural and Strawberry.

Back in Denmark, its global headquarters, the company is currently responsible for around 50% of the market share of total skyr. To continue to grow the category, Arla Foods identified an opportunity with a thinner, more drinkable format and introduced Cheasy skyr this past February. It is slightly lower in protein (2.6 grams less protein per 100 grams than regular skyr) with a smooth, easy-to-pour consistency. It contains no added sugars and comes in two varieties: Blueberry/Vanilla and Pomegranate/Raspberry. For more information, link HERE.

In the States, another skyr concept, Smari Yogurt, has gotten creamier with Grass-Fed Whole Milk Yogurt in Pure and Vanilla variants. The company has also added coconut and peach to its nonfat skyr line. For more information, link HERE.

Technically a fresh cheese, quark is often consumed—and cooked with--in the same way as yogurt. “misha -- new american quark,” is a not-tart, protein-packed spoonable cultured dairy product that is made with milk from grass-fed cows. Much like skyr, four cups of milk goes into each cup of quark, with misha quark having up to 17 grams of protein per cup and 2% milkfat.

To read more about misha, link HERE.

Photo source: Evi Abeler Photography

Innovation is taking place in the frozen yogurt arena as well. Earlier this year, Yogurtland introduced 10 limited-edition flavors for its third annual Flavor Question promotion that takes guests on a culinary journey around the world with flavors representing 10 countries. One of these flavors, Peanut Nougat with Almond Butter and Honey, is the company’s first cultured gelato offering and is made with whole milk for a creamier, more indulgent taste.

The flavors and the countries they represent are:

Alphonso Mango Tart – from India, a tropical-style tart flavor
Banana Pudding – from the U.S., a homage to comfort food
Blood Orange Ice – from Spain, bold and citrus in one
Churro – from Mexico, based on cinnamon-infused, sugar-coated hot pastry
Cinnamon Coconut – from Thailand, a perfectly spiced coconut recipe
Espresso Float – from Italy, a bold and robust coffee flavor with no-sugar-added
Peanut Nougat with Almond Butter and Honey Gelato – from Denmark, an ultra-rich, creamy tripod of authentic Danish desserts
Pineapple Sorbet – from Brazil, a pucker-punching sweet treat
Pom Berry Lemon Tart – from Egypt, a medley of savory fruits indigenous to the country
Salted Dark Chocolate – from France, balanced salt tones complement sweet dark cocoa

All of Yogurtland’s flavors meet the National Yogurt Association Criteria for “live and active culture frozen yogurt.” Presently Yogurtland has 300 locations across the U.S., Australia, Guam, Thailand, Venezuela and Dubai. For more information, link HERE.

And the Award Goes to…

The annual World Dairy Innovation Awards took place in Amsterdam as part of the ninth Global Dairy Congress at the end of June. The judging panel, which included myself, considered almost 220 entries from 30 countries in 18 categories.

“We saw a fantastic range of products this year as innovation continues to ignite consumers’ growing interest in dairy,” said FoodBev Media’s Bill Bruce, coordinators and hosts of the contest. “We also saw an increased number of entrants from Asia and Africa representing the healthy dairy market now present in these regions.

“The awards are a great way to keep up to date with the industry’s best innovation across the globe from key players and some of the world’s most exciting startups,” he said. “It’s a great celebration and highlights company successes in the areas of finished products, marketing, manufacturing, ingredients and, importantly, commitment to corporate social responsibility.”

All entries will be featured in a special Awards Showcase magazine, which will be distributed with issue 62 of Dairy Innovation magazine and available as a digital edition. If you would like to subscribe to Dairy Innovation or receive a copy of the showcase magazine, link HERE.

For a list of all the winners and finalists, link HERE.

For Best Yogurt, the winner is Meiji Amino Collagen Yogurt from Meiji Co Ltd in Japan. The yogurt combines Japan’s best-selling yogurt brand with Japan’s top-selling collagen supplement brand, providing this popular skin-care ingredient in a yogurt product.

There were two finalists in the yogurt category. One was Vegetable Yoghurt from Australia’s Yummia Pty Ltd, which is a range of vegetable and fruit yogurts. Each 150-gram pot contains a half-serving of vegetables. The layered yogurts come in three different varieties: Apple and Carrot, Strawberry and Beetroot, and Sweet Potato and Cinnamon. Each pot includes a spoon for added consumer convenience.
For more information, link HERE.

The other finalist--Yoatz Oats + Yogurt—is a range of single-serve cups of organic ready-to-eat oats, fruit and yogurt. The product line made its debut earlier this year as a nonfat product. You can read about it HERE.

Recognizing consumers’ renewed interest in milkfat, the product is now made with whole milk Greek yogurt. “Our original Oats + Yogurt product was made with skim milk only,” says Chris Straface, founder and CEO of Facci Food Co., marketers of Yoatz. “We had been working on the 4% line since the beginning of the year and quickly realized it was a far superior product. Consumers are refocusing their sights, worrying less about fat and more about sugar, which ultimately better aligns with our greater vision of a lower-sugar, more-satiating product set. The fat is icing on the cake.”
For more information, link HERE.

New Process to Improve Protein Content in Foods

In spirit of science and innovation, as the annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) kicks off this weekend in Chicago, here’s some news from Cal Poly.

Researchers at the university have developed an improved process to extract protein from milk. The patent-pending process allows for fast and cost-effective extraction and produces a protein that will enable foods and snacks--including potato chips, corn chips and crisps--to be produced with enhanced protein content, protein from dairy! For more information, link HERE.

It’s less than 9 weeks until the International Dairy Show takes place in Chicago (September 15 to 18). Milk proteins will be a focal point at the show. They were this past week at the annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists, which was also in Chicago. Today’s blog sponsor—Ingredia—exhibited at IFT and showcased its milk protein ingredients in numerous dairy applications, including a Greek-style yogurt dip, a quark-based cheesecake dessert and an extra-thick and satiating fruit smoothie. Link HERE for more information on their innovations.

According to the 2015 Food and Health Survey from the International Food Information Council Foundation, Washington, D.C., more than half (54%) of consumers are trying to get a certain amount or as much as possible protein in their daily diet. This complements the report Proteins--Classic, Alternative and Exotic Sources: Culinary Trend Tracking Series from Packaged Facts, Rockville, Md., where 62% of consumers agree they are “making a point of getting enough protein” from the foods and beverages they consume.

To read more about formulating beverages with protein ingredients, link HERE to an article I recently wrote on this topic for Food Business News.

The fact is, protein is currently flagged on products in every aisle of the supermarket. Protein is “the” nutrient of the decade. Some say it’s just a trend or fad and will go away soon. Others believe this is the beginning of a new approach to healthy eating. All types of proteins—from algae to dairy to pulses--are part of this approach.

It makes sense to put dairy proteins back into dairy foods. Look at these 10 innovations that use dairy proteins to not only boost protein content, but also contribute milky notes, create a smooth and creamy mouthfeel, and allow for a clean-label positioning. After all, “milk protein” and similar declarations are very label friendly.

To read a recent blog on dairy proteins 101, link HERE.

New Campina Vifit Drinking Yogurt from The Netherlands-based dairy processor comes in two varieties: Blackberry and Raspberry. The addition of milk protein to the yogurt base delivers 5.2 grams of protein per 100-milliliter serving. This is more than two-thirds additional protein than regular Vifit drinks.

Vifit is made from freely roaming pastured Dutch cows that are outdoors for at least 120 days per year, for an average of six hours per day. The fermented beverage contains 0.8% fat and retails in a 330-milliliter bottle.

PepsiCo continues to show consumers that it is so much more than a marketer of sugar-laden carbonated soft drinks. Like many beverage manufacturers, PepsiCo is packing in protein wherever possible. Over the years Gatorade has dabbled in various protein formulations but has always stayed true to its clear, fruit-flavored format. That’s changed. Gatorade Recover Protein Shake is a creamy beverage loaded with 20 grams of dairy proteins (from milk protein concentrate and whey protein concentrate) in every 11.2-ounce bottle.

Even coffee now comes with protein. 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 combination provides 20 grams of protein per can.

What’s next? Maybe the time is right for Pepsi Protein, a nod to the Pepsi and milk concoction made famous by the Laverne & Shirley comedy.

In Europe, in particular Switzerland, its global headquarters, Nestlé is a much bigger player in dairy product innovations than it is in the States. New Nestlé Hirz Hüttenkäse, a single-serve cottage cheese product, targets health-and weight-conscious female consumers through its package graphics and marking lingo.

Each 115-gram cottage cheese container provides 13.7 grams of protein thanks to the addition of milk protein. Calories are 120 and fat content is just under 5 grams.

The brand also has a new high-protein indulgent yogurt line. The three varieties—Caramel, Chocolat and Mocca—come in 180-gram cups. Whole milk, skim milk and milk proteins boost the protein content per serving to more than 7 grams. A serving also contains around 230 calories and more than 8 grams of fat.

Whey protein gets the brand’s new drinkable yogurt product up to 6.25 grams of protein per 250-milliliter bottle. The drink comes in three varieties: Mango, Strawberry Cranberry and Wild Berry.

About six months ago, Miami Beverage Company introduced Trimino, a line of sugar-free, low-calorie functional protein waters. The clear beverages are powered by 7 grams of whey protein and 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin B complex. At only 28 calories per 16-ounce bottle, labels claim the product boosts metabolism and curves appetite.

Combining French culinary know-how with unique flavors and a wholesome balance specially developed for the American palate, Alouette’s new Le Bon Dip and Le Petite Fromage bring a new dimension of taste and indulgence to everyday snacking. And milk protein concentrate and whey protein concentrate, respectively, make them sources of protein.

According to recent studies, Americans snacking on any given day rose from 59% to 90% over the last 30 years, and in the same time frame, the average number of snacks eaten daily more than doubled. With the move away from processed and over-engineered foods, the demand for wholesome yet indulgent snacks has never been greater. Dairy proteins make them even more appealing!

The new Le Bon Dip and Le Petite Fromage deliver craveable, balanced indulgence with natural ingredients and bold flavors.

Alouette’s Le Bon Dip features a blend of premium soft cheese, chunky vegetables you can see, and a touch of Greek yogurt for a dip that satisfies with bold, indulgent variety. Le Bon Dip contains no artificial flavors or colors and just 45 calories per serving. The yogurt contains milk protein concentrate, allowing for 2 grams of protein in every two-tablespoon serving. The dip comes in four varieties:

Basil, Zucchini & Parmesan: Savory roasted zucchini, aged parmesan, and a hint of basil, topped with chunky yellow pepper and zucchini for added crunch
Fire Roasted Vegetable: Fire-roasted eggplant, onion, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and a finishing touch of oregano
Roasted Red Pepper & Chickpea: Chickpeas, roasted red peppers and cumin topped with vibrant peppers and parsley
Zesty Garden Salsa: Juicy tomatoes, crunchy peppers, onions, hints of cumin and zesty lime, with a topping of chive and red bell peppers

The new portioned, smart-snacking spread Le Petite Fromage is free of artificial ingredients--no additives, preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. Le Petite Fromage blends cheese and a touch of yogurt with vegetables picked at peak season and bold spices for a little cheese with big flavor. Whey protein concentrate enables each 17-gram portion (there’s eight to a pack) to contain 2 grams of protein. These individually packaged portions contain 40 calories and 3 grams of fat. They come in four varieties: Cucumber & Dill, Garden Salsa, Garlic & Herb and Parmesan & Basil.

What’s for dessert? There’s a new protein-enriched frozen treat named Brio. The Daily Dose of Dairy first wrote about this product when it was in the concept stage and only available in select Chicago specialty stores. You can read about it HERE.

After a few tweaks in packaging and design, the company introduced Brio to the global marketplace at the Summer Fancy Foods Show.

“We worked tirelessly to upgrade ice cream and give it a healthy makeover without sacrificing the creamy, richness and flavors that you expect from top-of-the-line brands,” says Arnie Koss, president and co-founder of Nutricopia Inc., the company behind the development of Brio. “We’re proud of the result--an innovative ice cream like no other in stores--featuring fresh, whole milk from Wisconsin dairies combined with real Madagascar vanilla, organic salted caramel, real coffee, dark cocoa, juicy strawberries and Alphonso mangos for natural, vivid flavors.”

To achieve the perfect balance of delicious and healthy, Arnie’s twin brother and business partner Ron Koss led a team that included former Ben & Jerry’s flavor developers and noted dietitians and nutritionists. After 10 years of product development, testing at Cornell’s food labs, two patents and a published scientific study in Today’s Dietitian, the Koss brothers began commercial production of their revolutionary new ice cream in the summer of 2015.

“We named it Brio, which means vitality, vigor and energy,” says Arnie Koss. “It is so rich, creamy and flavorful that most people are pleasantly surprised to learn that it is such a nutritional powerhouse. Brio combines the pleasure and fun of truly great ice cream with the latest science about healthy fats, smart carbs and sustained energy.”

Brio has half the total fat of superpremium ice cream, 65% less saturated fat, 75% less cholesterol and approximately 25% fewer calories. The Koss brothers call it “ice cream with benefits” for the many nutritional advantages it offers.

“Thanks to our natural sweetener blend, Brio is low glycemic and helps you avoid sugar spikes and crashes, good news for people who may be pre-diabetic or diabetic,” says Ron Koss.
And thanks to the addition of whey protein concentrate, a half-cup serving is a good source of protein.

“Brio provides 6 grams of protein, balanced Omega 3-6-9s, 2 grams of prebiotic fiber and is antioxidant rich, offering also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D,” says Ron Koss. Brio has only 160 to 170 calories per serving.

“Everyone loves ice cream,” says Arnie Koss. “What we’ve done with Brio is take the best of ice cream, and transform it into something that is guilt-free and not just a dessert, but for the first time ever, a nourishing snack that can be enjoyed at any time of day.”

Dairy/milk/whey proteins can make all dairy foods better dairy foods.

It’s less than 8 weeks until the International Dairy Show takes place in Chicago (September 15 to 18). Today’s blog sponsor—DDW “The Color House”—will be exhibiting at booth 8334. Natural colors will be a focal point at the show. They were two weeks ago at the annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists, which was also in Chicago. DDW showcased its extensive range of exempt-from-certification colors in all types of dairy foods, including cheese, flavored milk, ice cream and yogurt. Link HERE for more information on their innovations.

Minions…not since Barney the Purple Dinosaur have I found another kids’ character so annoying. Fictionally evolving from single-celled yellow organisms at the dawn of time, Minions are said to live to serve the biggest and “baddest” villain. Frankly, I believe they are designed to drive adult humans crazy as they are EVERYWHERE these days.

Link HERE to view the movie trailer. It will make you giggle and there’s actually a food (banana) connection, so your boss should not mind!

There’s something to admire about the Minions. That is their determination, regardless of how questionable their pursuit might be. This same type of determination is invading the food formulating space in the form of no-no lists. It, too, is questionable, but unfortunately, unavoidable.

No-no lists are inventories of unacceptable food ingredients. These lists are not only here to stay, they are getting more personal.

It started with Whole Foods Market. Since the beginning of the year, foodservice and food manufacturers have joined in.

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

What’s interesting about these two lists is their differences. 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 caramel color (classes II, III and IV). Whole Foods’ list does not. Panera also specifies that these items are currently being used by the bakery-café chain, but they will be removed by the end of 2016. (I expect their menu will change significantly.)

Why caramel?
The caramel color controversy is actually quite amusing while at the same time annoying, much like Minions. You can read about it in an article I wrote for Food Business News by linking HERE.

Interestingly, caramel color is the single most used food coloring in the world. Because it is exempt from certification, by default, many consider it a natural color.

Internationally the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives divided caramel color into four classes depending on the food-grade reactants used during manufacturing. All four classes are a dark brown material produced during a carefully controlled heat treatment of sugar.

“The four different classes exist based on their means of manufacture and their individual physical properties, rendering them suitable for different applications,” says Jennifer Guild, global food science and regulatory manager at DDW. “They have isoelectric points and pHs that vary over a wide range. When coloring a product with caramel, the particles of the caramel color must have the same charge as the colloidal particles of the product to be colored. If a caramel color is put into a colloidal solution with opposite-charged particles, the particles will attract one another, form larger, insoluble particles and settle out. For example, a soft drink contains negatively charged colloidal particles, and therefore, a negative caramel color should always be used.”

In most beverage applications that can benefit from some brown color, Class IV caramel color seems to work best. In ready-to-drink iced tea applications, Class II and Class IV caramel colors are typically used because their negative ionic charge reacts well with the tannins produced from the tea leaves.

Chocolate milk, in particular chocolate milk sold through the National School Lunch Program, is often colored with Class IV caramel color. This helps keep costs down by reducing cocoa, which is more expensive than caramel coloring, while still providing a rich, deep brown flavored milk. The Class IV helps achieve a uniform chocolate look without settling. The same is true in ready-to-drink coffee-milk beverages.

All four classes are simply declared as “caramel color” on ingredient statements. “Since all four classes are considered safe by FDA, the general consensus is that there is no reason to differentiate between the different classes on U.S. food labels,” says Ms. Guild.

Panera wants to know! This is most likely due to California listing 4-methylimidazole (4-Mel), a compound formed during the manufacture of Class III and Class IV caramel coloring, on Proposition 65, a consumer safeguard against potentially carcinogenic substances. Interestingly, 4-Mel is also a compound formed when coffee beans are roasted and when meats are grilled. (Will Panera stop selling coffee?)

FDA does not believe that any caramel color poses any potential danger as a food ingredient. Read more HERE.

However, in response to the Prop 65 listing, new Class III and Class IV caramel colors have been developed with low 4-MeI levels. Still, Panera says no.

They also say no to Class II caramels. Not because they contain 4-Mel, rather because this class of caramel is known as “Caustic Sulfite Process Caramel Color.” The term “caustic” is the concern.

Have the folks at Panera checked out the composition of a banana? It might actually be part Minion!

Photo source: James Kennedy, a high school chemistry teacher in Australia

Confusing? Crazy? This is just the beginning of the chaos. It’s as if the developers of these no-no lists are seeking out what they believe is the biggest and “baddest” ingredient, and adding it to their list to be one up on the others.

With back to school in the air, it’s likely this chaos will carry over to the cafeteria. Although the U.S. public school system does not have a no-no list, per se, it does have guidelines and restrictions as to the composition of foods and beverages that can be served or sold to students. I am sure others around the world have similar procedures in place.

This is bound to change on a local level, even on a classroom by classroom basis. Room parents and school board members can be like Minions…they are on a mission and are relentless. (Think First Mother Michelle Obama.)

Whereas Minions want to serve villains, these determined adults want to be heroes, to make a difference, to make a change, often without sound science.

It happened with my son’s 300-mile away sports camp this week. (Yes, I miss him very much! Cannot wait until his return on Sunday.) Campers were highly encouraged to not bring beverages containing artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. (So long Gatorade!) Low-fat chocolate milk for workout recoveries was promoted. (Hooray!) With other milk flavors, campers were cautioned to read labels. (Avoid Red 40!)

As my friend Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Insights recently told me, “There are a number of food categories considered ‘sacred.’ In other words, they should not be messed with and should be clean label,” she said. “This includes dairy, produce and meat and poultry. Consumers want these products as close to ‘farm fresh’ as possible.”

Consumers expect dairy to be free of anything artificial, including colors. (See graph.) Innova data show that more than 20% of U.S. products tracked in 2014 featured a clean-label positioning, up from 17% in 2013. When it comes to new product introductions, in 2014, there were 72% more new product introductions carrying a no additives/no preservatives claim than in 2010. In other words, the majority of new product introductions feature a clean-label position. Further, many established brands are cleaning up their ingredient statements.

All dairy foods can be colored naturally. Yoplait Minions yogurts are colored with “vegetable juice.” The brand’s three limited-edition summer flavors are as well. Yoplait Original with 25% less sugar comes in a Rainbow Sherbet variety that uses “beet juice concentrate and paprika extract” to simulate the popular frozen treat. Yoplait Whips has two limited-edition flavors this summer. Banana Split is colored with turmeric extract and Root Beer Float uses caramel color.

I bought all three flavors yesterday and plan to enjoy this weekend in the sunshine…that is, after I take my younger son to see the Minions…his request while his big brother is away at camp.

It’s less than 7 weeks until the International Dairy Show takes place in Chicago (September 15 to 18). Today’s blog sponsor—Parker Products—will be exhibiting at booth 8416. Dairy dessert—frozen and refrigerated—inclusions are always a big part of the Dairy Show. Parker will be showcasing its extensive range of flavorful inclusions that can be customized by color, flavor, size and texture. For more information, link HERE.

On this last day of July, National Ice Cream Month, it’s a good time to start planning your dessert—refrigerated and frozen—menu for 2016. The competition is getting greater…and it’s not with your neighboring dairy. It’s with other sweet treats in the supermarket, many of which deliver on either health or local appeal. It’s also with fro-yo shops where consumers can mix up their base flavor and top it off with everything from chopped nuts to fresh berries to gummy worms. (At those weigh-and-pay places, the addition of one gummy worm commands almost an additional 50 cents. My sons know I’m not paying for gummies!)

The fact is, retail unit sales of frozen desserts have been flat to declining for years. (Dollar sales might be up slightly, but this is a function of shelf tag, not volume.)

But guess what? We all still love ice cream! But as with everything else, today’s consumers want more from their sweet treats—have it be ice cream, pudding parfait or even decadent yogurt.

According to a new online survey from Mars Ice Cream, conducted on their behalf by Harris Poll in June 2015 among more than 2,000 U.S. adults, two out of three (65%) Americans say ice cream is among their favorite food to eat during the summer. Millennials, more than any other age group (OPPORTUNITY!!!), say ice cream is their favorite summer food. Americans are more than twice as likely to name ice cream (65%) over pie (27%). And sweet, creamy ice cream treats hit the spot for more Americans than summer’s savory standbys of burgers (63%), hot dogs/brats (52%) and ribs (45%).

Eating in bed isn’t taboo for half (48%) of Millennials who say “in bed watching TV” is where they choose to enjoy their ice cream, while nearly one in five (18%) Americans enjoy their ice cream literally on the go, claiming their preferred spot is in the car. (These locations all present opportunity in terms of form and package size, maybe even product positioning. Think calming ice cream for nighttime and road rage wakeup for long commutes.)

Product development requires such out-of-the-box thinking. According to the keynote address given by futurist Mike Walsh at the recent IFT15: Where Science Feeds Innovation, the most successful food producers and manufacturers in the next decade will be the ones who harness science and technology to meet the demands of the first fully digital generation as they become adults.

“If you really want to understand the future, you have to start with the people who are going to live in it,” said Walsh, author of The Dictionary of Dangerous Ideas and CEO of the consultancy firm Tomorrow. “And the most disruptive group of future food consumers, I believe, are people who are currently celebrating their 8th birthday. If you can understand how an 8-year old thinks, you’re a long way toward really understanding a transformative change in consumer behavior. ”

Walsh said that age group is of particular interest because they were born in 2007, the same year the iPhone was introduced. They are the first generation to be connected from birth, so they are growing up with a much different outlook on shopping, cooking and eating than other generations. They will expect products that are customized, readily available and—as already apparently on Instagram—look good enough to be photographed and shared on social media.

“When you think about an 8-year old, how they will be making judgments about food, about food brands, eating and dining, it’s all going to be very connected to their experience on that smartphone,” he said. “Look at the way the next generation forms their views on food today. Look at Instagram—there is some extent to which the next generation doesn’t want to eat a meal unless they are going to take a picture of it.”

The way to keep consumers—8-year olds, Millennials and aging Baby Boomers--interested in anything packaged and sold at retail is to continually jazz the products up with on-trend accessories. Remember when kiwi-strawberry was the “it” fruit flavor? Not too long ago it was pomegranate, followed by acai. Now we see accessories such as chia and quinoa dressing up everything from nutrition bars to refrigerated yogurt.

All types of nuts, coated and flavored, chopped or slivered, as well as candies, crunchies and clusters can add life to the sweet treats. Here are more than a dozen innovative examples.

This product is a few years old but worth revisiting, as the concept presents a great deal of opportunity, especially around the holidays. From Ambach in Germany, this limited-edition Tiramisu Kaffee Eiscreme (starting from the bottom up) features a layer of tiramisu-flavored ice cream, lady finger biscuits, tiramisu-flavored sauce, coffee-flavored ice cream and cocoa-covered cake pieces. This spectacular creation is finished with a drizzle of marsala wine. What really makes this product standout is the clear plastic container—showing the consumer exactly what’s inside—along with the decorative cardboard wrap that showcases a very festive bow, positioning the dessert as the perfect hostess gift for holiday parties.

Ice cream cakes are another dessert-sharing opportunity for the communal-eating Millennial demographic. Friendly’s Ice Cream recently teamed up with The Hershey Company to introduce a new rich and decadent Reese’s Pieces Ice Cream Cake. Handmade at Friendly’s creamery in Wilbraham, MA, the cake boasts rich peanut butter ice cream loaded with mini Reese’s Pieces candies, Reese’s Pieces topping, and a freshly whipped icing border. The 32-ounce cake serves approximately eight guests and retails for $11.99 to $12.99.

Kemps uses clear packaging to showcase the goodies packed into its line of Kemps Frozen Yogurt Shop. The 30-ounce plastic tubs come in four varieties: Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter Cup, Raspberry & Chocolate and Vanilla Salted Caramel.

Retail giant Target Corp., is in constant flux with its frozen dessert offerings, most likely a strategy to keep consumers curious and buying the private-label Archer Farms products. Now being sold in pints, the ice cream line includes treats such as Banana Almond Caramel (banana-flavored ice cream with almonds and a caramel swirl), Coffee Toffee Crunch (coffee-flavored ice cream with toffee chunks), German Chocolate Cake (chocolate cake-flavored ice cream with coconut caramel swirl and chocolate-flavored bits) and Strawberry Blondie (strawberry ice cream with strawberries and blondie brownie pieces).

There are also gelato pints in offerings such as Amaretto Cherry (amaretto gelato with a cherry-flavored swirl and cherry chunks), Salted Caramel (caramel gelato with salted caramel swirl and a hint of sea salt) and Triple Chocolate (chocolate gelato with a chocolaty swirl and white chocolate flavored chunks).

Millennials want their food to make a difference, so leave it to Ben & Jerry’s to give them what they want. With the Paris Climate Summit looming in December of 2015, Ben & Jerry’s is meeting the issue of climate change head on with a global campaign to activate fans and citizens around the world. And what would a Ben & Jerry’s activism campaign be without a chunky, swirly, euphoric flavor of its own? Enter the new addition to the lineup: Save Our Swirled. With a bed of raspberry ice cream, swirled with rivers of marshmallow and raspberry, and white and dark fudge cone-shaped chunks, raising consciousness never tasted so good.

“This campaign is as important as any we’ve ever undertaken at Ben & Jerry’s and the time to act is now. We’re beginning to see that we can make an impact,” says Jostein Solheim, CEO of Ben & Jerry’s. “Ben & Jerry’s has committed to dramatically reducing our own carbon footprint in an effort to help keep warming below 2 degrees. With the Paris Climate Summit approaching at the end of the year, we are asking our fans to join us in calling on leaders around the world to support the transition to 100% clean energy now.”

The company continues to grow its Core ice cream line, which originally debuted in 2002 and was reintroduced to U.S. consumers in 2014. The concept includes a core center down the middle of each pint of ice cream. The flavor is said to complement the super-premium ice cream flavors on either side of the core. The most recent addition is Boom Chocolatta! This flavor features mocha and caramel ice creams with chocolate cookies and fudge flakes all surrounding a chocolate cookie core.

It joins other varieties such as Hazed & Confused (chocolate and hazelnut ice creams with fudge chips and a hazelnut fudge core), Peanut Butter Fudge (chocolate and peanut butter ice creams with mini peanut butter cups and a peanut butter fudge core), Salted Caramel (sweet cream ice cream with blonde brownies and a salted caramel core) and That’s My Jam (chocolate and raspberry ice creams with fudge chips and a thick raspberry jam core).

So who comes up with all these out-of-the box frozen dessert concepts? It’s not Ben or Jerry. Link HERE to read more about the inclusion-loving Flavor Guru who dreams up some of the most amazing flavor creations.

This season, Mayfield Dairy enlisted Maggie the Cow as its Flavorologist. “Maggie the Cow has a long history with Mayfield Dairy, and she has always been one of our leading experts in finding the delicious flavors that we all love to eat throughout the year,” says Scottie Mayfield, president emeritus of Mayfield Dairy Farms.

The company has also changed the packaging design for its seasonal ice creams to share a small piece of the various adventures Maggie experienced while researching and finding these creative flavors. The five 2015 seasonal flavors are: Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Eggnog Flavored Custard, Peppermint Stick Ice Cream, Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake Ice Cream and Yellow Brick Road Ice Cream.

The latter tells the story of Maggie’ summer vacation, when she decided to explore the depths of Lookout Mountain, Tenn., by visiting the world famous Ruby Falls. After gazing at the beautiful waterfall, Maggie walked down the staircase to see what was behind the majestic waterfall. As she passed through the wall of water, Maggie quickly realized that she, just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, had discovered a hidden pathway to the Land of Oz. While walking along the winding Yellow Brick Road, Maggie came upon endless fields of chocolate covered peanuts. Maggie quickly realized mixing the chocolate covered peanuts with Mayfield’s creamy, classic Vanilla Ice Cream would make a delicious seasonal flavor. (FYI: Millenials, as well as 8-year olds, love stories about their food.)

The refrigerated dairy dessert category remains very underdeveloped in the U.S. This is not the case in many Europeans markets, where entire aisles are dedicated to everything from mousse to pudding to fromage frais.

Ehrmann, for one, is known for its decadent dairy desserts. The company recently expanded its Grand Dessert Chocolate Stracciatella line, which is described as “Special cream for special connoisseurs: Seductive chocolate dessert cream topped with a cherry and fine chocolate chips.”

Noble Desserts Holdings Ltd., in the U.K., markets a range of refrigerated dairy desserts under its Gu brand. Some recent offerings include a single-serve ramekin line of layered cheesecakes with biscuit base and decadent toppings. Varieties include: Chocolate &
Vanilla, Lemon, Keylime Pie and more.

In the Netherlands, Melkan has developed a line of custards for children. Each single-serve cup comes with a dome of candied inclusions. This concept can be expanded to products designed for adult palates, including the emerging category of sweet with heat. Think glazed pecans bits with hints of brown sugar and cayenne pepper.

Lastly, Chobani continues to show consumers that Greek yogurt makes the perfect dessert. The brand recently introduced three new Chobani Flip products as part of its largest portfolio expansion to date, building on the success of offering better-for-you options throughout the day. New offerings include: Coffee Break Bliss (coffee-flavored low-fat yogurt with biscotti pieces and chocolate), Limited Batch Strawberry Summer Crisp (strawberry-flavored low-fat yogurt paired with golden graham crackers and white chocolate) and Peanut Butter Dream (vanilla-flavored yogurt with a mix of honey-roasted peanuts and peanut butter clusters).

P.S. Have you heard about the opportunity in delivering probiotics via dairy foods?
Read more HERE.

It’s less than six weeks until the International Dairy Show takes place in Chicago (September 15 to 18). Today’s blog sponsor—Ingredion—will be exhibiting at booth 7833. The company will showcase its ingredient technologies in array of dairy products, including cheese products. For more information, link HERE.

Photo source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

If you ever wondered who eats the most cheese, it’s the French. According to the International Dairy Federation, the French sliced, spread or melted their way through 57.1 pounds of cheese per person in 2013. This is compared to less than a tenth of a pound per person in China. But that number is climbing, reflective of a trend in Asia for more Western food, including cheeseburgers and pizza.

http://ingredion.us/applicationsingredients/Dairy/Pages/cheese.aspx?utm_source=DonnaBerryBlog&utm_medium=eNewsletter_728x90&utm_campaign=CreativeCheeses

Cheesemakers are constantly trying to create new forms and flavors to keep us eating cheese. Let’s take a look at some recent innovations, including winners from this year’s World Dairy Innovation Awards and the recent American Cheese Society’s annual Festival of Cheese.

Just in time for back-to-school, private-label retailer Aldi is introducing Happy Farms Cheese Slices for Kids to the U.S. market. Ten pasteurized cheese slices come in a resealable 6-ounce container, with each slice featuring an imprinted design of a horse, puppy or, of course, a happy cow. The product is made in Germany.

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, known for its cheddar cheese curds, has introduced a new product for chefs and foodservice operators. Cheese Curd Crumbles are small pieces of cheese curds that are too small to be sold at retail for snacking but can be used as an ingredient in a variety of applications, such as mixed into sausages or burgers. The crumbles come in 5-pound bags. For more information, link HERE.

Prima Donna maturo is now available as a prepacked wedge of 5.3-ounce exact weight for the convenience-oriented consumer. Prima Donna maturo combines the famous Dutch art of cheesemaking with the traditional flavor of Parmesan cheese, creating a unique specialty cheese for everyone who enjoys the Italian way of life: “Formaggio con passione.” The cheese is imported into the U.S. by Saputo Specialty Cheese. It is produced in Holland by Vandersterre Holland B.V. For more information, link HERE.

Saxon Creamery’s new Garlic & Pimento Gouda is a flavorful, versatile cheese perfect for snacking or cooking. The creamy, butter gouda is complemented by a hint of garlic and the sweetness of pimento peppers. It’s perfect for a grilled cheese sandwich or shredded over soup and chili. For more information, link HERE.

Bacon and smoky flavors continue to be popular in cheese. Holland’s Family Cheese’s award-winning Marieke Gouda is now available with bacon. Made at its farmstead operation in Thorp, Wisconsin, using an authentic old world gouda recipe with imported equipment and cultures from cheesemaker Marieke Penterman’s native Holland, this new variety can be used to deliver smoky cheese flavor to burgers, flatbreads and sandwiches. For more information, link HERE.

Yancey’s Fancy Inc., offers a number of new flavors that complement the smoky, bacon trend. Recent introductions include Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger, New York Maple Cheddar and Steakhouse Onion. For more information, link HERE.

Maple complements the smoky and bacon trend. And for the first time, real maple syrup is being used in cheese. Quebec, Canada cheesemaker Au Gré des Champs has launched Mishtan, a semi-firm raw cows milk cheese that is ripened for three months and washed with boreal forest spice-macerated maple syrup as it matures.

Hot is hot…and the best way to get hot in cheese is with chilies. Chilies present an opportunity for all types of flavor innovation, as they are associated with the most popular international influences in today’s food industry. They also complement the milky, creamy dairy base, as it balances and mellows delivery of heat while allowing the flavor of chilies to be tasted. This is something not possible in many other food applications, where the upfront heat is so intense that it overpowers the flavors of the chilies, which can range from earthy to fruity to smoky. Chile peppers range in heat levels. The guajillo and aji panca have the least amount of heat on the Scoville scale, while the Bhut Jolokia, also known as the ghost pepper, is recognized as the hottest pepper in the world.

Comstock Creamery/Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is heating up the category with Blaser’s Habanero Ghost Pepper and Blaser’s Buffalo Wing cheeses. Both are made with natural Monterey Jack cheeses. For more information, link HERE.

The American Cheese Society (ACS) hosted its annual Festival of Cheese in Providence, R.I., from July 29 to August 1. One of the biggest events of its kind, the 32nd annual festival featured American artisan and specialty cheeses from the 2015 ACS Judging & Competition, highlighting the winners across a range of styles. For more information on ACS, link HERE.

The American Cheese Society was founded in 1983 by Dr. Frank Kosikowski of Cornell University as a national grassroots organization for cheese appreciation and for home and farm cheesemaking. The competition began in 1985 at the third-annual conference with 30 cheesemakers entering 89 cheeses in seven categories.

Touted as the yearly “Cheese Oscars,” this year’s contest drew a total of 1,779 entries in 109 categories from 267 producers located in North and South America. Entering companies represented 31 U.S. states, three Canadian provinces and Colombia. In all, 355 awards were presented: 95 firsts, 127 seconds and 133 thirds. For a complete list of winners and judges, as well as details on the competition, link HERE.

Celtic Blue Reserve from Glengarry Fine Cheese in Ontario, Canada, was named Best of Show, marking the first time a Canadian cheese has won the top honor. The Best of Show round has all first-place cheeses in the 109 categories competing for the top honor.

There was a tie for second place between LaClare Farms Specialties LLC’s Standard Market Cave Aged Chandoka and Emmi Roth USA’s Roth’s Private Reserve, both Wisconsin cheeses. Third place went to Cellars at Jasper Hill’s Harbison cheese, a Vermont specialty.

BelGioioso came out as a big winner with its Sharp Provolone Mandarini and BelGioioso Black Truffle Burrata receiving First Place, Best in Class awards. This is the third consecutive first place award for BelGioioso Sharp Provolone Mandarini, winning first at the U.S. Cheese Championship Contest earlier this year and the World Championship Cheese Contest in March 2014. BelGioioso Black Truffle Burrata was awarded a first place blue ribbon in the Cheeses with Flavor Category, taking first in the same category in 2014. BelGioioso American Grana received its fourth consecutive award in as many contests, judged as one of the best cheeses in the Parmesan category.

“Sharp Provolone was the first cheese we produced in 1979 and is the cheese our company was built on. We are very pleased to continue to be recognized as the finest Provolone cheese in the industry,” says Gaetano Auricchio, vice president of sales. “Our Master Cheesemakers handcraft this Provolone using our homemade cultures and hand‐forming techniques. The Mandarini is hand roped and aged for seven months, then waxed and hand stamped for a traditional finish. The flavor is deep with a sharp, piccante accent.”

Burrata is a long-time popular choice for appetizer menus and cheese plates. BelGioioso added a delicate, subtle flavor to this luscious fresh cheese with Black Truffle Burrata. This cheese starts with fresh Wisconsin milk and is made to order just hours after milking. Each handcrafted mozzarella pouch is filled with a rich straciatella and black summer truffles. For more information, link HERE.

Sartori received a First Place award for its Reserve Kentucky Bourbon BellaVitano and Second Place for Limited-Edition Pastorelle Blend and Reserve Dolcina Gorgonzola.

The Pastorale Blend repeatedly receives accolades, including once again, taking top honors at the Wisconsin State Fair. Pastorale Blend is a mixed-milk cheese (cow/sheep) hand dusted with smoked Spanish paprika to deliver a “one of a kind” sweet and nutty flavor.

“Pastorale Blend is a very special cheese for us,” says Sartori’s Master Cheesemaker Mike Matucheski. “We’ve been lucky enough to find the perfect balance of cow and sheep milk to create an approachable, gratifying mixed milk cheese. The aging of Pastorale helps to develop the flavors while the smoked paprika dusting delivers a striking visual and complimentary flavor.”

In addition, Sartori Cheese received First Place awards at the fair for its Merlot BellaVitano, Classic Asiago and Limited Edition Extra-Aged Goat cheese.

Sartori’s most recent flavor innovation debuted earlier this year. Citrus Ginger BellaVitano is hand rubbed with a unique and exotic blend of spices including ginger, onion, garlic, red bell pepper and citrus. The flavors work well with the slightly fruity, creamy, tangy notes of the company’s signature BellaVitano cheese. Like with all of Sartori’s treated cheeses, the idea is to create a balance among flavors; to allow each flavor to contribute equally.

“When our internal sensory team first tried this cheese, there was a lot of positive feedback. Many enjoyed the punch from the ginger, the sweetness from the red bell pepper and the citrus finish,” says Susan Merckx, marketing director. For more information, link HERE.

Klondike Cheese Company took home first place for its Greek yogurt and feta cheese along with a slew of additional honors at the American Cheese Society awards. Klondike’s Odyssey Peppercorn Feta won First Place in the Feta With Flavor Added (All Milks) category, and Odyssey Tomato & Basil Feta and Odyssey Mediterranean Feta took second and third place in the same category, respectively. Odyssey Reduced Fat Tomato & Basil Feta won third place in the Reduced Fat Cheese With Flavor Added (All Milks) category. For more information, link HERE.

The annual World Dairy Innovation Awards took place in Amsterdam as part of the ninth Global Dairy Congress at the end of June. The judging panel, which included myself, considered almost 220 entries from 30 countries in 18 categories. For a list of all the winners and finalists, link HERE.

Top honors went to Kourellas S.A. in Greece for its Feta Bites. The company has turned feta into bite-sized snacking balls. They come plain or in seven different combinations with herbs. They are packaged in a resealable tub and can be consumed as is or on top of salad.

Another finalist was DeJong Cheese in The Netherlands. The company developed Cheese Crumbles, which are fresh, soft cheese crumbles that do not stick together in the packaging tub. The Cheese Crumbles are a perfect addition to pizzas, salads and to melt into pasta. They are ready to use and are great for portion control.

Castello Burger Blue Slices from Arla Foods in the U.S. was one of the finalists. The creamy and characteristically tangy notes of Castello Blue Cheese feature balanced sweet and salty undertones. The slices are designed to melt evenly across a patty and stay on the burger during cooking and consumption, a feat nearly impossible to accomplish with traditional blue cheese crumbles.

It’s almost the weekend. Time to clean the grill for some barbecuing!

Photo source: SensoryEffects

It’s less than five weeks until the International Dairy Show takes place in Chicago (September 15 to 18). Today’s blog sponsor—SensoryEffects—will be exhibiting at booth 8230. SensoryEffects is also sponsoring the Daily Dose of Dairy Live! presentation on Friday, Sept. 18, from 10:00am to 10:30am on the show floor. The topic is Innovations in Milk and Dairy Beverages. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend. At the Dairy Show, SensoryEffects will be showcasing its extensive range of innovative flavor systems for all types of dairy foods, in particular refrigerated and frozen desserts, as well as milk, yogurt and dairy beverages, including an economical egg replacement system for the approaching holiday nog season. The company showcased a number of these concepts at the recent Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting and expo, which was also in Chicago. Read more about the prototypes HERE.

Sherman’s Dairy Bar is an ice cream destination for summer-time vacationers in southwest Michigan. Located in South Haven, MI, about two miles from the shores of Lake Michigan, Sherman’s hand makes small batches of more than 70 flavors of ice cream in the facility adjacent to the ice cream parlor.

During peak business hours, ice cream aficionados have been known to wait in line for more than an hour, with that line lasting for hours on end. To avoid the congestion, I waited for a cloudless day with beach-perfect 80 degree weather to visit when the doors opened at 11:00am. I had to experience Sherman’s. (My 13-year-old son accompanied me. Not having had breakfast yet, he declared his double scoop of chocolate the best brunch ever.)

Sherman’s is more than just fresh, local and small batch. It’s about flavors and ingredients that speak to the community. Of course, vanilla and chocolate, as well as the usual chip, nutty and rocky varieties are big sellers, but what many patrons come for are the localized offerings.

Blueberries, cherries and peaches grow abundant in the area, making frozen treats such as Amaretto Cherry Amour, Black Cherry, Blueberry Cheesecake and Peach & Cream big hits. There’s also a Chocolate-Covered Cherry going by the name of Lindy Lou, celebrating the same-named electric-powered river boat that launches from the nearby Maritime Museum.

Every year the company introduces a couple of new flavors, according to Bob Eisenman, owner since 1988. The dairy itself has been in existence since 1916. The company comes up with new flavors using the help of flavor ingredient companies, often times working with more than one to create a special recipe. “Inclusions are popular. People like lots of ingredients,” he said.

“Some of our more complex flavors include Chocolate Malt Supreme, which is chocolate malt chips in a chocolate malt ice cream rippled with chocolate fudge, and Grasshopper, which is mint-based ice cream swirled with chocolate cookie fudge,” he said. Amaretto Cherry Amour is pretty special, too. “It is amaretto-flavored ice cream with red maraschino cherry pieces swirled with thick fudge.”

Sherman’s sells packaged product for at-home consumption in the scoop shop. The company also distributes its specialties to numerous restaurants and foodservice establishments throughout southwest Michigan, northwest Indiana and even Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.
To read more about Sherman’s, link HERE.

Connecting with consumers is truly key with a product like ice cream, in particular local brands sold via foodservice or retail.

For summer 2015, Velvet Ice Cream rolled out two new flavors to retail and for sale at Velvet’s Ye Olde Mill. Summertime Peach boasts a blend of fresh peach ice cream with juicy chunks of real peaches. Buckeye Brownie is a new twist on one of Velvet Ice Cream’s top-sellers, Buckeye Classic. Slightly salty peanut butter ice cream is swirled with chunks of creamy peanut butter and gooey brownie pieces. Beyond its Buckeye confection inspiration, the name pays homage to Velvet’s home state of Ohio and the company’s support of the National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes. For more information, link HERE.

Locally produced Ice cream get wild back at home in Chicago.

Angelo Quercia, owner of Angelo Gelato Italiano, Franklin Park, IL, explains how he makes gelato the way he learned from his grandfather years ago in Naples, Italy, just today he uses many of the same authentic ingredients but with modern-day flavorful twists. Melding the familiar with the unexpected, that’s his contemporary approach to flavoring gelato.

“I can create any flavor that the customer desires,” says Quercia, whose Chocolate Bacon Gelato is among his top sellers. “Most importantly, our customers appreciate that we offer exclusive proprietary flavors for any retail store or restaurant that wants something that is truly their own. My team of food chemists and culinary experts love rising to the challenge of creating the most extraordinary flavors.”

Recent gelato innovations include Honey Lavender, Caramel Swirl with Cheese Popcorn, Raspberry Cream Cheese, Guinness Beer and Sparkling Champagne.

An approach the company took this summer was to add a savory twist to sweet gelato flavors. Innovations include Avocado with Lime Zest, Sweet Peach with Fennel, and Sweet Summer Corn with Salt and Pepper.

To read more about adding savory twists to dairy foods, including the increasingly popular trend of melding heat with sweet, link HERE to an article I recently wrote for Food Business News entitled “Flavorful twists add spice to dairy.”

In addition to heat from peppers, heat can come from spices such as cinnamon. Another growing trend is the use of alcohol beverage flavors.

Whereas some restaurant chefs and even packaged ice cream manufacturers use real liquor, others rely on denatured, reduced or concentrated alcohol ingredients, or even premium alcohol extract flavors. That’s because state regulations limit how much alcohol can be used to formulate packaged foods. Further, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives requires special taxes to be paid on alcohol, as well as have food formulas approved. And when you buy real alcohol, you pay alcohol tax, which can add up.

In addition, there’s the impact the alcohol has on freezing point, which impacts finished product quality. That has not stopped some players from creating frozen treats that require proof of being 21-or-older.

Intoxicating innovations were unveiled by several ice cream brands at the Summer Fancy Food Show, according to fellow Food Business News Editor Monica Watrous. You can view a slide show of intoxicating food and beverage innovations HERE.

New York City’s Tipsy Scoop makes liquor-infused ice cream inspired by cocktails. Containing 5% alcohol by volume, flavors include Dark Chocolate Whiskey and Salted Caramel, Vanilla Bean Bourbon and Hot Buttered Rum. For more information, link HERE.

In the States, the original wine ice cream comes from Mercer’s Dairy. This premium product line is 15% butterfat with 5% alcohol by volume. From red to white and blush to sparkling, there’s a flavor for everyone. Flavors include Cherry Merlot (Bordeaux cherries blended with ice cream and a merlot wine recognized for its plum and black cherry undertones), Chocolate Cabernet (chocolate ice cream with bits of bittersweet chocolate blended with a Cabernet wine filled with dried cherry and cassis notes), Peach White Zinfandel (ice cream with fresh peaches blended with white zinfandel wine), Port (ice cream blended with ruby port wine), Red Raspberry Chardonnay (ice cream blended with raspberry sauce and a Chardonnay wine known for its delicate vanilla notes and buttery smooth taste, Riesling (ice cream blended with a Riesling wine prized for its fruity, crisp refreshing quality), Spice (ice cream blended with fragrant red mulled wine known for its moderate sweetness balanced with the warmth of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove) and Strawberry Sparkling (ice cream blended with a sweet sparkling wine and ribbons of sparkling strawberries). For more information, link HERE.

Via Brasil Steakhouse takes fruits and homemade ice cream and infuses them with hard liquor. Three flavors rolled out this summer. They are:

Pina Colada: ice cream with fresh-ripened pineapple infused with Stoli Vanilla and Malibu Rum
Midori Sour: ice cream with fresh lemon infused with Midori Melon Liqueur
Frangelico Vanilla: simply homemade vanilla ice cream infused with Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur

For more information, link HERE.

For all ages, L.A. Creamery Artisan Ice Cream introduced a new flavor called Manhattan. It features brown butter toffee and Rittenhouse rye whiskey ice cream with Bing cherries. For more information, link HERE.

Extraordinary flavor is what today’s consumers desire, in particular Millennials who crave adventure. As the U.S. becomes a more diverse society, ice cream formulators are wise to explore unusual ingredient combinations. Think chocolate with citrus, strawberry with basil and berries with booze.

It’s less than four weeks until the International Dairy Show takes place in Chicago (September 15 to 18). Today’s blog sponsor—TIC Gums—will be exhibiting at booth 8219. At the Dairy Show, TIC Gums will be showcasing its extensive range of stabilizing ingredients for dairy products, in particular, systems that assist with the development of the booming category of dairy protein-fortified beverages.

Often times during the Q&A that follows my presentation on dairy foods innovations I am asked by an audience member: "what can we do to get consumers to drink more white milk?" I proceed with caution in my reply because part of me wants to scream “have you not heard a word I just said?”

Here’s the deal. I very much appreciate all the efforts to make milk cool and to educate consumers about milk’s inherent powerful nutrient package. I do believe the positive message in these campaigns trickles--actually pours—down to all dairy foods, from butter to cheese to ice cream to yogurt. But--and this is a big but--until you can tell me that you are pouring yourself another glass of the white stuff--you, the dairy industry professional--how can we expect highly influential consumers to do the same.

http://www.ticgums.com/applications/beverages.html?utm_campaign=2015&utm_medium=ads2015&utm_source=ddd-1508-Blog%20leaderboard

But--and this is an even bigger but--there’s so much we as an industry can do to make milk more attractive in terms of flavors and formulations. Look what the folks at Shamrock Farms are doing.

Yesterday (August 20, 2015) they announced All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Green is joining Team Rockin’ Refuel, putting a new face on the brand’s “Rockin’” national advertising and public relations campaign. The company released a behind-the-scenes video telling fans why he chooses Rockin’ Refuel as part of his healthy nutrition routine. You can view it HERE.

“Drinking Rockin’ Refuel helps me build and maintain the muscles and strength needed to succeed on the football field,” says Green. “As a professional athlete, I have to pay close attention to my diet, especially when it comes to high-quality protein. Rockin’ Refuel not only tastes great, but because it’s made with real milk, I know it’s a healthy protein drink with ingredients I can trust.”

Starting with pure, fresh milk—the white stuff—Rockin’ Refuel contains up to 30 grams of high-quality protein active people of all fitness levels need to build muscle or help muscles recover after a hard workout. To learn more about the complete line of Rockin’ Refuel products, link HERE.

The company is making strides with its On-The-Go mmmmilks. At the beginning of summer, the brand made its way into select Walmart stores nationwide. The retailer will be offering 12-ounce single-serve sizes of Shamrock Farms protein-packed regular (the white stuff), chocolate and strawberry milk. Each Shamrock Farms mmmmilk variety offers more than 25% of the daily recommended value of protein, along with eight other essential nutrients naturally found in milk.

The Fuel Station in The U.K., markets an array of products under the Fuel Your 10K brand, including a line of shelf-stable Liquid Breakfast beverages. Made with 50% to 65% skimmed milk, depending on variety, along with soy protein and milk protein, each 330-milliliter container provides 20 grams of protein. Varieties are: Banana, Caffe Latte, Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla.

According to data generously provided by Beverage Marketing Corp. (thanks Gary!), protein drink volume and dollar sales have been steadily climbing the past decade. But at the same time, bottled water strengthened its already prominent position in the U.S. beverage marketplace with another year of significant growth in 2014. Enlarging by 7.3%, bottled water reached a historical high of almost 10.9 billion gallons. Per capita consumption also reached a new peak of 34 gallons.

Fluid while milk cannot compete with clear, pure, refreshing, hydrating, calorie-free water. But dairy beverages, including flavored milk, protein-enhanced milks, lattes and more, can!

According to Beverage Marketing Corp., the U.S. liquid refreshment beverage market (this does not include milk but includes beverages containing milk and dairy proteins) grew at a noteworthy rate in 2014 after having been essentially flat in 2013. Its growth was the strongest seen in several years.

Beverage-specific factors, such as the vibrancy of the already-large bottled water segment, as well as more general ones, such as the continuing economic recovery, contributed to the overall increase in liquid refreshment beverage volume, which reached 30.9 billion gallons in 2014.

Niche categories continued to outperform most traditional mass-market categories. Premium beverages such as energy drinks and, especially, ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee advanced particularly forcefully during 2014. Larger, more established segments such as carbonated soft drinks and fruit beverages failed to grow once again.

RTD coffee (many are mostly milk!!!) moved forward faster than all other segments with a 10.7% volume increase in 2014. Nonetheless, the segment accounted for a tiny share of total liquid refreshment beverage volume. Indeed, it was the smallest, trailing even value-added water, which registered the largest decline of any liquid refreshment beverage type other than fruit beverages or carbonated soft drinks. Energy drinks advanced by 6.4%, but also remained fairly modest in size. Not surprisingly, no energy drink, RTD coffee or value-added water brand ranked among the leading trademarks by volume.

“Beverages rebounded in 2014,” says Michael Bellas, chairman and CEO of Beverage Marketing Corp. “Products that connect with what contemporary consumers want, like bottled water and functional offerings, added buoyancy to the ever-changing market.”

Dairy processors are able to produce such beverages, and can make milk a leading ingredient in the formulations.

Here are some recent noteworthy innovations.

The summers of 2013 and 2014 were all about RTD coffee. This summer, RTD tea with milk beverages made their big debut, and the innovations continue to pour in. International Delight Chai Tea Latte from WhiteWave Foods comes in half-gallon recloseable gable-top cartons and is merchandised in the refrigerated dairy case. There are two varieties: Caramel Chai and Vanilla Chai. Packaging says the product can be served over ice or heated and served warm. Starting with brewed black tea as a base, the second and fourth ingredients are skim milk and cream, respectively. In between is simple cane sugar.

Hain Celestial now offers RTD 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 (masala chai spiked with bold espresso), The Godfather (masala chai with bold espresso and rich cocoa), Matcha Green (brewed green tea and traditional matcha) and Mountain Chai (masala chai with ginger, cardamom and cloves).

The most recent introduction comes from Argo Tea with its new Teappuccino. Decadent in taste and balanced in nutrition, these unique bottled loose leaf tea infusions feature protein-packed milk and real fruits, flowers, spices and herbs, which deliver robust flavors. The three new shelf-stable Teappuccino varieties are: Chai (Assam black tea blended with spicy ginger, cinnamon and sweet vanilla), Earl Grey Vanilla Crème (classic black tea infused with bergamot and sweet vanilla) and Green Tea Strawberry Crème (antioxidant-rich Japanese green tea and sweet strawberries with a hint of vanilla).

Vanilla Chai Latte was one of three flavors in Prairie Farms’ limited-edition Chef’s Splendor reduced-fat flavored milk line introduced this summer. Crafted by the cooperative’s corporate chef, the other two indulgent flavors are Dark Chocolate Truffle and Sea Salt Caramel.

Fairlife now offers Yup! flavored milk. Currently available in the Southeast U.S., the shelf-stable flavored milks will be distributed nationally in early 2016. The UHT-pasteurized low-fat milks come in three flavors: Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla. An 8-ounce serving (bottles are 14 ounces) contains 130 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 9 grams of protein and 18 grams of sugar. Ultra filtration increases protein content, while sugar content and calories are kept low through the use of a combination of sugar, acesulfame potassium and sucralose. Added lactase enzyme makes the milk lactose free. The lactase also assists with sweetening, as it breaks down lactose into its constituent monosaccharides, glucose and galactose, which are sweeter than lactose.

The folks at Fairlife are being proactive with the added sugars content of Yup!, as sugar content is an issue with many RTD beverages. This is what makes bottled water such an attractive option to consumers. It is naturally sugar free.

As you may be aware, the proposed added sugars line to the Nutrition Facts is looking more like a reality than a discussion item. This transformation occurred at the end of July when FDA announced an update to its proposal to include a percent Daily Value for added sugars.

“The FDA has a responsibility to give consumers the information they need to make informed dietary decisions for themselves and their families,” said Susan Mayne, director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “For the past decade, consumers have been advised to reduce their intake of added sugars, and the proposed percent Daily Value for added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label is intended to help consumers follow that advice.”

Dairy beverage processors are wise to keep added sugars on the lower end and there are many options to assist. An important consideration when using high-intensity sweeteners is building back the body sugar provides.

To read an article I recently wrote for Food Business News entitled “Sugar reduction: how low can you go?” link HERE.

Have a great end of summer! Hope to see you in less than a month at The Dairy Show in Chicago!

It’s less than three weeks until the International Dairy Show takes place in Chicago (September 15 to 18). Today’s blog sponsor—Parker Products—will be exhibiting at booth 8416. Inclusions for both yogurt and ice cream are always a big part of the Dairy Show. Parker will be showcasing its extensive range of flavorful inclusions that can be customized by color, flavor, size and texture. For more information, link HERE.

This overview of the global refrigerated yogurt category suggests that there are many textures and flavors for processors to explore to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. We’ve only just begun!

In the U.S., yogurt volume sales as well as yogurt prices are up. Although the Greek segment continues to mature, it still is posting growth, while both Australian and Icelandic styles are gaining traction.

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

Recent Innovations

Canada’s first crunchy Greek yogurt, Liberté Greek Seeds and Fruit, is a carefully crafted mix of whole sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds with fruit, which complements the creamy texture of the 2%-milkfat Greek yogurt. The yogurt line made its initial debut in two varieties—Pineapple & Banana and Strawberry—and comes in the increasingly popular 150-gram bowl format, also referred to as a tub.

Sold in packs of two, a single-serve bowl contains 180 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of fiber (from all those seeds!), 18 to 19 grams of sugar and 12 grams of protein (from both the seeds, the milk and the added milk protein.) The product is positioned as a mini meal or snack.

In the States, General Mills recently introduced Yoplait Plenti. This bowl-style product is based on nonfat Greek yogurt, with the nutrient-dense inclusions adding fat back to the formulation. The yogurt is blended with fruits (except the vanilla variant), whole grain oats, flax and pumpkin seeds.

At 5.5 ounces, the single-serve containers are a little larger than standard Greek yogurt cups, which are 5.3 ounces. Each serving provides 140 to 150 calories and 1.5 to 2 grams of fat, depending on variety, as well as 1 gram of fiber, and 12 grams of both protein and sugar. To read more, link HERE.

Savory yogurts are starting to become more popular, especially with consumers trying to keep their sweet tooth in check in order to decrease added sugars in the diet.

Since its debut in May 2013, Sohha Yogurt has become known in the New York metro area as the one-of-a-kind savory yogurt made from just three simple ingredients: locally sourced milk, probiotic cultures and sea salt. Developed by a husband and wife team when their daughter was six months old and they were dissatisfied with the too-sweet yogurt options in the marketplace, Sohha Yogurt made its debut in two varieties: Original and Tangy.

Recently the company rolled out Everything Bagel and Za’atar & Sumac. The new flavors combine seeds, pine nuts and spices with extra virgin olive oil, for a unique, flavorful twist. For more information, link HERE.

In Denmark, Arla has introduced Go’Start A38, a unique combination of organic low-fat yogurt with organic strawberries and rye bread sprinkles. The product melds sweet with savory, a first for the category.

There’s lots of innovation going on in Brazil. Vigor Alimentos is rolling out two very unique savory yogurts, which really shows that anything is possible when you start with a great base like cultured milk. These yogurts, with dome lid, come in two flavorful combinations. There’s a black olive-flavored yogurt with plain croutons as the mix-in. There’s also a parsley and chive seasoned yogurt with parmesan croutons. With a 100-gram pack containing about 100 calories and 1 grams of protein, this product concept is definitely designed as a mini meal or snack.

Sometimes you want a sweet treat. The company also offers a more indulgent option. Greek yogurt gets blended with indulgent chocolate flakes. Each 100-gram serving contains about 175 calories and 4.5 grams of protein. It’s permission to indulge.

Beauty-conscious Brazilians will likely find this new Vigor Beauty yogurt appealing. Sweetened with stevia to keep calories and added sugars down, the yogurt is blended with collagen powder, which is said to have skin-rejuvenating properties. The attached dome contains Brazil nuts and chia seeds, both rich in essential fatty acids. A serving provides just under 100 calories, and 5 grams of both fat and protein and 2.4 grams of fiber.

Indulgence is delicious. Germany’s Zott recreates popular “sweet baked goods” flavors in its new line of yogurts. The blended products contain real pieces of baked goods and come in four varieties: Apple Pie, Blueberry Muffin, Cherry Muffin and Mandarin Cheesecake.

In the U.S., Müller Quaker Dairy introduced a line of decadent yogurts. The Dessert-Inspired line features creamy, signature Müller yogurt on top of a layer of fruit or caramel in one compartment, served with goodies on the side. The four varieties are: Dulce De Leche Delight (low-fat vanilla yogurt over a caramel sauce with a side of crunchy hazelnuts and waffle crisps), Peach Cobbler (low-fat yogurt over juicy peach pieces with a side of crunchy pecan clusters), Raspberry Brownie Supreme (low-fat yogurt over tart raspberries with a side of chewy brownie pieces) and Strawberry Cheesecake (low-fat cheesecake-flavored yogurt over strawberries with a side of graham crumble). Each 150-gram container provides 200 to 220 calories, 4 to 6 grams of fat and 7 to 8 grams of protein, depending on variety. For more information, link HERE.

In select markets throughout Europe, U.K.-based Tesco sells private-label indulgent yogurts that come with chocolate inclusions: chocolate-covered raisins or chocolate-covered cereal balls. These split-pot yogurts provide permission to indulge on chocolate, even at breakfast!

Chobani has an indulgent side as well. This summer, the company introduced new waistline-friendly Greek yogurts designed to satisfy consumers’ sweet tooth. The new offerings come under the brand’s Flip line, which features a side-by-side compartment, one containing yogurt the other containing the sweet mix-ins. Coffee Break Bliss is coffee low-fat yogurt with biscotti pieces and chocolate. Peanut Butter Dream is vanilla low-fat yogurt with honey-roasted peanuts, peanut butter clusters and milk chocolate. Strawberry Summer Crisp is strawberry low-fat yogurt with graham crackers and white chocolate. For more information, link HERE.

Colombian children are having a fun time enjoying new Alpina Bon Yurt Mini. These smaller-portion packs are designed for kids’ appetites…and their taste buds as well. The mix-ins include chocolate candies and chocolate-covered puffed rice.

Watch this video to experience the excitement of the new line. Link HERE.

Life is not always fun and games…but yogurt can be. The YoCrunch brand in the States is all about inclusions…some fun, some games and some better for you.

As summer fades into autumn, football (the U.S. version—that brown oval ball moved around a field by over-sized athletes) enters the scene. Families say goodbye to the beach as they watch this time-intensive sport. YoCrunch makes it fun (for those of us who have no idea what it is going on) with a low-fat yogurt that comes with chocolate-shaped football inclusions.

Earlier in the year, the brand was all about welcoming in summer-time favorites. The pink lemonade offering gives a healthy spin to a favorite summertime flavor. These inclusions are flavored, sweetened pieces that make protein-rich yogurt taste like a beat-the-heat refreshment.

And, now that it’s back-to school time, the brand is rolling out a co-branded dome-lid inclusion product with Kellogg’s granola. Sold in four-packs of 4-ounce cups, the new line comes in Blueberry and Strawberry options. Each individual cup provides 110 calories, 1 gram of both fat and fiber, and 3 grams of protein.

To all those parents out there…I wish you an easy transition back into school hours, sports schedules, volunteer hours and…yes, the dreaded homework. Yogurt might help. If only it came spiked!

It’s less than two weeks until the International Dairy Show takes place in Chicago (September 15 to 18). Today’s blog sponsor—Double H Plastics—will be exhibiting at booth 8222. Double H Plastics is also sponsoring the Daily Dose of Dairy Live! presentation on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 10:00am to 10:30am on the show floor. The topic is Innovations in Refrigerated and Frozen Dairy Desserts. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend. At the Dairy Show, Double H Plastics will be showcasing its extensive range of packaging capabilities for both the refrigerated and frozen dairy cases.

During the past decade, the U.S. ice cream market has evolved into an environment more similar to what one finds in Europe and Asia, where the emphasis is on quality not quantity and where consumption is more often outside the home than inside.

Still, Americans eat a lot of ice cream. Only New Zealanders consume more ice cream per person than Americans, with Aussies in third place.

When it comes to market size, the U.S. was the largest until this year. According to new research from Mintel, at the end of 2014, there was a shift in power in the global ice cream market, with China overtaking the U.S. as the world’s biggest ice cream market.

That’s right! Between 2008 and 2014, the total market value for ice cream sales in China nearly doubled, reaching $11.4 billion. Meanwhile, the U.S. market grew at a much slower rate to $11.2 billion. Accounting for an impressive third of all ice cream products sold in 2014, volume sales of ice cream in China reached 5.9 billion liters in 2014, compared to 5.8 billion liters in the U.S. Volume sales are expected to further increase in China, reaching 6.3 billion liters by the end of this year.

Overall, global sales of ice cream reached $50 billion for the first time in 2014, increasing by 9% from 2011 when sales were valued at $46 billion, according to Mintel data.

“Rising incomes and an increasingly developed retail infrastructure and cold chain network are driving growth in the ice cream market in China,” says Alex Beckett, global food analyst at Mintel. “However, the vast array of locally produced, low-price brands present a challenge for global ice cream giants looking to develop there. China is now the powerhouse of the global ice cream market in terms of overall size, although for per capita consumption, it’s the Americans who tuck into the most ice cream each year. The pace of development, coupled with the immensity of the population, is having an increasing impact on the Chinese ice cream market.”

“While rising global volumes of ice cream mainly reflect the category’s expansion in emerging regions, ice cream has encountered challenging conditions in more developed markets like Europe and North America,” he continues. “Growth has been dampened by consumer diet concerns, competition from other categories, such as yogurt, and the perennial challenge of unseasonable weather. As the world economy’s center of gravity continues to shift away from the West, these challenges give ice cream giants all the more reason to extend their presence, and new product development investment, in more emerging economies, particularly in Asia.”

While the ice cream giants are looking at China, local ice cream makers are wise to take note of trends encouraging retail sales in their own regions. There are five I am going to discuss today.

1. Artisan, Local, Limited Edition: Make a Connection
There is a growing global appreciation of individuality and quality-over-quantity appeal in ice cream. In the U.S., for example, more than six in 10 (61%) consumers of frozen treats claim to be willing to spend more on better-quality frozen treats, while 60% of daily eaters believe that local brands are better quality than national brands, according to Mintel data.

Across Europe, there is strong interest in buying ice cream with locally sourced ingredients. In 2014, almost four in 10 ice cream and yogurt consumers in Italy (39%), France (38%) and Poland (38%) agreed that they would be interested in buying ice cream containing locally sourced ingredients. This was followed by a third (33%) in Germany and almost three in ten (28%) in Spain. In addition, 39% of U.K. consumers agree that ice cream made using authentic production methods, such as handmade or slow churned, is appealing, rising to half (51%) of consumers over age 65.

Recognizing this trend, big brands are making efforts to localize their products. This is best exemplified by the Häagen-Dazs Artisan Collection that Nestlé USA rolled out this past spring. The new line sets out to connect with the highly influential millennial demographic who is mindful of health, social and environmental issues surrounding their food. Millennials are all about seeking out foods with a local connection and experimenting with new concepts.

To produce the collection, the Häagen-Dazs brand team collaborated with notable culinary artisans from around the country to create unique flavors never before experienced in ice cream. To encourage trial, the line will only be available for a limited time.

“To develop the Artisan Collection, we evaluated more than a hundred high-quality, culinary products,” said Kerry Hopkins, brand manager. “After months of vetting, we identified and worked hand-in-hand with six artisans to co-create our new flavors that infuse the taste of the artisans’ original creations with the rich, premium ingredients of Häagen-Dazs ice cream.”

The Chocolate Caramelized Oat was developed with Claire Keane of Clairesquares, San Francisco. Keane has been crafting flapjacks—a traditional Irish treat of caramelized, buttery oat bars drizzled in chocolate—from her own recipe since she was 12 years old. Inspired by her Irish treats, the Häagen-Dazs brand took chocolate caramelized oat clusters and blended them in a rich caramel ice cream.

The Applewood Smoked Caramel Almond variety strikes a balance between sweet and savory with help from Cruz Caudillo of Praline Patisserie, San Diego. Caudillo worked with the Häagen-Dazs brand to create swirls of smoked applewood caramel sauce combined with roasted, salted almonds into a sweet cream ice cream.

The other four flavors in the line, each with their own culinary story, are Tres Leches Brigadeiro, Banana Rum Jam, Spiced Pecan Turtle and Ginger Molasses Cookie. The six gourmet flavors come in 3.6-ounce (single-serve) and 14-ounce containers.

In addition to artisan and local, limited-edition offerings continue to draw consumers to the ice cream category. Holland, Michigan’s Hudsonville Creamery & Ice Cream Company, which hosted my son and I a few weeks ago (thank you Cary and Ray!), shared with me the two limited-edition flavors they are rolling out this month. Both sport a “limited” and “Michigan made” logo.

Cider Mill Donut is apple cider-flavored ice cream with a spiced apple swirl and real donut pieces. Fried Ice Cream—which is unbelievably delicious—is cinnamon ice cream filled with sweet pieces of cinnamon tostada chips and swirled with honey caramel.

2. Brown Flavors: Sweet, Savory and Spicy
What do these Häagen-Dazs and Hudsonville flavors have in common? They are all brown flavors.

Brown flavors range from chocolate to vanilla…but more notably, include butterscotch, caramel, honey and nuts, as well as bakery treats such as cookies, donuts and tostados. Other flavors that fall into the brown category include bacon, cinnamon and even rum.

Brown is both color and taste. It can be umami, but does not have to be. It can also be bitter and even heat. Brown is best described as what it’s not, and that’s not bright or fruity.

Why are brown colors trending, or actually, why are bright or fruity colors not trending? Though brown colors are more common in the fall, season is only a minor influence on this trend.

The real inspiration here is consumers’ desired for “au naturel.” It’s the desire to return to nature, for simple, clean and nostalgia. It’s also the fact that most fruity colors need a little help from added coloring to make them look alive. And when they are too alive, consumers question their naturalness.

Photo source: G.S. Gelato & Desserts

G.S. Gelato & Desserts recently introduced four new gelato flavors, all of them as brown as brown can be. They are: Cinnamon Rum, Crème Brulee, Maple Bacon and Pumpkin Spice.

Schwan’s has a new offering for its home-delivery service. Autumn Treat is pumpkin-flavored ice cream with a swirling ribbon of rich cinnamon and plenty of crunchy praline pecans.

Indeed, cinnamon is big in ice cream these days! It’s brown. It provides a familiar form of heat. It also has many ethnic associations, which adventuresome consumers find attractive.

3. Tropicals: The Fruit of Choice
Not to be upstaged by brown flavors, fruit ice creams are getting more exotic. Tropical fruits, suggestive of many ethnic cuisines, are increasingly making their way into the packaged retail ice cream category.

For example, AC Creamery Inc., markets a line of Asian-inspired ice creams under the Manila Sky brand. Described as gourmet fusion, the one-year-old California company uses only local California milk (stating so on front labels) and sources many of its fruit ingredients from the Philippines.

There are six offerings in pint containers. They are:
Coco Rico: coconut ice cream with coconut swirl
Mango Dream: Manila and Mexican yellow mango ice cream with real mango bits
Mango Verde: green mango ice cream
Nutty Jack: jackfruit ice cream with roasted cashew pieces and sea salt
Purple Yumm: purple yam ice cream with cream cheese swirl
Viva Avocado: avocado ice cream with honey

4. Pints are Big; Half-Pints are Bigger
Because quality has become more important than quantity for many ice cream consumers, package size is scaling down. For example, Hudsonville recently expanded its production capabilities and is now doing pints.

Yuengling’s Ice Cream is now making its hand-made artisan ice creams available in pint-sized containers. Pints offer a great snack-size option at an extremely cost-effective price for a super-premium ice cream brand, according to the company.

Pints also enable consumers to explore new flavors. They are more adventurous when they do not have to commit to a quart or half-gallon.

5. Novelties: All about Portion Control
And as much as pints allow exploration of new flavors, single-serve items, e.g., novelties, have evolved into being more about portion control. It was not that long ago that the frozen novelty category was all about fun colors, flavors and shapes for kids.

With a growing number of parents consciously choosing to not purchase high-sugar, empty-calorie and often artificially colored foods for their kids, the frozen novelty category has evolved into focusing more on portion-control indulgences for adults. This is particularly true on the retail side of the business, where parents can take the time to read the ingredient legend.

Check out this one for a Minion novelty bar.
INGREDIENTS: Water, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Contains 2% or less of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Carob Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Karaya Gum, Pectin, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Malic Acid, Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5, Red 40 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6. Gum Ball {Sugar, Dextrose, Corn Syrup, Gum Base, Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Resinous Glaze (Confectioner’s Glaze), Glycerin, Tapioca Dextrin, Carnauba Wax, Artificial Colors (Yellow 6, Red 40, Blue 1), BHT (To Maintain Freshness)}.

On the other hand, this line of 6-ounce cups of Weight Watchers brand product is all about portion control for adults. Manufactured under a licensing agreement by Wells’ Enterprises Inc., the new Weight Watchers cups come in six varieties: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Cookies & Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Delight and Turtle Sundae.

Want to learn more about what’s trending in ice cream? Plan to attend the Daily Dose of Dairy Live! presentation on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 10:00am to 10:30am at the Dairy Show.

Wow, time flies…the International Dairy Show is this coming week in Chicago, Tuesday, September 15 to Friday, September 18. Today’s blog sponsor—SensoryEffects—will be exhibiting at booth 8230. SensoryEffects is also sponsoring the Daily Dose of Dairy Live! presentation on Friday from 10:00am to 10:30am on the show floor. The topic is Innovations in Milk and Dairy Beverages. (Milk is one of the most underdeveloped dairy foods categories. Attendees will walk away motivated to innovate.) Please mark your calendar and plan to attend. At the Dairy Show, SensoryEffects will be showcasing its extensive range of innovative flavor systems for all types of dairy foods, in particular refrigerated and frozen desserts, as well as milk, yogurt and dairy beverages, including an economical egg replacement system for the approaching holiday nog season.

I spent the past few days in Boise, Idaho—the number-three milk producing state in the U.S.—attending U.S. Dairy Export Council’s U.S. Dairy Innovation Conference. In addition to gaining knowledge on the dairy ingredient marketplace, I learned a lot about the state’s major crop: the potato.

What’s interesting is how culinary professionals in this city have managed to take the ordinary potato, which really is anything but ordinary, as it grows in more than 200 cultivars in colors ranging from golden yellow to deep purple, and make it high-end cuisine. They cut, dice, slice, sliver and even ball potatoes into the most amazing creations. And what really makes the diner go “wow” is all the extras, the bits and pieces that coat and cover, as well as the dips and sauces served on the side.

Milk is not much different. If anything, it is less exciting, as we only have Guernsey, Jersey, grass fed and a few other “varieties.” But we know how to coagulate, filter, ferment, flavor, freeze, pasteurize and separate it into an amazing array of products. And what makes consumers go wow? It’s the extras.

Those extras are getting more sophisticated and adventurous in all dairy foods categories. Though ice cream and yogurt are the most likely products to contain bits and pieces, formulators are getting creative with dips/spreads and refrigerated desserts. Check out these recent innovations from around the world.

In Germany, Muller Milch Reis, which is dairy-based rice pudding, comes in two new nutty flavors. One includes a creamy pistachio-based variegate. The other combines caramelized roasted almonds in a caramel variegate. These varieties join a number of fruit offerings that come blended in single-serve cups or in dual-compartment packs, with rice pudding on one side and fruits such as elderberry, gooseberry, rhubarb or plum in the other.

The company recently introduced the World Edition yogurt line. Venezia delivers the tastes of Venice: pistachio-flavored yogurt with crunchy mini amaretto-flavored cookies to mix in. Bora Bora is coconut-flavored yogurt with a pineapple and coconut variegate on the side. Mumbai comes with a papaya fruit side while Sevilla is orange-flavored yogurt with chocolate balls.

Canada’s Chapman’s is taking a similar worldly approach with its new Flavors of the World Gelato line. The line includes Sticky Rice & Mango Gelato, which is based on a traditional Thai treat that combines sticky rice and coconut milk with mango. Sour Cherry Tango Gelato is a Latin American Fiesta designed to make the taste buds tango through the combination of tart cherry with a sour cherry ripple. Amaretto Biscotti Gelato is an Italian inspiration that combines amaretto, pistachio and chocolate flavors.

Mövenpick Ice Cream of Switzerland celebrates Africa with its new Limited Edition Africa line. The four varieties are: Bourbon Vanilla & Exotic Fruit, Madagascar Island Cocoa, Moroccan Orange Blossom & Date, and South Africa Rooibos Tea & Raspberry.

Earlier this year, Perry’s Ice Cream in the U.S. launched a premium 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.

There are 20 flavors in total, all targeting adult palates. Most of them come loaded with ingredients designed to make the consumer go wow…sometimes because they have a hint of heat other times because they combine unexpected flavors…and always because they are bursting with flavorful bits and pieces.

The line includes Banana Cream Pie (banana ice cream with vanilla-flavored cream swirls and vanilla-flavored wafers), Fireball (hot cinnamon ice cream with cinnamon-flavored swirls and cinnamonette candies), German Chocolate Cake (chocolate cake ice cream with caramel swirls, coconut shreds and pecans), Grasshopper Pie (mint ice cream with fudge swirls and chocolate-crème-filled cookies), Movie Time (popcorn-flavored ice cream with salty caramel swirls and caramel truffles), Peanut Butter Cookie (sugar cookie ice cream with peanut butter swirls and peanut butter cookie dough pieces), Sponge Candy (caramel ice cream with caramelized sugar swirls and sponge candy pieces) and White Lightning (dark chocolate ice cream with white mint fudge swirls).

These flavors might be an adventure, but the ingredients remain as local as possible. Each carton prominently displays “Made in New York” around the rim of the lid and features an attractive photographic trail of the key flavor components.

“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. “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.”

Retailer Morrison’s in the U.K. offers an extensive range of refrigerated dairy desserts under its M Kitchen Really Good Puds brand. The sundaes are swirled layers of vanilla and flavored (chocolate, strawberry or toffee) mousse followed by a layer of either chocolate or toffee custard or strawberry compote, all topped off with flavored sponge cakes pieces. Clear plastic cups showcase the indulgent ingredients. The company also uses a clear cup for its Strawberry Cheesecake dessert, which includes a graham cracker crust bottom layer that gets topped with a cream cheese dessert and fruit.

Earlier this year, Canada’s Liberté yogurt, a brand of General Mills, launched a new Muesli and Seeds range in the U.K. The two seeds lines, which include linseeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are: Seeds & Mixed Berries and Seeds & Mixed Fruit. The two muesli barley, oats and wheat flakes with nuts and raisins) are: Muesli & Summer Fruit and Muesli & Apricot.

In the U.S., General Mills recently introduced Yoplait Plenti, which blends Greek yogurt with fruits (except the vanilla variant), whole grain oats, flax and pumpkin seeds. At 5.5 ounces, the single-serve containers are a little larger than standard Greek yogurt cups, which are 5.3 ounces. Each serving provides 140 to 150 calories and 1.5 to 2 grams of fat, depending on variety, as well as 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar and 12 grams of protein. The protein comes from the cultured nonfat milk and the grains and seeds. The fat and fiber come from the grains and seeds. Fruit and vegetable extract is a source of natural color. The eight varieties are: Black Cherry, Blueberry, Coconut, Peach, Raspberry, Spiced Apple, Strawberry and Vanilla.

These two products, as well as Stonyfield’s new Super Grains and Super Seeds, and like innovations in the market, talk to today’s consumer who is trying to follow the nutritional advice that is circulating. And that is to follow a “mostly” plant-based diet. This is not a vegan diet, or even a vegetarian diet, it is simply “more plant,” with more plant not limited to fruits and vegetables. This dietary approach includes nuts, seed and whole grains. So instead of fighting the mostly plant-based diet recommendations, these companies are giving consumers more of what they are looking for, while also still delivering high-quality dairy proteins and essentials vitamins and minerals.

Stonyfield’s new organic yogurt lines each have three variants. Super Grains comes in Maple, Strawberry and Vanilla flavors. The maple variant contains real organic maple syrup, while vanilla is naturally flavored. Strawberry comes loaded with the namesake fruit. Each combines nonfat Greek yogurt with buckwheat and quinoa. Super Seeds comes in Blueberry, Coconut and Orange-Cranberry. The coconut variant is naturally flavored, whereas the others contain real organic fruit. Each combines nonfat Greek yogurt with softened flax seed. All six offerings come in 5.3-ounce bowls, where the bottom is clear, so that consumers can see what’s inside. A single-bowl serving contains 140 to 150 calories and 17 to 20 grams of sugar, depending on variety. Each also contains almost no fat, just under a gram of fiber and 13 grams of protein—from both dairy and plant sources.

On the savory side of the refrigerated dairy case, Alouette’s new Le Bon Dip and Le Petite Fromage bring a new dimension of taste and indulgence to everyday snacking. The products deliver craveable, balanced indulgence with natural ingredients and bold flavors.

Alouette’s Le Bon Dip features a blend of premium soft cheese, chunky vegetables you can see, and a touch of Greek yogurt for a dip that satisfies with bold, indulgent variety. Le Bon Dip contains no artificial flavors or colors and just 45 calories per serving. The yogurt contains milk protein concentrate, allowing for 2 grams of protein in every two-tablespoon serving. The dip comes in four varieties: Basil, Zucchini & Parmesan (savory roasted zucchini, aged Parmesan, and a hint of basil, topped with chunky yellow pepper and zucchini for added crunch), Fire Roasted Vegetable (fire-roasted eggplant, onion, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and a finishing touch of oregano), Roasted Red Pepper & Chickpea (chickpeas, roasted red peppers and cumin topped with vibrant peppers and parsley) and Zesty Garden Salsa (juicy tomatoes, crunchy peppers, onions, hints of cumin and zesty lime, with a topping of chive and red bell peppers).

Also in the U.S., Bel Brands USA has made its famous Boursin Gournay cheese spreadable. The cheese dips come in the original Boursin Garlic & Herb variety—regular and light—and four other flavorful varieties. They are: Asiago & Roasted Red Pepper, Cranberry Jalapeno, Monterey Jack & Spicy Pepper, and Spinach & Artichoke.

Heat and spice are really taking off in all foods, including dairy. Check out Greek Pastures Tropical Sweet Heat Greek Yogurt. This Caribbean-inspired flavor contains sweet pineapple, ripe mango, and the fiery heat of fresh ginger and habanero peppers.

For more information on ethnic and savory flavors for dairy foods, link HERE to the article “Flavorful twists add spice to dairy” that I wrote for Food Business News.

To read more about innovative inclusions trends, link HERE to an article I wrote earlier this year for Food Business News on this topic.

See you at the Dairy Show!

Today is the last day of the International Dairy Show. Today’s blog sponsor—Double H Plastics—is exhibiting at booth 8222. Double H Plastics also sponsored the Daily Dose of Dairy LIVE! presentation on Tuesday, which was on the topic of Innovations in Refrigerated and Frozen Dairy Desserts. You can view the presentation HERE. If you are still at the show, please stop by their booth and thank them for supporting the Daily Dose of Dairy.

It was wonderful to see so many Daily Dose of Dairy subscribers this week at the International Dairy Show. Thank you so much for attending the LIVE! presentations and for your positive feedback.

As was apparent by the many product prototypes and packaging innovations on the expo floor, the way consumers buy and use food is shifting. This includes all dairy foods.

Dramatic changes in demographics, lifestyles and eating patterns are creating new opportunities for food and beverage packaging, as well as the product that goes into that package. Among the demographic mega-trends feeding into package development are changing population distribution, fewer married couples and more people living alone, smaller household size and multi-generational households, according to market research publisher Packaged Facts in the report “Food and Beverage Packaging Innovation in the U.S.: Consumer Perspectives.” (For more information on the report, link HERE.)

Two weeks ago, at the U.S. Dairy Export Council’s U.S. Dairy Innovation Conference in Boise, Idaho, Dairy Management Inc.’s (DMI) Senior Vice President of Insights Lynn Stachura explained to attendees how today’s consumer relies on graphics instead of text to communicate.
“We communicate visually more than with words,” she said. Just think about all the infographics that are everywhere today.

This visual communication was very apparent by the many packaging innovations at the Dairy Show. Today’s consumers are drawn to bold, clean colors and real-life photography on everything from ice cream cartons to milk bottles. Clear packaging is also a draw with certain foods—think fruit and yogurt parfaits and cheese spreads with inclusions—as this packaging clearly communicates what’s inside.

Interestingly, with increased use of QR codes on packages, many marketers are reducing the amount of text on packages and improving visual quality. With QR codes, consumers use their smart phones to get information about the product…how it’s made, the company’s business philosophy, where the ingredients come from, etc.

Marketers are finding clever approaches to communicate important single-word product descriptors to consumers without cluttering the package. For example, skirt printing is the technology that allows for text on composite lids, such as those used on ice cream lids. There’s also technology to write on the inside of the lids, so that when consumers remove it, they can read more about the product and its origins. This is storytelling at its finest.

In the Packaged Facts report, a number of key trends shaping food and beverage packaging are identified. Many of these trends were showcased in package concepts on display at the Dairy Show.

These include:
Targeting Millennials: While Millennials may seem like a broad and amorphous target, numerous studies show there are some commonalities. Millennials like fresh, less processed foods, as demonstrated by their preference for “fast casual restaurants that offer freshly prepared foods, and shopping the perimeter of grocery stores where fresh and non-packaged foods can be found.”

Smaller Packages are a Big Trend in Packaging: With one- or two-person households representing 61% of all U.S. households, packages sized to serve one or two people have become a big trend in packaging. Such formats include single-serve packaging, meals for two, multi-packs of individual portions and resealable packaging. The rise in smaller-footprint stores is also influencing this trend.

Packaging for Convenience: Convenience is a major selling point for food and beverage packaging. Features such as ease of opening, resealability, portability, lighter weight and no-mess dispensing are packaging benefits that influence consumers’ purchasing decisions positively.

What could be more convenient than a portion-controlled serving of decadent ice cream in a container that has a spoon attached in the lid?

See-Thru Packaging Can Boost Sales: More and more marketers are putting their products in packages that are see-thru or have see-thru windows. Transparency in packaging taps into consumer desire for transparency about how food and beverages are produced, both figuratively and literally. Companies that are transparent about their ingredients, sourcing and business practices are reaping the benefits in consumer goodwill and trust.

See-thru packaging in the dairy category is increasingly happening in the pouch format—an emerging package with many adaptations—including merchandising units that ease restocking resources. That’s right, retailers are seeking labor savings while brand owners want shelf appearance.

According to DMI’s Lynn Stachura, today’s consumers are increasingly focused on more intimate relationships with brands and companies.

The QR codes and lid printing can help tell a story,
as can merchandising units.

A patented unit showcased at the Dairy Show reduces the time required to stock shelves by 60%. It’s described as a retail-ready pack and allows for pouch products to be merchandised in the unit…no peg or shelf separator required. The merchandising unit allows for additional branding for the marketer, while assisting the retailer with stock rotation.

On the fluid side, oh my, microwave pasteurization technology has arrived. I can honestly say that few technologies make me stop in my tracks…and this is one of them. For more information, link HERE.

The new—and only (very recently) FDA-approved--aseptic carton bottle for white milk is here. First introduced in Europe in 2011, this package brings new functionality along with environmental, technological and cost benefits previously never available in the U.S. dairy beverage industry, allowing producers to deliver shelf-safe milk in a disruptive, attention-grabbing new package.

With that said, if you are still at the Dairy Show on Friday, please plan to attend the 10:00am Daily Dose of Dairy LIVE! presentation on Innovations in Milk and Dairy-Based Beverages. In my opinion, this is the most under-developed segment in the U.S. dairy foods market. It’s no wonder retail fluid milk sales are down. I understand if you cannot attend because you are already homeward bound at that time, but please, please open the link to the presentation and get inspired.

Safe travels home! (By the way, while I write this from my Chicago-based home office, I am seeing lightening across the sky. I am super sorry for many of your travel delays.)

When the 2015 International Dairy Show ended last week at McCormick Place in Chicago, exhibitors and attendees left on an upbeat note. Not only is the show reinventing itself in 2017 (ProFood Tech will make its debut April 4 to 6, 2017, at McCormick Place), it was very apparent that the new generation of dairy processors understands that innovation is necessary in order to thrive in the competitive marketplace.

For an overview of ingredient, process and package innovations showcased at the show, please read my Food Business News online column HERE.

No segment is innovation more critical than in beverage, where Linda Gilbert, founder and CEO of EcoFocus Worldwide LLC, told Dairy Show attendees during a session hosted by Evergreen Packaging that recent research shows that nearly half (46%) of all grocery shoppers are healthy beverage shoppers. This shopper evaluates the beverage’s nutrition, ingredients and package when deciding if it is healthy or not.

Here are some interesting findings on the healthy beverage shopper. Seventy-one percent live in households earning more than $50K annually, suggesting they have spending power. They tend to be better educated (63% are college or technical school graduates) and younger (48% are millennials or post-millennials). The healthy beverage shopper skews female (52%); more than two-fifths (41%) have children at home.

The good news for dairy processors is that milk, beverages made from milk and other better-for-you beverages such as iced tea and juices—all beverages that can be processed and packaged at a dairy—fit the bill of a healthy beverage.

To read an article I recently wrote for Food Business News on the booming ready-to-drink tea market, link HERE.

What will a healthy beverage shopper pay more for? According to Gilbert, more than three-fourths (77%) of survey respondents will pay more for healthier beverages while 66% dig deeper into their pockets for locally produced offerings. Interestingly, the research shows that 36% of healthy beverage shoppers buy more refrigerated rather than shelf-stable beverages, which is 6% more likely than all shoppers.

What’s important to the healthy beverage shopper? Lower or reduced sugar is number-one, followed by being a good source of antioxidants. Good source of calcium, good source of fiber, increased protein, good source of omega-3 fatty acids and contains probiotics are also all very important to the healthy beverage shopper.

At the Dairy Show, milk-based beverage prototypes (these were shelf-stable for logistic purposes, but all formulations can readily be produced for refrigerated distribution) included Heart Healthy, a vanilla and cinnamon breakfast smoothie loaded with oat fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. It was also enriched with antioxidant vitamins A and E. If fruit flavor is preferred, there was a similarly formulated creamy fruits and oats smoothie also enriched with vitamin D. A 330-milliliter serving contained 12 or 11 grams of protein, respectively.

If a wake-up beverage is what one needs in the morning, there was a coffee and milk breakfast shake formulated to help control appetite while also delivering 13 essential vitamins and minerals.

There’s no doubt dairy processors can make beverages that contain all of the nutrients that healthy beverage shoppers are willing to pay more for. Dairy processors also have tools available to lower or reduce added sugar in these beverages.

Enzyme technology can be used to break down milk’s inherent sugar—lactose—into glucose and galactose, releasing natural sweetness and delivering a sugar reduction ranging from 20% to 50%. This technology can be paired with low- or no-calorie natural sweeteners to achieve the desired sweetness with fewer calories and less added sugar, naturally, which is very important to the healthy beverage consumer. For more information on naturally reducing sugar in dairy beverages using dairy enzymes, link HERE.

“No artificial ingredients is extremely or very important to read on a beverage label for 74% of healthy beverage consumers,” according to Gilbert. “And more than half (55%) want the beverage to be certified organic.

“Transparency earns trust,” she said. “Seventy-one percent of healthy beverage consumers say they pay attention to where the ingredients in their foods or beverages are grown.”

Results from an international consumer-attitude study conducted by DSM among more than 5,000 adults across five countries shows that they, and their children, in particular, have increased consumption of sugared dairy (34% and 53%, respectively). It also shows that they expect to continue doing so in the next three years, despite having major concerns about added sugar in dairy.

The survey data reveals that 80% of the consumers agree that dairy foods with low or no sugar are better for their health, and that more than 60% are concerned about sugar content in these products. Reasons for choosing sugar-reduced dairy are weight loss or management, as well as maintaining good health to prevent diabetes or keep up fitness levels throughout the day.

Growing concerns over added sugar will pave the way for sugar-reduced dairy all over the world. For information on opportunities in this segment, link HERE to a detailed report on consumers’ attitudes and preferences.

Milk dominated my week, and with good reason. There’s a great deal of innovation going on in milk, in particular flavored milk. In fact, I just spoke at two California Milk Advisory Board processor meetings and explained that fluid milk truly is the most underdeveloped dairy foods category in the U.S. There’s so much potential, especially in flavored milk and nutritionally enhanced milk.

When researching an article on flavored milk for Food Business News--to publish next week, I will share link in next week’s blog--I collected more information than space would allow for a print publication. Thank goodness for digital. I will share some of that with you now.

For starters, if you missed the “Milk and Other Dairy Beverage” edition of the Daily Dose of Dairy Live! at the International Show, you can link HERE to view the presentation.

You can also view and read details about the many new milks and flavored milks introduced the past few years by linking HERE.

For the same detailed information on dairy-based beverages, link HERE.

Also, an industry friend, Jim Dickrell, editor of the farmer-focused publication Dairy Today, recently wrote about innovation in the milk segment, giving farmers hope...and also informing them that growth must come from innovation and new products…not the white stuff. You can read his blog HERE.

In case you were unaware, Wednesday, September 30, was World School Milk Day, a global event organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and celebrated on the last Wednesday in September. In its 16th year, the event has grown to become an annual celebration in more than 40 countries around the world with continued growth each year. The FAO’s goal is to provide a particular day when attention is focused on school milk and to have all countries celebrating on the same day. The end of the month was selected to allow countries sufficient time to prepare for this day, as in most of the countries surveyed the school year starts in early September. Wednesday was chosen as it was a school day in all countries. For more information, visit HERE.

The celebration is designed to promote the importance of drinking milk at school to children in a fun, memorable and educational way. Dairies that provide milk to schools, as well as dairy councils/associations across the country provide schools with materials to celebrate this special day.

Did you ever wonder what it would take to replace a single serving glass of low-fat milk? Watch this VIDEO produced by the International Dairy Foods Association and narrated by school children showing how hard it really is to match the nutrient powerhouse of milk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJMd6xfVmvI&feature=youtu.be

The video highlights the importance of school milk and is designed to assist with gathering support for the School Milk Nutrition Act of 2015. This bill revises the requirements for milk provided by the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and other USDA programs. The bill amends the current National School Lunch Act to require the milk offered to students participating in the NSLP to include low-fat flavored milk containing no more than 150 calories per 8-ounce serving. To read more, link HERE.

If the bill becomes law, as most in the industry are hopeful it does, milk processors will have “wiggle room” with formulating more delicious flavored milk for schools, ensuring kids drink it and don’t dump it.

There are nine essential nutrients in milk, but kids are drinking less milk today--even in schools--than their parents did when they were kids. We need them to drink their milk.

To read “Fluid Milk in School Meals Programs,” a publication from the National Dairy Council, link HERE.

On school milk day, the International Dairy Federation published a comprehensive (200-plus pages) report on school milk programs in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. The survey gathered a large amount of information on consumption, program structure, nutrition, promotion, packaging, market value, administration and distribution for 60 school milk programs. You can download the report HERE.

Lowering the sugar content of flavored milk intended for school programs, the ala carte line and retail, continues to be a priority for most processors, as is keeping labels as clean and simple as possible.

Flavored milk formulators have a number of ingredient technology tools to work with that keep labels clean while lowering added sugars. This includes lactase enzyme, which breaks down lactose—milk’s inherent sugar--into its constituent monosaccharides, glucose and galactose, which are sweeter than lactose. There are also natural high-intensity sweeteners, including stevia and monkfruit, as well as select fiber food ingredients, namely chicory root inulin, that can assist.

Here’s something to consider. There are four essential nutrients that are under-consumed by Americans, according to the Dietary Guidelines. They are calcium, potassium, vitamin D and fiber. The first three are inherently present in milk. If fiber ingredients could be used to assist with lowering sugar at the same time contribute fiber to the diet, it’s a win-win for everyone.

Chicory root fiber inulin can directly replace sugar, corn syrup or other sweetener, with reduction benefits experienced at use levels of 2% to 5%. When high-intensity sweeteners are part of the formulation, inulin fiber helps mask off flavors, even those associated with stevia.

Denmark’s Arla Foods uses a combination of ingredient technologies to produce a number of flavored milks with a 50% reduction in sugar. Available in single-serve bottles and shelf-stable boxes, Arla uses a combination of filtration, lactase enzyme and/or chicory root inulin to provide a milk with only 4.6 to 5.0 grams of sugar per 100-milliliter serving. A serving also contains 0.5 grams or less of fat, 3.5 to 3.7 grams of protein and nearly 2 to 3 grams of fiber.

Let’s keep kids drinking milk. And let’s invite their parents back to the category as well. Nutritional enhancement and/or improvement (lower added sugar) invites adults back to the milk category.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a.k.a., the food police, was very loud this week with strong criticism of Congress’ involvement with influencing the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). You can read more HERE.

CSPI’s published opinion came one day after U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell co-authored a blog post on October 6 stating that while issues of the environment and sustainability are critically important, sustainability is not within the scope of the 2015 DGAs.

For background, in February 2015, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) submitted their recommendations for the development of the official DGAs. For the first time, the panel suggested that food system sustainability be incorporated into the federal government’s dietary advice. The sustainability card played into recommendations that Americans eat more plant-based foods, as such foods might alleviate strain on the environment.

It sounds as if sustainability will not be part of the DGAs. However, on its own, mostly plant-based diet recommendations are expected to be included.

http://vts.inxpo.com/scripts/Server.nxp?LASCmd=AI:4;F:QS!10100&ShowKey=27703&AffiliateData=Beneo-Registration&Referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.berryondairy.com%2FBeverages.html

“In terms of the 2015 DGAs, we will remain within the scope of our mandate in the 1990 National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act, which is to provide ‘nutritional and dietary information and guidelines’…‘based on the preponderance of the scientific and medical knowledge,’” wrote Vilsack and Burwell. They go on to state that “the final 2015 Guidelines are still being drafted, but because this is a matter of scope, we do not believe that the 2015 DGAs are the appropriate vehicle for this important policy conversation about sustainability.”

The pair testified before the House Agricultural Committee on October 7, hours before CSPI got loud. At the hearing, Burwell said, “I expect the new Dietary Guidelines will continue to focus on food-based recommendations that emphasize the importance of consuming a total ‘healthy eating pattern’ over time while recognizing the importance of individual choices.”

Milk and dairy products are and will remain an important part of the DGAs. But dairy processors may want to get creative with formulations and product positioning in order to better compliment dietary advice.

The Washington Post Talks up Whole Milk
The same day Vilsack and Burwell wrote their blog, Peter Whoriskey, a staff writer for The Washington Post, wrote, “For decades, the government steered millions away from whole milk. Was that wrong?” You can access the article HERE.

He wrote, “The advocates of whole milk allow that it has more calories than its low-fat cousins, and for some, that might be reason to avoid it. But the traditional case against whole milk--based on the risk of heart disease--has frayed enough now that many argue the Dietary Guidelines should yield to the new findings.”

This pro-whole milk theme continued the next day when Editor Joel Achenbach wrote “Whole milk is okay. Butter and eggs too. What’s next—bacon?” You access the article HERE.

Photo Source: Arby's

Achenbach reached out to food activist Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, who for long has argued that you should eat the kind of food that your grandmother would recognize, which includes eggs and whole milk. You must read what Pollan says about skim milk being silly and why he only drinks whole milk, and has for years. Link HERE.

He also said this: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” (More on plants soon.)

Opportunities for Flavored Milk
Last week’s blog on Milk Innovations, which can be accessed HERE, generated a great deal of discussion, particularly among my dietitian readership. They applauded my statement that fluid milk is the most underdeveloped dairy category in the U.S., with opportunities for category growth coming from flavored milk—with some fat, not necessarily whole, but reduced-fat with minimal added sugar--and nutritionally enhanced milk, not the boring white stuff.

“Fluid milk certainly has an irreplaceable package of nutrients with unique interactions and our nutrition portfolio only continues to grow with the industry’s investment in nutrition research and nutrition education,” wrote Tammy Anderson-Wise, CEO, Dairy Council of California, in an industry newsletter.

I interviewed Anderson-Wise for an article I wrote for Food Business News on "The Future of Flavored Milk," which was published this week and can be accessed HERE.

She said that flavored milk presents an opportunity to increase fluid milk consumption and get American consumers back to the number of daily dairy servings recommended by the 2010 DGAs. These guidelines recommend adults consume three servings of low-fat and fat-free dairy products daily. Children between four and eight years of age should consume two-and-one-half servings, while children ages two and three should consume two servings.

The recommendations are expected to remain “similar” in the 2015 DGAs. According to Cary Frye, vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at the International Dairy Foods Association, the DGAC report identified three model dietary patterns associated with positive health outcomes and optimal intake of nutrients: vegetarian, Mediterranean and traditional U.S.-style diets. “Both the healthy U.S.-style and vegetarian diets include three servings of low-fat and fat-free dairy products daily, but the Mediterranean diet only includes two servings a day,” she says.

http://www.eggnutritioncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Protein-and-plant-pairings.pdf

Other recommendations in the DGAC report include consuming more vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seafood, legumes and nuts. There is an overlying theme of “consuming a mostly plant-based diet.”

Back to Pollan’s statement: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

“Mostly plants” does not mean only plants.
The Egg Nutrition Center (ENC) developed a very effective communication tool addressing the “mostly plant-based diet recommendations” and the critical role of including high-quality, complete protein in such a diet.

A plant-based diet doesn’t mean only plants, according to ENC. In fact, at each meal, pairing plants with high-quality protein such as eggs, fish, chicken, lean meat and low-fat dairy can help meet daily protein needs. Click on this infographic to learn more.

Here’s where fruit, nut, seed, vegetable and whole grain ingredients come into play, as they can attract consumers who want to increase their plant food intake, but at the same time, want to make sure they consume quality protein. This is a huge opportunity for dairy processors, in particular yogurt and other cultured dairy manufacturers, to get consumers to keep dairy foods on the menu.

Don’t believe me? Read an article entitled “Seeds and Grains in the Dairy Aisle” just published in this month’s Today’s Dietitian by linking HERE.

Here are some innovative examples recently introduced to the marketplace.

Slingshot Foods patented this unique package for a drinkable high-protein yogurt. Developed by a former refrigerated smoothie yogurt executive who wanted a macronutrient-dense, simple ingredient portable breakfast, Slingshot is a yogurt protein drink with a crunchy shot wrapped around the bottle neck and intended for the consumer to pour into the yogurt, shake and drink. That shot is a patented plastic stick pouch filled with chia seeds, rolled oats and toasted almond bits. It contributes 3 grams of fiber and 600 milligrams of the omega-3 alpha linolenic acid to the beverage. The beverage is made with low-fat yogurt enhanced with milk protein concentrate and sweetened with agave. A serving contains 295 to 355 calories, 10 to 11 grams of fat and 18 to 20 grams of protein, depending on variety. There are five varieties: Blueberry, Peach, Simply Plain, Strawberry and Vanilla Bean. For more information, link HERE.

General Mills now offers Yoplait Plenti, a new way to enjoy nonfat Greek yogurt. Yoplait Plenti blends Greek yogurt with fruits (except the vanilla variant), whole grain oats, flax and pumpkin seeds. At 5.5 ounces, the single-serve containers are a little larger than standard Greek yogurt cups, which are 5.3 ounces. Each serving provides 140 to 150 calories and 1.5 to 2 grams of fat, depending on variety, as well as 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar and 12 grams of protein. The eight varieties are: Black Cherry, Blueberry, Coconut, Peach, Raspberry, Spiced Apple, Strawberry and Vanilla. The protein comes from the cultured nonfat milk and the grains and seeds. The fat and fiber come from the grains and seeds. For more information, link HERE.

Stonyfield is offering Super Grains and Super Seeds exclusive to Target stores. The new organic yogurt lines each have three variants. Super Grains comes in Maple, Strawberry and Vanilla flavors. Each combines nonfat Greek yogurt with buckwheat and quinoa. Super Seeds comes in Blueberry, Coconut and Orange-Cranberry. Each combines nonfat Greek yogurt with softened flax seed.

All six offerings come in 5.3-ounce bowls, where the bottom is clear, so that consumers can see what’s inside. A single-bowl serving contains 140 to 150 calories and 17 to 20 grams of sugar, depending on variety. Each also contains almost no fat, just under a gram of fiber and 13 grams of protein—from both dairy and plant sources.

The Chaat Company recently made its debut at Expo East with Savory Yogurt Snack in four varieties: Cucumber Mint, Ginger, Mango Chili and Tamarind Date. The new company’s innovative product concept is based on the “street food” of India, which is the translation of chaat.

The 5.3-ounce cups are basically inverted layered salads that consumers mix up for a hearty combination. The bottom layer combines fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and sea salts. This is visible through the clear-bottom serving container. This gets topped with whole milk probiotic yogurt made from New York grass-fed cows. The cup has a separate dome container of crunchy, spiced lentil puffs.

Each single-serve container delivers 6 grams of protein from milk and lentils. A serving contains 100 to 140 calories, 4 to 4.5 grams of fat and 6 to 13 grams of sugar (no added sugar), depending on variety. For more information, link HERE.

In Finland, Valio offers seeds in a dome cup atop single-serve containers of cottage cheese. The new Premier Cottage Cheese line comes with a spoon inside the lid for easy on-the-go eating. There are two varieties: Fruit and Root Vegetables.

The Fruit offering contains dried, candied pineapple, dried, candied papaya, sunflower seeds, pine seeds, pumpkin seeds and dried, sweetened cranberries. The Root Vegetables variant contains sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, beetroot, parsnips, grilled peppers and grilled onions. For more information, link HERE.

Nuts, seeds and grains, along with fruits and vegetables, are great additions to lower-fat dairy foods. They provide extra nutrition, texture and visual enhancement. To learn more about how to improve the mouthfeel of such products, link HERE and register for a webinar that focuses on formulating delicious, on-trend lower-fat dairy foods.

It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces at Anuga this week, as well as make new business relations. It was an amazing show. To watch a brief video on what Anuga is all about, link HERE.

After a record number of exhibitors, Anuga 2015 also increased its attendance figures. Around 160,000 trade visitors from 192 countries attended this biennial food exhibition, the largest in the world.

Anuga 2015 presented more than 7,000 exhibitors from 108 countries. The share of foreign exhibitors was 89% and the share of foreign visitors was 68%. The exhibitors were particularly impressed by the quality of the visitors, with an overwhelming number of decision-making buyers from the trade and foodservice sectors.

http://ingredion.us/applicationsingredients/Dairy/Pages/yogurt.aspx?utm_source=DonnaBerryBlog&utm_medium=eNewsletter_728x90&utm_campaign=Yogurt_CulturedDairy

Dominant themes at the expo included convenience and clean label, as well as “free-from” concepts, most notably gluten free and lactose free. Vegan and vegetarian options were plentiful in every food category. Many innovations targeted the growing out-of-home and on-the-go consumer.

Here are 10 innovations that caught my eye.

Germany’s OBM Omita BodenseeMilch GmbH continues to grow its very popular MinusL line of lactose-free dairy foods. New products this year include Greek yogurt and flavored rice puddings. The company’s extensive range of lactose-free products includes everything from milk to cheese to ice cream.

Ifantis S.A. of Athens, Greece, showcased its Authentic Greek! Tzatziki with an improved recipe. Front panels of the clear containers tout the fact that the dip only contains six ingredients. The label reads: 84% Greek yogurt, 9% fresh cucumber, 2% extra virgin olive oil, and the remaining 5% is garlic, salt and anise.

Germany’s Bauer introduced Bauer Premium, an indulgent yogurt line with decadent ingredients. The 125-gram (including topping) single-serve containers are adorned with “noble” graphics to communicate the product’s premium positioning. Described as “a little luxury,” this layered 5% milkfat yogurt comes in four combinations: 1) Panna cotta-flavored yogurt on top of a strawberry-vanilla layer. The dome cup contains chocolate covered crunchy flakes; 2) Stracciatella-flavored yogurt on top of a cherry layer. The dome cup contains chocolate curls; 3) Caramel-mocha flavored-yogurt on top of a layer of caramel. The dome cup contains cappuccino-flavored crunchy balls; and 4) Madagascar vanilla-flavored yogurt on top of a raspberry layer. The dome cup contains amaretto-flavored crunchy balls.

Ireland’s Kerry Dairy received a Taste 15 award, which recognizes the top new products, for its new Yollies. Designed for children, these are yogurt snacks on collectable plastic sticks. Yollies are made using extra-thick, fruity yogurt and can be enjoyed chilled or frozen. Merchandised in the refrigerated yogurt case, Yollies are sold in four-packs of 25-gram snacks. Available in three varieties—Apricot, Raspberry and Strawberry—the clean-label formulations are free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. Link HERE to see how to open and enjoy the snack.

Another Taste 15 winner comes from Petri Feinkost GmbH & Co. KG of Germany. The company specializes in premium cream cheese products. The company received the award for Primello Shrimp Torte, which is a layered cream cheese spread in the form of a piece of cake. It consists of two creamy layers of cream cheese with a center of shrimp-flavored cream cheese. The product delivers a “taste of the freshness of the sea,” combined with aromatic garlic and fresh dill. This variety joins other similar cream cheese tortes in flavors such as chili, jalapeno, Mediterranean and salmon.

Germany’s Ehrmann introduced an array of new products at Anuga, including Griego Greek-style creamy yogurt in glass jars. This 10% fat yogurt comes in a unique multi-serving, 500-gram glass jar, clearly communicating what’s inside. There’s also Greek Dream, a whipped Greek-style yogurt mousse on a layer of fruit. For dessert, there’s a new flavor in the Grand Dessert pudding line: Dark Chocolate Mint.

The company also showcased a product exclusive to the Tesco retail chain. Tesco Goodness Fromage Frais pots are designed for kids, with each 50-gram container providing 44 calories and being a source of calcium and vitamin D. Made with real fruit puree and less added sugar than most other fromage frais products, Goodness is free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. The product is sold in packs of six, with two cups of three different flavors: Raspberry, Strawberry and Strawberry Banana.

Greece’s Kourellas debuted retail packs of Feta Bites. These bite-sized balls of sheep and goat’s milk feta cheese are loaded with flavorful goodies, including With Black Olives & Chili, With Greek Herbs and With Poppy Seeds. The “Greek treats” come in 5.3-ounce containers, the same size and shape of many Greek yogurts.

Heideblume Molkerei Elsdorf-Rotenburg AG debuted numerous high-protein, on-the-go dairy foods, including Elsdorfer Quark Yogurt + Protein in a pouch. This low-fat, high-protein fitness snack is targeted to health-conscious active adults. The convenient 90-gram pouch allows for spoon-free eating. (More products from this company will be showcased next week as a Daily Dose of Dairy.)

And, lastly, this product was not at the show, rather it caught my eye during one of my many supermarket expeditions. Block House Sour Cream is seasoned sour cream with quark. It is designed as a topping for potatoes, bread and even pasta. The beauty of this product is the clear, premium package. Too often, sour cream is commoditized with little differentiation in the retail case. This product’s package and formulation commands a premium spot in the dairy case, also a higher price tag.

Mark your calendar and plan early for the next Anuga, which will take place October 7 to 11, 2017, in Cologne, Germany. For more information, link HERE.

As I continue to recover from jet lag and miles and miles of expo walking at Anuga, which took place less than two weeks ago in Cologne, Germany—if I had worn a FitBit, it would have been throwing a party--I reflect on the many innovations that debuted at the show. Trend tracking involves time investment. Forecasting requires experience. I try to provide both to Daily Dose of Dairy subscribers by going to the expositions and experiencing the movers and shakers firsthand.

My first Anuga was 10 years ago, making this my sixth, as it is a biennial event. Being the world’s largest food exhibition, Anuga is where you find tomorrow’s hottest new products. This year’s installment was, by far, the most dynamic in my attendance history. This is especially true in the frozen desserts sector.

Product concepts formerly considered niche—most notably lactose free, nutrient fortified and vegan--have gone mainstream. At the same time, premium products are becoming even more premium, which means upscale packaging and higher-quality ingredients. This translates to less being more, or smaller portion sizes at a higher price.

To watch a brief video on what Anuga is all about, link HERE.

Here are a dozen innovations that caught my eye.

For starters, I admit being surprised by the lactose-free ice cream trend, which I was told has become quite notable in Spain. In fact, Somosierra of Spain received a Taste 15 award for its Royne Triple Sin Ice Cream Bars, with “triple sin” translating to triple free: free of lactose, free of sugar and free of gluten.

Taste 15 is an accolade bestowed upon the best new products debuting at Anuga. This year, more than 830 companies applied to have their over 2,000 ideas included in the competition. In total, the jury selected 61 products and concepts that convinced in terms of idea, innovative power and creative implementation.

Lactose-free dairy products have been increasing in popularity, but the ice cream focus is a bit surprising, as ice cream has long been considered a discretionary food, a treat. It appears that ice cream is becoming more common in the daily diet thanks to Millennials’ desire for deliciousness. This means the time might be right for value-added ice cream, as Millennials appreciate getting the most bang for the buck. That buck could be a big buck…they will pay for what they value.

When it comes to lactose intolerance, real or perceived, a growing number of consumers around the world claim to be lactose intolerant, and subsequently, avoid dairy because of milk’s inherent sugar known as lactose. For the most part, “lactose intolerance” symptoms occur when the load of lactose is very large and rapidly arrives in the large intestine of consumers who do not possess sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase. That’s when lactose can overwhelm the system. If small amounts of lactose slowly arrive, the microflora in the gut digests the lactose at an even rate and no or minimal discomfort is experienced by those individuals who truly have lactose intolerance, a.k.a., do not produce the lactase enzyme.

Research shows that consumers with “real” lactose intolerance can actually tolerate small doses of fluid milk (the dairy product that’s the most concentrated source of lactose) throughout the day. Further, there are many dairy products that contain so little lactose that they should not be an issue.

For example, many natural cheeses--the more aged the cheese, the less lactose--contain less than 0.1 grams of lactose per serving, with sugars reported as zero on nutrition labels. Most fermented dairy products—kefir, sour cream and yogurt—also contain very low levels, if any, of lactose, yet seldom is this information relayed to consumers who want to enjoy dairy products but intentionally avoid them because they fear the repercussions of consuming lactose.

This is why there’s a booming market for all types of dairy foods labeled as lactose free. Lactose is either removed from milk via ultrafiltration or it is broken down into its constituent monosaccharides, glucose and galactose. Interestingly, the latter are both sweeter than lactose, which makes lactase enzyme technology a clean-label tool to assist with reducing added sugars to sweetened dairy foods.

The largest player in the lactose-free dairy segment is Germany’s OBM Omita BodenseeMilch GmbH, which continues to grow its very popular MinusL line of lactose-free dairy foods. New products this year include Greek yogurt and flavored rice puddings in cinnamon and classic varieties. Other new lactose-free dairy products from MinusL have a premium positioning. They are a 15% milkfat cooking cream and a 9% milkfat plain yogurt.

Earlier this year, the company introduced a line of lactose-free ice creams. There are three 500-milliliter containers of Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla ice creams. There’s also two lactose-free frozen novelties: Dark Chocolate Coated Vanilla Ice Cream on a Stick and Vanilla Ice Cream Filled Cone with Dark Chocolate and Sugared Hazelnut Topping.

The company’s extensive range of lactose-free products includes everything from milk to cheese. Many of its products are used by other food manufacturers to attract the lactose-avoiding consumer. For example, there are frozen pizzas in the market flagged as being made with MinusL cheese.

At Anuga, I spent a considerable amount of time talking with the folks at Casty, also of Spain. The company is finding great success with its lactose-free frozen novelties, which come in cones and sandwich form. The products are marketed as being 100% digestible and 100% delicious.

Casty showcased an impressive array of other frozen dessert innovations, including Helado Premium, which comes in flavors such as Vanilla with Macadamia Nuts and Dulce de Leche. Mini Jets are sherbet stick novelties that come with a dipping cup of popping sour candies.

Just Ice of Belgium debuted this stevia-sweetened ice cream a few years ago in Belgium and Norway and is growing its international distribution. Ice Crime comes in four flavors: Chocolate, Mocha, Strawberry and Vanilla. The product is said to contain 30% to 40% fewer calories than regular ice cream.

It comes packaged in 1-liter tubs and 120-milliliter single-serve containers, with containers carrying the tagline: “wow, they killed the sugar.”

Slovakia’s Acaimania is all about products made with acai, “the power of the rainforest.” The company now makes this superfruit available in probiotic-rich frozen yogurt. The frozen yogurt also comes in a natural variety, as well as Mango and Wild Berries.

From The Netherlands comes Koupe, which is described as an alternative to ice cream. This dairy-based frozen dessert made its market debut at Anuga and comes in four flavors, all with their own tagline. Banana is a “brilliant” alternative to ice cream. Chocolate is “clever.” Strawberry is “smart” while Vanilla is “victorious.”

The product is high in protein and fiber, while also lower in fat, added sugars and calories, as compared to traditional ice cream. The single-serve 65-gram cups assist with portion control. As the company states: All the goodness, no guilt.

Alvestaglass AB of Sweden markets Lohilo Double Protein Ice Cream and Lohilo High Protein Frozen Yogurt. Sold in unique 175-gram cup-cartons, the product has been in the Sweden marketplace for about a year and is ready for international expansion. You can view a video on the product HERE.

Each single-serve cup contains a minimum of 22 grams of protein from a unique combination of added whey and casein proteins. It contains less than 1% lactose and is naturally low in sugar. Varieties include Banana Split, Caramel Chocolate Swirl, Classic Vanilla, Creamy Coconut, Double Chocolate and Mango Passion Strawberry.

Germany’s Pure Foods uses a similar cup-carton package for its Lycka-branded organic frozen desserts. Lycka Frozen Yogurt was introduced at the beginning of the year. It comes in four flavors—Lemon, Mango, Strawberry and Vanilla—in two pack sizes: 210 and 550 milliliters.

Debuting at Anuga was a vegan froyo line. Made using sustainably sourced soy, naturally lactose-free Lycka Vegan Froyo comes in three flavors: Blueberry, Chocolate and Strawberry.

To read more about vegetarian and vegan dairy alternatives that debuted at Anuga, link HERE to an article I wrote earlier this week for Food Business News.

At Anuga, vegan and vegetarian options were plentiful in every food category. Many innovations targeted the growing out-of-home and on-the-go consumer. Most marketers of vegan and vegetarian products emphasized that their target consumer is not necessarily vegan or vegetarian, rather it’s the consumer who for personal reasons chooses to avoid animal-derived products on a regular basis, also commonly referred to as a flexitarian.

The term flexitarian comes from a combination of the words “flexible” and “vegetarian.” Following a flexitarian diet simply means eating more plant-based meals and less meat. This is often done for nutritional reasons, such as trying to reduce consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol. Other times it is to assist with improving animal welfare and reducing carbon footprint.

Righi Sri of Italy received a Taste 15 award for its Gelato Di Verdura, which translates to Vegetable-Based Ice Cream. This vegan frozen dessert comes in two-packs of 50-gram single-serve containers. Varieties are: Carrot and Lemon Sauce, Pumpkin and Balsamic Vinegar Sauce and Tomato and Strawberry Sauce.

Indulgence is still the name of the game in frozen desserts. Regardless if the product is formulated to be better-for-you or not, if it is not delicious, it will not be repurchased. Some manufacturers choose to focus on conveying the deliciousness of the product. This is increasingly being done through the use of clear—plastic or glass—single-serve packaging.

Germany’s Gelato Classico debuted this layered treat of premium bourbon vanilla ice cream on the bottom of the glass container with a layer of fruit on top.

Italy’s Bon Dolce has a new premium frozen yogurt ice cream parfait available in either plastic or glass containers. The dairy component is a blend of half premium yogurt made from milk from the Italian Alps (Sudtirol) and half premium ice cream mix. The fruit layers—either apricot or cherry--contain 70% of the name fruit. The bottom crunchy layer is crunchy cookie granules. The guilt-free indulgent product is targeted to females in the 25 to 55-year old range. It is made without artificial colorings, flavorings or preservatives and is positioned as a premium, healthful and pleasurable product. (This product is calling my name!)

Mark your calendar and plan early for the next Anuga, which will take place October 7 to 11, 2017, in Cologne, Germany. For more information, link HERE.

This is the third and final review of innovations from Anuga, the world’s largest food exhibition held every two years in Cologne, Germany. Anuga is where you find tomorrow’s hottest new products. To watch a brief video on what Anuga is all about, link HERE.

It’s always very inspiring to see the wide range of cheese offerings at global food shows. After all, most cheeses, or at least cheeses with the “natural” designation, are made with only four ingredients: pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, enzymes and salt. Yet, there are more than 1,400 natural cheese varieties cataloged in the World Cheese Exchange Database.

http://www.chr-hansen.fr/actualite/actualite-division-colorants/whitewhey.html

Here are more than a dozen innovations that caught my eye.

The best of the best is what you get with Taste 15, an accolade bestowed upon the best new products debuting at Anuga. This year, more than 830 companies applied to have their over 2,000 ideas included in the competition. In total, the jury selected 61 products and concepts that convinced in terms of idea, innovative power and creative implementation. There were many winners in the dairy hall, specifically in the cheese category.

One such winner was Switzerland’s Züger Frischkäse AG, which processes fresh, high-quality milk from the Eastern region to produce an array of fresh cheese products, including mascarpone, mozzarella, quark, ricotta and more. Around 200 employees work at the Oberbüren site, refining the milk from more than 380 regional farms. The company received accolades for its new Bio Mozzarella Herzen, organic heart-shaped pieces of mozzarella suitable as an appetizer, especially on “loving” holidays such as Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.

Also from Switzerland, Lustenberger & Dürst SA received Taste 15 accolades for this cheese seasoned with needles from the Swiss pine, a species from high elevations in the Alps. The sophisticated, essential oils from the needles provide a surprisingly fresh, tangy and woody taste.

The SalzburgMilch Cheese Collection includes three individually wrapped premium Bavarian cheeses packaged in an attractive presentation box suitable as a hostess gift. The Austrian cheesemaker labels the product as being lactose free and made from 100% genetically unmodified milk.

Danish cheesemaker Nordex received a Taste 15 award for its pesto-infused grilling cheese. Taverna Grill Cheese Snack Cubes with Green Pesto are designed to be grilled with a touch of oil in a pan until the surface browns. This gives the cheese a slight caramelized note. The sweetness of the caramelized surface provides a delicious contrast to the mildly salty cheese and the fresh green pesto, according to the company.

Germany’s Jermi Kasewerk won an award for its Kasetaler, which is described as no-melt cheese medallions. They are prepared in a pan or on the grill and can be served as an appetizer, atop a salad or as a main dish.

Fire-up the Barbecue

Such no-melt cheeses intended for grilling were very prominent at Anuga. These real-dairy cheese products function as meat alternatives for the growing number of consumers—known as flexitarians--who avoid meat on a regular basis.

The term flexitarian comes from a combination of the words “flexible” and “vegetarian.” Following a flexitarian diet simply means eating more plant-based meals and less meat. This is often done for nutritional reasons, such as trying to reduce consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol. Other times it is to assist with improving animal welfare and reducing carbon footprint.

Such no-melt cheeses are high in protein and can be seasoned, prepared and served in a manner similar to a burger, chop or steak. That’s what the chefs from Petrou Bros. Dairy Products of Greece were showing attendees when they were grilling up Halloumi cheese that came in varieties including “with basil” and “with chilli.”

Austria’s Concept Fresh continues to grow its no-melt cheese sold under the Gusteria brand. The most recent introduction is a snacking size that comes in two packs of four medallions. The cheese comes with grill marks, so that it can be easily microwaved and served. There are three flavors: Chili-Paprika, Classic and Herbs.

Greece’s Kourellas S.A. has new retail packs of Feta Bites. These bite-sized balls of sheep and goat’s milk feta cheese are loaded with flavorful goodies, including With Black Olives & Chili, With Greek Herbs and With Poppy Seeds. The “Greek treats” come in 5.3-ounce containers, the same size and shape of many Greek yogurts.

“The story of Feta Bites begins with our love for feta and the inspiration to use it differently,” said Ifigeneia Barlagianni, quality assurance-quality control manager. “Our R&D department developed a new line of feta snacks in several different versions. Feta Bites can be eaten as a snack, or appetizer, over salads or, why not, even as a dessert.”

Germany’s Jermi Kasewerk introduced an upscale line of snacking cheese cubes. Packed 16 to a 110-gram tray, these cheese cubes are ready for serving. The four varieties are: Belgian-style, Farmers, Goat and Gouda.

There’s also a new line of seasoned cream-style cheeses for the cheese counter. Cut and sold to order, the Crème Finesse line comes in four varieties: Garlic & Onion, Peppadew, Pineapple and Wild Herbs.

Koninklijke ERU, the trend-setting producer of quality processed cheese products in the Netherlands since 1824, has a passion for cheese and has an extensive portfolio of fine cheese products to prove it. One of its finest additions this year is a la Truffle, a conveniently packaged spread suitable for sandwiches, crackers or even crudité.

Germany’s Emmi Fondu has been repackaged into a more modern looking pack with cooking tips and serving suggestions. The microwaveable fondue cheese comes in three varieties: Family (without wine), Gorgonzola and Original.

Latvia’s Trikata rolled out a line of premium appetizer cheeses. These soft, fresh, bite-sized cheese balls called Snowballs are rolled in premium seasonings. Varieties are: Fenugreek, Garlic, Paprika and Tomato & Basil. There’s also a classic (non-seasoned) variety. Hand-formed into little balls from fresh cows milk curd, Snowballs come packed in rosemary-infused canola oil, which functions as a natural preservative. Snowballs are sold in 240-gram plastic jars and have a 70-day refrigerated shelf life.

From The Netherlands, Veldhuyzen Kaas B.V. developed TriColor goats milk cheese. Sold in waxed rounds, the cheese combines three different flavored and colored curds to create one very unique cheese. The curd flavors are bell pepper, chili pepper and garlic.

Displayed in the meat hall, Switzerland’s Micarna SA introduced what it calls “meat and cheese candies.” The company layers air-dried beef with Bavarian cheese to make this high-protein, low-carbohydrate multi-layered, bite-sized delicacy.

Mark your calendar and plan early for the next Anuga, which will take place October 7 to 11, 2017, in Cologne, Germany. For more information, link HERE.

Dairy Foods Innovations: IFT Trend #1 = Formulating Breakfast Foods

Dairy Foods Innovations: IFT Trend #2 = Formulating with Colors from Natural Sources—And P.S., There’s an Egg Shortage

Dairy Foods Innovations: IFT Trend #3 = Clean Label, Non-GMO and Other Trends to Look for at IFT

Innovative Yogurt Concepts—Mouthfeel Matters and More

Powerful Dairy Proteins Make Satiating and Delicious Dairy Foods

Coloring Dairy Foods: The Only Way is the Natural Way

Dairy Desserts—Refrigerated and Frozen—Jazzing Them Up with Nuts, Candies and Clusters

Creative Cheeses: Slice It, Spread It, Melt It

Dairy Foods Innovations: Flavor Trends for Frozen Desserts. Expect the Unexpected at the International Dairy Show

Dairy Beverage Innovation Trends: Protein, Tea Lattes and Flavored Milk

Innovative Yogurt Concepts: Adding Flavorful Bits and Pieces

Ice Cream Innovations: Five Trends Encouraging Retail Packaged Ice Cream Sales in the U.S….And What’s Going on in China?

Inclusions Forecast: Bits & Pieces that Make Consumers go WOW!

Highlights from the Dairy Show. Packaging Sells Our Beautiful Nutrient-Packed—Delicious—Product!

Dairy Show Highlights: Milking the Healthy Beverage Segment

Milk Innovations: Flavors, Fiber and Lower-Sugar

Mostly Plant-Based Diets Include Dairy Foods—Make Sure You Are Included

Anuga 2015 Report: Innovations in Yogurt, Cultured Dairy Foods and Dairy Desserts—It’s all about Clean Label

Anuga 2015 Report: Innovations in Frozen Desserts—Value-Added Formulations Make Their Mark

Anuga 2015 Report: Innovations in Natural and Process Cheese Products