Berry on Dairy

Photo source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

The majority of people, including many in the dairy industry—that’s you—do not realize that almost all of the 1,400-plus natural cheese varieties cataloged in the World Cheese Exchange Database are made with the same four ingredients: milk, cultures, enzymes and salt. That’s what’s listed on the ingredient statement. Of course, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the words “cultures” and “enzymes” are simplified terms for very complex, powerhouse ingredients capable of turning milk into a Brie, a cheddar or a mozzarella.

To learn more about the role of cultures and enzymes in cheese product development, please link HERE to an article I recently wrote for Food Business News on this topic.

http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/entertainment

If you missed last week’s blog on innovations in natural and process cheese products, as experienced in person at Anuga 2015, the world’s largest food fair, you can read it by linking HERE.

It truly is amazing how three ingredients—cultures, enzymes and salt--can transform milk into so many different cheeses. And with the help of herbs, spices, peppers and other flavorful additions, cheesemakers can create entertaining masterpieces.

And entertaining with cheese is the name of the game during the winter holiday season. From Thanksgiving to Super Bowl Sunday, cheese is on the menu. It’s that time of year when consumers are often very willing to reach deeper into their pockets and splurge on specialty cheeses. Will your cheese be part of the story?

Here’s something to keep in mind. Many of today’s consumers—the millennials--spend more time talking about their food—or taking pictures of it and posting it in social media—than eating it. Cheese makes a great story, and it’s yours to tell. The holidays present an incredible opportunity for cheese marketers to tell stories…and to package and merchandise cheese in holiday-ready formats.

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) provides tools to assist in communicating and marketing the deliciousness and versatility of cheese. Did you know that Wisconsin offers more than 600 varieties, types and styles of cheese? Cheese can star as an appetizer, an exceptional entrée or a memorable dessert. The possibilities are limitless and always delicious, explains WMMB.

Flavored cheese is one of the “hottest” segments right now and represents a growth opportunity for the category. Recent data from IRI show that the U.S. retail flavored cheese market is $1.5 billion. In volume, that’s close to a quarter-billion pounds or 7% of the total cheese category. Year-to-date 2015 data from IRI find flavored cheeses up by 4.5% in volume sales and year-to-date dollar sales of flavored cheeses are up 8.3%.

The most popular flavors used in cheese are:
1.      Jalapeno
2.      Smoked
3.      Taco
4.      Pimento
5.      Berry
6.      Habanero
7.      Onion
8.      Herbs
9.      Garlic
10.   Vegetable

Country Connection Cheese Co., a company known for its flavored and smoked cheeses, does a fabulous job of communicating the premium nature of its products. This 40-year-old Wisconsin dairy handcrafts all of its cheeses in small batches. Traditional cheesemaking techniques and attention to detail give each Country Connection cheese a distinctive texture and flavor.

Country Connection doesn’t just toss a handful of a flavorful inclusions, such as bacon pieces, into a vat of curd to make a bacon cheddar. “What we do is combine various natural ingredients and age them in the cheese so that the marriage of taste sensations is complex, harmonious and unique,” according to the company’s website.
One of the company’s most recent additions is Cheddar Sriracha. Sriracha’s heat is balanced and cooled by the cheese so that even those with a low tolerance for hot spices can enjoy the actual taste of sriracha. For more information, link HERE.

Buffalo Wing Monterey Jack has a smooth, creamy texture with the distinct flavor of ever popular Buffalo wings. The cheese is produced by an award-winning Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker. For more information, link HERE.

Saxon Creamery Big Ed’s with Serrano Peppers is a rich, young, buttery Gouda style cheese that that brings the heat. Bits of Serrano Peppers deliver a nice warmth that will have you coming back for more. This semi-soft cheese is great on sandwiches and bold enough to stand alone on a cheese platter. The rich milk flavors speak of the lush green pastures where the cows are grazed, the season in which it was made, the particular craftsmanship of the cheesemaker, the time the cheese spends in the aging rooms. For more information, link HERE.

Cheesemaker Marieke Penterman crafts her award-winning Gouda cheese using an Old World recipe with fresh milk from the family’s farm in northern Wisconsin. This new addition to the lineup--Marieke Gouda Truffle--is a flavorful variation made with raw cows milk, cultures, enzymes, salt, Italian black truffles and Italian truffle oil. For more information, link HERE.

Many of these products, and so many, many more, will be featured in the WMMB booth (4713) at the Winter Fancy Food Show, which takes place in San Francisco January 17 to 19. For more information, link HERE. Hope to see you there. I’ll be the one in the WMMB booth enjoying the magic of milk, cultures, enzymes and salt.

This week’s launch of Skinnygirl Protein Tasty Nutrition Shakes should have many of us thinking about the future of protein beverage innovation. To read more about the product, link HERE.

Here’s my take. Protein-centric beverages will continue to boom, but to make a real impact, there will need to be more customization of formulations to target specific demographics. With that said, and sorry Bethenny Frankel, founder and CEO of the Skinnygirl brand, your new product appeals to me (Gen X) and probably young Boomers, but Millennials (18- to 34-year-olds) are not into skinny. They are into fitness.

Here’s a flashback. I have been obsessed with food since very early on, mostly the mechanics of food, like why butter builds a better shortbread than vegetable oil and how bread toasts. I recall carrying around the 25-cent pocket-sized calorie counter books sold near the supermarket register. Remember those? There were the generic ones and the branded lists.

I kept food intake logs and counted calories. I measured and weighed portions. I still remember that one large egg is 80 calories, a cup of skim milk the same.

Skinny was an aspiration, albeit not a healthful one. Thankfully, over time, skinny evolved into fit, and that’s where many Millennials are today. The good news for the dairy industry is that dairy proteins are truly one of a handful of all-natural, clean-label, simple and nutritious food ingredients that can deliver what Millennials are looking for.

I agree with Ms. Frankel’s statement: “Protein is an important part of our daily diet. It helps us feel full and satisfied. We developed these new protein bars and shakes to make an easy and delicious way for women to get their protein fix.”

Women do need an easier way to include high-quality protein in their diet. At only 80-calories, each 11.5-ounce shelf-stable Skinnygirl shake provides 12 grams of protein from milk protein concentrate, along with 1.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber and zero grams of sugar. The formulation relies on stevia and monk fruit extract for sweetness. In two-dessert inspired flavors--Rich Chocolate Brownie and Vanilla Bean Sundae—it’s my dream beverage. I’m sure other pocket-calorie-counter Gen Xer’s would agree. But, here’s the deal with Millennials.

According to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2015 Food and Health Survey published earlier this year, compared to the general U.S. population, Millennials have differing opinions on traditional eating habits, usage of resources and information for staying healthy, and even on the value of some nutrients.

Although Millennials view protein favorably and see the importance of protein in their diets, there are still a wide range of misconceptions surrounding protein.

For starters, Millennials say the top reasons they don’t consume more protein is the belief that protein foods are sometimes more expensive (37%) and that they already get enough protein (34%).

More Millennials (21%) think that foods with protein will spoil if not used quickly, compared to the general population (15%).

One in five Millennials believe that higher-protein foods often have a lot of unhealthful components, compared to one in seven of the general population.

True or not, these are their perceptions. And let’s look at some facts. Greek yogurt—the higher protein yogurt—does cost more than traditional yogurt. Milk, eggs and meat, traditional sources of protein are highly perishable. Regarding unhealthful components, that could be the cholesterol in eggs and the nitrates in bacon.

“Millennials are a unique generation, and their approach to health and fitness is no exception,” says Sarah Romotsky, R.D., director of health and wellness for the IFIC Foundation. “This research gave us an inside look at how Millennials are optimistic about the future of food, they look to their friends and family for support, they use technology as a tool to reach their health goals, and they have shifting attitudes about the value of certain nutrients.”

Dairy foods formulators need to think fit foods, not skinny foods.
Dairy proteins are the key to innovation. Keep the product clean and affordable.

Here are more interesting Millennials facts. They are less likely to have adopted healthful habits. Sound strange, read on. Only 70% of Millennials state that they have cut calories by drinking water, or low- and no-calorie beverages, compared to 76% of the general population who have reduced calories in this fashion. When it comes to fat intake, 54% of Millennials state that they have cut back on foods higher in solid fats, compared to 61% of the general population who have done so. (They must have done the butter vs. oil shortbread experiment.)

In addition to different perceived barriers to better health, Millennials are more likely to seek alternative sources for trusted food information. Despite most Millennials stating that they trust their personal healthcare professional to provide accurate information about the foods they should be eating, more Millennials than other age groups are trusting additional information sources. For example, more Millennials (33% vs. 24% of the general population) trust health, food and nutrition bloggers as sources of food information. (You should have one on staff or contracted to promote your dairy foods.)

Beyond turning to alternative sources for trusted information, Millennials are improving their diets in different ways. Gone are the days of pocket calorie counters. Millennials are turning to digital resources to improve their diets. Thirty-six percent of Millennials are using an app or other means to track daily food and beverage intake, compared to 22% of the population. Twice as many Millennials (12%) are using an online support group, blog or other online community, compared to the general population (6%).

Millennials also have different opinions about nutrition. When asked specifically about calorie sources and weight gain, only 20% of Millennials state that all sources of calories have the same effect on weight gain, compared to 27% of the general population. They are also less focused on limiting or avoiding calories than the general population.

Like the general population, Millennials are more concerned about the amount and type of sugars they eat than they are about the type or amount of carbohydrates consumed. Within the Millennial demographic, women and those with higher household incomes are the most concerned.
Millennials also agree with the general population that moderate sugar intake can be a part of a healthful diet and believe that there are differences between the healthfulness of naturally occurring and other types of sugars.

When it comes to dietary fat, Millennials realize the healthfulness of omega fatty acids but do not fully understand the differences between different types of fats. In fact, 64% of Millennials rate omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, as healthful, yet only 17% of Millennials rate polyunsaturated fats as healthful. Moreover, 42% of Millennials report that they are unaware of the healthfulness of polyunsaturated fats.

Here’s one that’s long overdue and a win for dairy. One in three Millennials have recently changed their view on the healthfulness of saturated fat. Of those shifting their opinion of saturated fat in the last year, Millennial men are more likely to view its healthfulness more favorably.

Back to the benefits of dairy proteins. Let’s talk specifically about whey proteins.

At the recent SupplySide West in Las Vegas, Moises Torres-Gonzalez, director of nutrition research at the National Dairy Council, spoke about opportunities in formulating with whey proteins. In terms of the general population, he explained that recent research indicates 23% of adults are increasing the amount of protein in their daily diets because of the recognized benefits protein provides to the body and the flexibility of protein ingredients to be incorporated into a variety of food and beverages, including dairy foods.

Consumers want protein in their meals, snacks and after workouts. When protein’s functionality and nutritional benefits are understood, it can be integrated into products consumers want, he explained. This is where the opportunity lies for whey protein, as whey protein is one of the highest quality proteins and a source of highly functional amino acids and bioactive compounds. Whey offers health benefits to consumers of all ages.

At one point in time, whey was considered a byproduct of cheese. Today, cheese is often made for the sole purpose of obtaining whey.

This past August at Alpha Summit 2015, which was a whey protein conference held in Jerome, Idaho, sponsored by Davisco, a business unit of Agropur Inc., the quality of the protein in cows milk was a major focal point.

To read more highlights from Alpha Summit 2015, link HERE to an article I wrote for Food Business News.

Paul Moughan, distinguished professor and director of the Riddet Institute in New Zealand, explained the importance of dietary protein quality in nutrition and health.

“Protein is vital to support the health and well-being of human populations. However, not all proteins are alike, as they vary according to their origin, animal vs. plant, as well as their individual amino acid composition and their level of amino acid bioavailability,” he said. “High-quality proteins are those that are readily digestible in a form that can be utilized and contain the dietary essential amino acids in quantities that correspond to human requirements.”

In 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations recommended that a new, advanced method for assessing the quality of dietary proteins--Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (D.I.A.A.S.)--replace the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (P.D.C.A.A.S.) as the preferred method of measuring protein quality.

“The recommendation of the D.I.A.A.S. method is a dramatic change that will provide an accurate measure of the amounts of amino acids absorbed by the body and an individual protein source’s contribution to a human’s amino acid and nitrogen requirements,” said Dr. Moughan. “This will be an important piece of information for decision makers assessing foods that should be part of a sustainable diet for our growing global population.”

He explained that with the P.D.C.A.A.S. method, values are truncated to a maximum score of 1.00, even if scores derived are higher. Using the D.I.A.A.S. method, researchers are now able to differentiate protein sources by their ability to supply amino acids for use by the body. The D.I.A.A.S. method is able to demonstrate the higher bioavailability of dairy proteins when compared to plant-based protein sources.

Dr. Moughan did say that even with the D.I.A.A.S. score, you don’t get the whole story about the quality of the protein. “The single score is based on the limiting amino acid in the protein,” he said. For example, the leucine component of alpha-lactalbumin—a type of whey protein--has a D.I.A.A.S. score of 2.00 and the tryptophan component is 5.50. By reporting only the single score of 1.14, which is based on the limiting amino acid valine, the quality of the alpha-lactalbumin is not accurately communicated.

“High-quality data on the bioavailable amounts of individual amino acids in proteins and foods will maximize the information to consumers and health professionals,” said Dr. Moughan. “This will become a lot more important as the food industry increases efforts to support health and different physiological needs.”

According to Donald Layman, professor emeritus of nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, data indicate all humans need to make about the same amount of new protein every day for basic lean muscle repair and remodeling. But as we age, the efficiency of building new protein decreases. To reap the benefits of healthy muscles, one must consider the quality of the protein and the quantity of the protein at every meal.

“Below the age of 30, hormones drive growth. Even with a low-protein diet, children can still grow and produce new muscle,” he said. “But as you age, hormones no longer drive muscle growth and the essential muscle replacement is driven by the quality of the diet. Aging reduces the efficiency of protein use, but does not impair the capacity to respond.”

For optimum muscle health and function, research suggests that 30 grams of high-quality protein should be consumed at every meal, and preferably proteins high in the essential amino acid leucine.

As this information gets better communicated to Millennials, they will be seeking out high-quality protein products to make them lean, mean, fit machines…not skinny girls. Put dairy proteins, especially whey proteins, back into dairy foods.

How much do Americans really care about what goes into their food? Instantly polled more than 4,200 consumers about their feelings on artificial ingredients, all-natural alternatives and the companies that make consumer packaged goods. Check out the infographic to see the findings.

Highlights from the survey include:

72% of consumers consult labels before making a purchase.
75% say removing artificial ingredients would make them more likely to purchase a product.
75% of consumers trust smaller companies more when it comes to all-natural products.

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

Without a doubt, the clean-eating movement is driving product developers to a back-to-basics approach to sourcing ingredients and formulating new products. Innova Market Insights’ recent release of its Top-10 Trends for 2016 has been all over food business news this week, so I won’t get into too much detail here. But in a nut shell, new global products tracked with an “organic” claim have risen from 6.3% in the first half of 2013 to 9.5% in the first half of 2015. A surge in “free from” launches and “flexitarian” options has also been reported.

Innova will be conducting a live webinar on the Top-10 Trends for 2016 on November 24. For more information and to register for this free event, link HERE.

Interest in a return to food processing the natural or old-fashioned way, along with a search for permissible indulgence and the re-establishment of links to “real” food is growing stronger. Clear label established itself as a key trend in 2015, with greater transparency and the focus on simpler products with fewer artificial additives taking clean label to the next level. The biggest surge in new product development has been reported in organic products, indicating that this will be a key platform going forward in the short term, although the challenges involved may result in more beneficial platforms for clear label in the longer term.

The organic movement has always been strong in dairy, in particular in fluid milk, albeit still a relatively small piece of the pie. Organic milk represents only about 5% share of all retail fluid milk sales.

Some recent regulatory rulings and queries will likely drive consumer demand for organic foods. Of course, a completely organic food supply chain is not possible…or at least not in this lifetime.

Here’s what’s going on. Based on sound science and a comprehensive review, FDA is taking several important steps regarding food from genetically engineered (GE) plants and animals, including the first approval for a genetically engineered animal intended for food, AquAdvantage Salmon. The agency has also issued guidance for manufacturers who wish to voluntarily label their products as containing ingredients from GE or non-GE sources.

First the salmon…it is an Atlantic salmon that reaches market size more quickly than non-GE farm-raised Atlantic salmon. It is the first genetically engineered food animal approved for sale in the U.S. Genetically modified fruits and vegetables have been sold for more than 20 years.

Interestingly, the salmon is not legally required to be labeled as genetically engineered, as there is no material difference when compared to conventionally farmed salmon. The way for consumers adverse to GE foods to avoid this salmon is to purchase organic salmon or salmon labeled as non-GMO. For more information, link HERE.

Why does this matter to dairy processors? Because consumers are only going to become increasingly more discerning when foods like this enter the marketplace. Dairy processors need to be transparent and communicate to consumers a product’s naturalness.

That brings me to beef. This week I had the opportunity to sample a new beef line. Chicago-based PRE Brands is delivering what it describes as a superior beef experience with the launch of PRE 100% Grass Fed Beef. The new line of steak and ground beef options focuses on taste, tenderness and juiciness. Starting at the farm and ending with 100% clear packaging, the company is always transparent.

The company only sources beef from producers that do not use added antibiotics, added hormones or feedlots. It follows a meticulous selection process, measuring every aspect of the cuts, from marbling to color. The process includes only sourcing from regions recognized as being the best environments possible for raising cattle, as well as from ranchers who ensure proper and ethical health and wellness standards.

Other considerations include age, breed and weight of the animal, as well as fat color, an indicator of 100% grass fed beef. The company communicates this to the consumer on the package, which again, as mentioned, is 100% clear. The product does not sport a certified organic seal, but I think the package says so much more. (And by the way, it’s some of the best beef I have ever tasted.)
For more information, link HERE.

When it comes to milk and flavored milk, consumers expect these powerhouse beverages to be as close to what Mother Nature intended as possible. This includes, for flavored milks, choice of flavor, color, stabilizer and sweetener.

Wholesomeness is clearly communicated by The Farmer’s Cow of Connecticut, which to celebrate its 10th anniversary recently rolled out a new limited-edition product: Holiday Egg Nog. The all-natural egg nog is made with cream, Grade A milk and real egg yolks mixed with cane sugar. It is elegantly packaged in a 32-ounce glass bottle that is perfect for serving on holiday tables or giving as a hostess gift.

Clearly, this product is clean and simple. Happy Holidays!

Early this month, FDA issued a request for public comment on use of the term “natural” in the labeling of all human food products. This was in direct response to consumer petitions.

According to FDA, the agency has a longstanding policy concerning the use of the term natural in human food labeling. The FDA has considered the term to mean that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives, regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food. However, this policy was not intended to address food production methods, such as the use of pesticides, nor did it explicitly address food processing or manufacturing methods, such as thermal technologies, pasteurization or irradiation. The agency also did not consider whether the term should describe any nutritional or other health benefit.

Indeed, there’s a lot of confusion among consumers.

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

The Organic & Natural Health Association recently released the results of a consumer research study conducted as a first step in its initiative to set the standard for the term natural. The online research study of 1,005 U.S. consumers was conducted by Natural Marketing Institute and found that one in three consumers do not make a quality distinction between the terms natural and organic and/or government regulation for products with such labels.

Other findings from the study confirmed more confusion in the marketplace with the term natural. Common misconceptions include the belief that most vitamins come from natural sources and that natural means no pesticides are used. And while three-fourths of consumers perceive that organic foods must be at least 95% free from synthetic additives, almost two-thirds of consumers expect the same standard from natural foods. Further, approximately half of the consumers surveyed believe that natural means the product is free of synthetic pesticides and are non-GMO, attributes that are unique characteristics of organic products.

With 46% of consumers surveyed believing that the U.S. government regulates the term natural, the study concluded that the organic industry should improve education for consumers regarding the differing attributes of organic and natural in order to elevate the status of organic. Furthermore, manufacturers producing natural products need to continue to clarify the meaning of natural so the term does not become diluted and lose significance among consumers.

In the research study, consumers indicated that they were more likely to use natural than organic foods; in fact, 60% reported using organic less than once a week or not at all with more than a third using natural once a day or more.

The association’s next step is to develop a voluntary regulatory compliance and certification program for the term natural to be released during the first half of 2016, in conjunction with a consumer education campaign supporting transparency of product purchases.

To view results from the complete study, “Consumer Insights on Organic and Natural,” link HERE.

Food Colors 101
The term color additive is legally defined in Title 21, Part 70 of the Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR 70). Basically, any ingredient with the sole purpose of adding color to a food or beverage is a color additive, with all color additives requiring approval by FDA as a food additive.

In the U.S., synthetic food colors are classified by FDA as color additives subject to certification (21 CFR 74). They are certified with an FD&C number. This indicates that the additive has been tested for safety and is approved for used in foods, drugs and cosmetics, or FD&C. Seven colors were initially approved under the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. Over time, several have been delisted and replaced. Today there are still seven, which can be combined into an infinite number of colors; hence, the seven are considered primary colors.

The seven synthetics are further classified as standardized dyes or lakes. Dyes are a concentrated source of color and are water soluble and oil insoluble. Lakes, on the other hand, are made by combining dyes with salts to make them water-insoluble compounds. Thus, they are best described as providing color by dispersion. Lakes are considered to be more stable than dyes and are ideal for coloring products that either contain fat or lack sufficient moisture to dissolve dyes.

FDA also provides a list of color additives that are exempt from certification (21 CFR 73). By default, these colors are often characterized as natural but FDA does not consider any color added to as food unless the color is natural to the product itself. For example, consumers expect strawberry milk to have a red hue. If strawberry juice is added for color, and providing that none of the other ingredients in the milk were characterized as artificial, this product could be labeled “all-natural strawberry milk.” Such a description is not possible if beet juice, an FDA-recognized exempt-from-certification color additive, is used for a colorful boost. What is appropriate to say is “does not contain any artificial colors.”

In general, artificial colorings are manufactured from petroleum-based raw materials. Colors exempt from certification are obtained from a variety of sources, including plants, minerals, insects and fermentation, resources considered by many to be natural.

Source: Today's blog is sponsored by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (thank you!)

Cheese—a food long shunned for its saturated fat and sodium content, yet ironically, per-capita consumption has been on an upswing forever—is being openly embraced by consumers for its protein content, flavor versatility and snacking convenience.

Science shows that saturated fat is no longer associated with heart disease, as once believed. And research indicates that fat, in particular, animal fat, is no longer the enemy.

Hot-off-the-presses research from Coast Packing Company and Ipsos Research indicates that younger Americans are more receptive to animal fats in their diet than their elders, and are eating accordingly.

A survey of 1,000 adults conducted in mid-November examined how attitudes about animal fats in the American diet have changed in recent years, and how consumption patterns may be changing as well. Respondents were asked whether they were more or less open to animal fats, and whether those views extended to actual behavior. The clear finding: where animal fats are concerned, youth will be served.

This is an excellent opportunity to get creative in snacking cheeses geared towards the palates of the millennial generation.

According to the survey, those in the 18 to 34 age bracket are twice as open to animal fats as the next oldest group (35 to 54)—15% vs. 7%--and three times as open as those 55 and over (5%). Behavior does indeed follow attitudes. By a wide margin, those 18 to 34 are leading the charge back to animal fats. Thirteen percent say their consumption has increased. In fact, consumption is dramatically higher than those 35 to 54 (5%) and those 55-plus years (2%). Just 28% of those 18 to 34 say they have reduced their intake of animal fats, vs. 33% of those 35 to 54 and 46% of those 55-plus years.

“Millennials are concluding that animal fats have been demonized for too long,” says Eric Gustafson, CEO of Coast Packing Company. “The reality is that animal fats, in moderation, are not as problematic as they once were thought to be. And in today’s foodie culture, taste is increasingly on par with health concerns.”

Age is the most decisive differentiator among the various demographic filters, the survey found. Flipping the age bracket around, a greater percentage of those 55 and up were less open to animal fats (35%) than any other age group, by a roughly 10% margin. Those 35 to 54 were most set in their ways, with 67% indicating that there had been no change in their attitudes in recent years.

By gender, men are more open to animal fats than women (11%, compared to 7% for women); similarly, a smaller percentage of men reported being less open to animal fats (27%, to 31% for women). Think manly cheese snacks, big sticks in bold flavors.

To request a complete copy of the survey results, link HERE.

This research supports findings published in another hot-off-the-presses report, the annual trends publication--What’s in Store--from the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA). In its 30th year of credible reporting, What’s in Store 2016 is an essential dairy-deli-supermarket foodservice-bakery-cheese resource providing vital data on the retail and market trends, growth and category changes shaping the food industry.

According to IDDBA findings, 53% of shoppers are now opting for smaller snacks; 47% say they really enjoy anything new and different or trying new kinds of ethnic cuisine; and 61% are now opting for healthier snacks.

“Local” is a quality distinction marker and signifies for consumers: greater transparency and trust; fresher and more seasonal products: good taste; and support of the proximate food economy.

When it comes to cheese, the report shows that per-capita cheese consumption in the U.S. is at an all-time high, with nearly 34 pounds per person. U.S. per-capita cheese spending has increased by 37% since 2008. Ninety-eight percent of American households purchase cheese; 97% buy natural cheese and 70% buy process cheese.
Millennials are an important cheese consumer, given their desire to try new flavors and textures, as well as belief that specialty/craft and imported cheeses are worth paying more for. This includes in snacking and “tasting” formats.

Protein is a top consideration for consumers when purchasing dairy products, as 78% believe it contributes to a healthy diet and 16% look at the amount of protein when shopping.

According to Nielsen data cited in What’s in Store 2016, snacking cheese dollar sales in 2014 through all U.S. retail outlets increased 7.7%, reaching almost $1.5 billion. Unit sales were up 3.1%, indicating consumers are paying more for snacking cheeses, which suggests snacking cheeses have gone premium and command a higher price tag.

For more information on the report, link HERE.

Separately, IDDBA also recently published a report entitled “Snacking Opportunities: Building Better Snacks.”

Developed in conjunction with The Hartman Group, the report identifies key ways food retailers can elevate snacking experiences across bakery, dairy, deli, prepared foods and specialty cheese to meet consumers’ evolving needs for customizable, convenient and healthier snacking options, as well as new taste discoveries.

“The rise in daily snacking occasions creates ideal opportunities for retailers to connect with shoppers, as fresh perimeter departments are prime locations to feature fresh, healthy and single-serve products,” says Alan Hiebert, senior education coordinator, IDDBA. “Our latest research provides retailers with data and insight on how to engage with customers by examining their snacking shopping habits and food preferences.”

Here are some recent millennial-centric snacking cheese innovations from America’s Dairyland: Wisconsin.

Saputo Cheese USA now offers a Wisconsin Snacking Cheese line with the tagline of “robust snacking cheese.” There are seven millennial-friendly varieties: Cheddar with Parmesan Notes, Chipotle Cheddar, Colby Habanero, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, Sharp Cheddar and Smoke Flavor White Cheddar.

And here’s one that screams millennial palate: Sargento Sriracha Jack cheese sticks.

Happy snacking!

Photo source: Chobani SoHo

In case you find it as hard to believe as I do, here’s a quick reminder, it’s almost 2016! All I can say is thank God for Amazon Prime, or else my sons would not have much under the tree this Christmas. There’s no time to shop.

Though I’m not working from dawn to dusk milking cows or converting their great gift to delicious dairy foods, it is time consuming staying on top of innovation, science and policy. I sincerely appreciate the positive feedback from the 7,000-plus global subscribers to the Daily Dose of Dairy. You make it all worth it.

Quick favor: if you have not already, please complete a very brief survey by linking HERE.

Positive feedback motivates industry suppliers to support Daily Dose of Dairy/BerryOnDairy.com and without that support, this innovation tool could not stay alive.

For every survey completed, I will be donating $1.00 to the Great American Milk Drive. (If you all respond, that’s a lot of milk money.) Learn more about this powerful program that donates gallons of milk to families in need through local foodbanks by linking HERE. Thanks in advance.

Let’s kick off today’s blog with an innovation idea, a challenge, per se, for your 2016 product development team. This week I wrote an article for commissary insider, a monthly supplement to instore magazine, on boosting protein in ready-to-eat, grab-and-go foods. The reader is the culinary professional who designs the sandwiches, salads, sides and entrees sold at kiosks, coffee shops and retail foodservice merchandisers.

This is a booming segment. With retailers such as CVS, Walgreens and 7-Eleven expanding refrigerator space dedicated to such freshly hand-packed convenience foods.

Just this week, McDonald’s Canada unveiled its first-ever standalone McCafé experience at Union Station in Toronto. The concept allows the company to build its strong coffee credentials and create even stronger connections with the brand by offering guests a more complete café-style menu, rather than burgers and fries. Unique menu items include an assortment of ready-made artisan sandwiches and salads. (What is missing in the adjacent photo of the grab-and-go case is milk. Please, whoever sells milk to McDonald’s, make sure this changes.)

Here’s the innovation challenge. A growing array of commissary-prepared meals and sides have started touting nutrient contents, most notably protein. Let’s make sure they are choosing dairy proteins. The basic dairy foods staples are great add-ins, but what if you were to formulate a Greek yogurt-style dressing or spread as a high-protein alternative to mayo or cream cheese.

According to the Natural Marketing Institute, the demand for protein has increased significantly during the past eight years. The research firm has data that indicates more than half (53%) of consumers sought out foods high in protein in 2014, up from 39% in 2006. Let’s make sure dairy protein is a readily available option.

I recently visited My Fit Foods, a Houston-headquartered business that provides fresh, healthful, on-the-go foods in a retail shop environment for take-home consumption. The company emphasizes lean proteins, low-glycemic carbohydrates and heart-healthy fats in all of its meals and snacks. According to the company, a daily average of 40% protein, 40% carbohydrate and 20% fat is the optimal macronutrient percentages for balancing blood sugar and optimal energy production and fat burning.

Photo source: My Fit Foods

The culinary professionals at My Fit Foods make smart ingredient choices to boost protein contents. For example, a small serving (two) of breakfast tacos contains 370 calories and a whopping 29 grams of protein. This is achieved through the use of lean ground turkey with eggs and cheddar cheese.

For lunch or dinner there are enchiladas filled with chicken and spinach held together by nonfat Greek yogurt. They get topped with tomatillo salsa and cheese and come with a side of beans. A small serving contains 360 calories and 25 grams of protein.

A small serving of Fit Nugget Nation, which is described as house-made almond-crusted chicken nuggets with a side of cauliflower mash and green beans, provides 29 grams of protein and 410 calories. One of the little tricks to increase protein is to prepare the mash by blending cottage cheese with the cauliflower.

The protein trend is expected to grow, as is the demand for hand-packed foods. Make sure product designers are packing in dairy proteins.

According to Tammy Anderson-Wise, CEO of the Dairy Council of California, dairy processors are sitting atop one of the hottest trends in nutrition with a product line that naturally delivers what consumers seek more of in the name of good nutrition: foods high in protein.

“While the competition for protein foods, beverages and supplements may be intense, milk and dairy products enjoy a competitive edge with its irreplaceable mix of nutrients,” she says. “Consumers also value milk’s fresh, local and minimally processed attributes. I can’t think of an industry better positioned than dairy to capitalize on the demand for protein-rich foods and beverages.”

The Dairy Council of California recently published its fall Trends newsletter, which contains food and nutrition issues likely to impact the dairy industry in the next one to three years.

Here are some highlights.

Dietary Guidelines. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, slated to be released before the end of the year, but it’s looking like it could get pushed into early 2016, are more contentious than in the past. The good news is that milk and dairy foods fare well in the Dietary Guidelines as they are included in all three recommended dietary patterns.
Local Foods Movement. Locally produced natural foods top consumers’ desirable list. Consumers are increasingly vocal about wanting to know where their food comes from. Nutrition and health are not always top of mind as other factors are being considered such as where and how food is produced, how fresh it is and whether sustainable methods of processing and packaging are used. Consumers are skeptical of big food industry practices with regard to animal welfare, genetically modified organisms and use of pesticides and antibiotics. There is a small but growing movement back to whole foods as a way to eat more natural and fewer processed foods. For dairy, this means a growing acceptance of whole milk, butter and full-fat yogurt as dairy fats are perceived more favorably.

Read more about “Putting transparency first” in an article I recently wrote for Food Business News by linking HERE.

Nutrition Makes Sense. The link between nutrition and mental and cognitive health is gaining steam. Many experts consider foods to assist mental and cognitive health as the next “big thing” in nutrition. The good news is that science shows that dairy plays a role as part of a healthy diet throughout life. Consumption of milk and milk products has been linked to improved cognitive function in children and older people in preliminary studies; however, more research is needed to confirm this connection.
Cheese Unlimited. Cheese—once shunned for its high content of saturated fat and sodium—is cautiously coming back into favor for its high protein and calcium levels and low sugar and lactose levels. With only a few ingredients, many cheeses are seen as natural and fresh. Research showing that saturated fat is not associated with heart disease as once believed, and that sodium may not be harmful in many people, is also slowly taking the stigma off cheese.

You can read the complete Dairy Council of California Trends newsletter by linking HERE.

‘Tis that time of year when predictions and lists are posted in abundance. I promise to keep these points brief and simple. I won’t even number them, as they all sort of meld together. They are common sense, with your conscience guiding you the right way.

It’s hard to ignore Chipotle these days. The company has become fodder for all media outlets and a case study for advertising and marketing professors. For microbiologists and food scientists, Chipotle just makes us shake our heads and think this could have been prevented.

The fact is that the company may never know the ingredient source of the E. coli outbreak that occurred about a month ago. This is because the infecting inventory was no longer in house when the quick-service chain that prides itself on fresh and natural ingredients was identified by the Center for Disease Control as the provider of the deadly pathogen. By that time, the food had either been served or tossed. One thing Chipotle does know is that it will be much more discriminating with its suppliers on food safety precautions, as all of its sourcing practices may sound appealing to today’s consumers, until someone gets sick, then “food with integrity”—the company’s tagline—is not all that attractive.

There’s something for all in the food industry to learn from Chipotle. Technologies—ingredients, processes and packages--have been developed and incorporated into the evolving food chain for a reason. To be fair, for some, adaptation is purely selfish. It’s all about the bottom line. But for many, and I do believe that is most of the dairy industry, it has to do with ensuring safety and delivering on quality at an affordable price to provide balanced nutrition.

Chipotle’s mantra of fresh, never frozen, minimally cooked and unprocessed, has come to haunt the company. A key lesson for all in the food industry is to refrain from negative marketing of traditional food practices. Chipotle says it now plans to slice and dice at off-site commissaries and deliver cleaned and trimmed produce to its stores. How’s this different than purchasing the same ingredients from an approved food manufacturer following good manufacturing procedures and a proper HACCP plan?

This commissary approach comes with a hefty price tag. There’s rent, labor, packaging materials and transportation. It does not sound like a sustainable approach to sourcing ingredients. It sounds like a company that dug itself in a hole and is not sure how to get out.

Then there’s the bashing of artificial ingredients Chipotle has made in its advertising campaigns, all while the company continues to source tortillas made with chemical preservatives that inhibit the growth of mold, yeast and some bacteria. The company states on its website “We are working with our tortilla suppliers to reduce and eventually eliminate artificial preservatives from our tortillas.”

Your efforts are appreciated Chipotle, but there’s a reason why those preservatives are in the shells, and why so many others in the food industry rely on them. It’s to reduce food waste, a major issue in the U.S. and around the world.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates that about one third of the food produced globally for human consumption--approximately 1.3 billion tons every year--is lost or wasted. Accidental or intentional, this discard at both the retail and consumer levels has far-reaching social, economic and environmental ramifications. Seems to me that a little preservative makes those tortillas a more sustainable product. Natamycin in cheese, yogurt and sour cream, especially in products intended for foodservice or require lengthy shelf lives because of distribution chains, also makes sense, as do other food safety technologies.

Jayson Lusk, president-elect of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, told U.S. News & World Report, “If you want to make products fresh, that means you’re not going to use a preservative or it’s going to be unprocessed. It does provide a real tradeoff in terms of providing a safe product for the consumer.”

The dairy industry must unite and protect our powerful, effective food safety practices…from farm to fork. This includes medicines for maintaining the health of cows all the way to pasteurizing milk. But that does not mean we cannot do some things better.

The Listeria outbreaks in ice cream and soft cheese this year hurt all of us. The problem with Listeria is that it is everywhere. About 10% of humans are carriers without even knowing it. It’s found in soil, water and the intestines of some animals. Most infected animals show no symptoms, so the bacterium can be transferred to raw foods such as unpasteurized dairy products, raw vegetables and raw meats. Further, unlike other types of foodborne pathogens, Listeria grows at refrigerated temperatures. When it invades a manufacturing facility, it can survive and thrive for many years. Extra testing and proper sanitation are paramount, so is proper pasteurization. Heat kills Listeria. Pasteurization is not an unnecessary technology. It’s a proven food safety technique.

In closing, I would like to say reach for the low-hanging fruitful opportunities in 2016 to make your products more appealing to today’s consumers. Maybe it’s time to revisit product formulations and simplify them. I cannot tell you the times that product developers have said that the only reason an ingredient was added to a formulation was to fix a problem, rather than eliminate the problem. Some ingredients—often ones with not so nice names--function only as a bandage. This includes the full spectrum: from stabilizing ingredients to sweeteners to colors.

Let’s not give anyone a reason to critique our products or practices. Dairy foods have a healthful halo. Let’s—together—make that halo stronger in the New Year.

The Daily Dose of Dairy Friday blogs will resume on January 8th. The daily new products will continue to be sent Monday through Thursday during the holiday season. Many will have a holiday theme, such as the YoCrunch Marshmallow Hot Cocoa yogurt that opened this blog. We must never lose sight of the fact that dairy foods should be safe, delicious, nutritious, affordable, and yes, at times, fun. After all, there’s always raw almonds and kale leaves.

Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Sincerely,
Donna Berry

Happy New Year! And to all U.S. subscribers, I hope you agree that the 2015-2020 edition of the Dietary Guidelines published on Thursday (Jan. 7, 2016) are a great way to start the year. (A summary of how dairy is addressed in the guidelines can be found at the end of this blog.)

“The 2015 Dietary Guidelines give Americans an easy New Year’s resolution to improve their health for 2016: Consume more dairy foods. These guidelines reinforce that dairy is the answer to a healthier diet.”
Jim Mulhern, president and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation

When it comes to ice cream, the industry needs to be strategic on this delicious dessert’s marketplace positioning. After all, for the first time, the Dietary Guidelines directly address sugar intake through the recommendation of limiting added sugars to 10% or less of calories. The emphasis is on added sugars, not inherent sugar, such as the lactose found in milk. However, when it comes to ice cream, added sugars tend to be on the high side…but do they need to be? This past year I reported on numerous better-for-you frozen desserts. You can read more HERE and by scrolling through the new frozen dessert page by linking HERE.

http://sensoryeffects.com/our-company/whats-new/2017-feature-flavors-trends?utm_source=bod&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=BOD_0116_IC_2016Trends

I believe the time is right for single-serve ice cream treats that are designed to be lower in fat and sugar. The dairy component provides nine essential nutrients, giving permission to consumers to healthfully indulge in a treat. (More on better-for-you formulating in a future blog.)

This blog is not about value-added formulations or packaging. It’s all about flavor trends, and is always one of the most well-read blogs of the year. So here goes…let’s just jump into what I believe will be the top-five flavor platforms during the next year or two. (Spoiler alert: all five sort of meld together.)

1. Caramel Continues to Mutate
Sea salt caramel is not going away, but expect to see caramel with new partners and in new formats. Think caramel swirl with coffee, cinnamon, honey or vanilla. Think chocolate-covered caramel, a.k.a. truffles. Caramel is also the ideal sweet carrier for a little bit of heat. Think chipotle, jalapeno or sriracha. To read more about the sweet with heat trend, link HERE.

In the U.S., Unilever is expanding its Breyers Blasts! line with Mini Caramel Hershey’s Kisses. In the Philippines, the company is rolling out a sea salt caramel Kisses version under its Selecta brand.

The beauty of caramel is that it can be used in better-for-you formulations, as a little goes a long way. Just check out limited-holiday edition Enlightened Cinnamon Caramel Swirl, which is a stick novelty of cinnamon spice ice cream with a caramel swirl.

Also for the holiday’s, Canada’s Chapman’s offered a Holiday Moments Shortbread, which contained shortbread pieces and a salty caramel swirl. It’s dessert density. Being two desserts in one, it saves calories. (Yeah, right! Who am I kidding? But it was super yummy!)

2. Coffee is hot in the freezer
Coffee-flavored ice creams have come and gone over the years. Starbucks once had its own branded line, which was produced by Dreyer’s. Even Eight O’Clock Coffee had its name in the freezer. Back in 2006, Kemps and Caribou Coffee teamed up to offer four varieties all made with real brewed Caribou-branded coffee. (One contained a caramel swirl!)

Coffee is back in the freezer and showing up in flavors with names containing terms such as cappuccino, java and mocha. But more importantly, the coffee is being qualified by being Cold Brewed, Fair Trade or Organic. To read more about the cold-brewed coffee phenomenon, link HERE.

Coffee flavors not only partner well with caramel and chocolate, the right coffee can carry notes of smoke or spice. And almost all nuts complement coffee.

Here’s an interesting twist on coffee and caffeine. For the first time in the history of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, the 2015-2020 edition makes coffee and caffeine a noteworthy point of discussion, and in a positive framework. In the 2010 edition, there were no recommendations on coffee consumption, with coffee mentioned only three times and caffeine never addressed. By contrast, the recently published edition mentions coffee 209 times and caffeine 205 times. The new guidelines state “moderate coffee consumption (three to five 8-ounce cups/day or providing up to 400 mg/day of caffeine) can be incorporated into healthy eating patterns.” Though non-consumers are not encouraged to start becoming users, the statement reflects current science that suggests coffee consumption may be a positive factor in overall well-being. Coffee consumption has been shown to reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as possibly play a protective role against Parkinson’s disease. These healthful benefits are quite contradictory to what many in the medical community preached not that long ago. Today, coffee has become a functional food and can add a healthful halo to ice cream, which is one of the few desserts to contain nine essential nutrients.

3. Mixology Movement
From Daiquiri Ice to Rum Raisin, over the years, numerous adult beverage flavors have made their way into frozen desserts, usually without containing real alcohol…but not always.

Back in the 90s, when Haagen-Dazs was still part of Pillsbury, the brand teamed up with Diageo to produce a non-alcoholic version of Bailey’s flavored ice cream. (I remember. I actually visited their New York offices and interviewed the R&D team on the development of the product.)

Most recently, Bulla Dairy in Australia developed what it calls an adults-only product line featuring real Bailey’s Irish Cream in three flavor profiles: Burnt Toffee, Chocolate and Original. Because the ice creams contain less than 0.5% alcohol, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand does not require the packaging to declare the alcohol content; however, Bulla and Baileys decided to still include the alcohol content on the labeling. Better safe than sorry!

Expect to see more personalized adult beverage flavors in frozen desserts. Regional ice cream makers have started teaming up with local mixologists to transform their namesake cocktails into frozen desserts. Think unique spins on cosmopolitans, whiskey sours and martinis. Also, craft beers are finding their way into the freezer.

Most recently, Ben & Jerry’s showed us a new way to enjoy New Belgium Brewing Ale with the introduction of limited-batch Salted Caramel Brown-ie Ale ice cream. This is a brown ale-flavored ice cream with swirls of salted caramel and chunks of fudge brownies. (Caramel goes great with beer and brownies!)

On a regional level, third-generation family-owned and operated Clover Stornetta Farms has introduced a line of craft ice creams including Hoppy Hour, which is made with Bear Republic Brewing’s distinctive artisan Racer 5 IPA. The company also has offers French Press, which is made with hand-brewed dark roast coffee, and leading into the next flavor trend platform, they also offer Tempt Me Toffee, which is made with crunchy, buttery English toffee from Charles Chocolates in San Francisco.

To read more about how the flavors of beer, spirits and wine are finding their way into foods, link HERE.

4. Artisan, Crafted and Local
The mixology movement rides the waves of artisan, crafted and local.
For the record, Jeni’s is back in business and selling pints at retail for $9.99. This is at mainstream retail. At Whole Foods Market, I believe it’s a dollar or two more. Of course, caramel is an integral ingredient in many of her artisan creations.

Häagen-Dazs showed us last year that even a national brand can get crafty and personal with its Artisan Collection ice cream line. The line consists of six gourmet flavors made with inclusions developed in conjunction with small, but well-known confectioners around the U.S. For example, Applewood Smoked Caramel Almond uses pralines from Praline Patisserie in San Diego and Tres Leches Brigadeiro includes confections from New York’s My Sweet Brigadeiro.

View a video of the brand and the efforts that went into its development HERE. It’s very inspirational.

The brand is at it again this season. Looks like they have plans to roll out what’s called the Destination Series. So far I am aware of two offerings: Mayan Chocolate and Toasted Sesame Brittle. The flavors are all about escaping to another country. That brings me to flavor trend platform #5.

5. Global Inspiration
Escaping to a foreign land through ice cream is becoming increasingly popular, with companies such as Chapman’s offering the 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.

Last year, the Movenpick brand, which is sold in select European countries and other select global markets, introduced what was called the Limited Edition Africa series. The four flavors were: Bourbon Vanilla & Exotic Fruits, Madagascar Island Cocoa, Moroccan Orange Blossom & Date, and South African Rooibos Tea & Raspberry.

Under this global flavor trend comes speculoos and tiramisu, desserts from the Netherlands and Italy, respectively, that are increasingly showing up in frozen desserts flavors. Expect to see more speculoos this season, as its flavor builds on the caramel platform. It’s a shortcrust cookie with a sweet butter flavor and contains a spice blend consisting of cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg. The speculoos flavor works great in ice cream and also makes a flavorful inclusion, possibly coated with caramel or chocolate. Ginger, which is an important flavor in speculoos, is driving all types of flavor innovation because it provides two types of heat, one that’s refreshing and another that’s spicy. There’s also a healthful halo surrounding ginger, and it has strong ethnic associations.

And though this product is unique to the Japanese market, it definitely is worth noting as an up-and-coming ice cream concept. Häagen-Dazs is growing its Japonais line with a chestnut and azuki red bean offering, which goes by the name Waguri Azuki. This is the fifth product in three years to be released in the popular Japonais series, which pays homage to some of Japan’s best flavor combinations…many of which will soon be embraced in other countries.

This is a four-layered frozen dessert, designed as a single portion, with a chestnut ice cream base topped with whole azuki beans, followed by smooth vanilla ice cream and a final layer of soft chopped chestnuts on top.

2015 Dietary Guidelines: Dairy Foods Are a Key Component of Healthy Eating for Well-Being

The final version of the 2015 federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) affirms the vital, unrivaled contribution made by dairy foods, and reminds Americans that they will continue to benefit from three daily servings of low-fat and fat-free dairy. In fact, the DGA notes that current intakes of dairy foods for most Americans “are far below recommendations of the Healthy U.S.-Style Pattern,” and they call for a shift to consume more dairy products. Milk, cheese and yogurt are important answers to the question of how Americans should change their diets for the better.

As America strives to create a culture of wellness, the 2015 DGA embraces flexibility to help people build and enjoy healthy eating patterns that will nourish them physically, while also nourishing cultural and personal connections. Regardless of one’s path to a healthy diet, three daily servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy foods like milk, cheese or yogurt can play an important role in healthy eating and well-being, from childhood through adulthood.

While people eat foods, not nutrients, the nutrients in food do matter. Low-fat or fat-free dairy foods are fundamental to all of the patterns recommended by the DGA: Healthy U.S.-style Pattern, Healthy Vegetarian-Style Pattern and Healthy Mediterranean-style Pattern. That’s because low-fat and fat-free dairy foods offer a unique set of nine essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D and potassium, which most people do not get enough of in their diets.

In fact, because of dairy foods’ nutrient-rich package, it can be challenging for most Americans, mainly those aged nine and older, to meet nutrient recommendations without eating three servings of dairy a day. When foods from the dairy group are removed from daily eating patterns, or replaced with sugar-sweetened beverages, calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin A and riboflavin dropped below 100% of goals. What’s more, levels of vitamin D and potassium, as well as choline, dropped substantially.

The new Guidelines note “strong evidence shows that healthy eating patterns are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Moderate evidence indicates that healthy eating patterns also are associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer… overweight, and obesity.” In addition, “research also has linked dairy intake to improved bone health, especially in children and adolescents.”

The good news for people across the country is that dairy foods taste great, are accessible almost anywhere, contain essential nutrients and come in a variety of options from lactose-free to low-fat, fat-free or lower sodium, all at a reasonable cost. In fact, you can get three servings of milk for less than $1 a day (with each serving at about 25 cents). And with 8 grams of protein in every 8 ounces, milk is a natural source of high-quality protein, meaning it provides the full mix of essential amino acids our body needs. The dairy community is committed to doing its part to ensure healthy products are available to enhance the health of people and communities, now and for future generations.

As a parent of two teenage boys, I experience (daily) a great deal of bickering and strong dislike, but honestly, never anything as bad as what went down this week in the yogurt world. Really?

At a time when most of the U.S. dairy industry is reveling in last week’s positive positioning of dairy in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, how could any player condemn a reputable dairy foods business? I won’t name names, because that’s not who I am.

http://www.ingredion.us/applications/Dairy.html?utm_source=DonnaBerryBlog&utm_medium=eNewsletter_728x90&utm_campaign=GoingClean2016

(If you want to view the print ad I am referencing, you can link HERE. I cannot bring myself to include such malice in this blog. This ad ran in numerous Sunday papers, including the New York Times. Such a full-page color ad in the Sunday New York Times runs for $174,760. That’s a college education for both of my boys and a car for graduation.)

We need to stand as a united front to increase dairy foods consumption, in the States and abroad. It’s a global crisis, as the human body needs the nutrient density dairy foods deliver.

With that said, product developers going forward should continue to strive for simple, clean formulations. (In case you have not heard, clean label is the future of food.) If current products in the market are well received and meet a need, and if they are helping consumers get their three servings of a dairy a day, then so be it.

Those teenage boys of mine and their friends read food labels. Going forward, label reading will continue to impact their food choices and guide them in the direction to make smart choices. I can guarantee it won’t stop them from enjoying an orange Fanta and a bag of Doritos occasionally. Heck, I even enjoy the taste of Tab now and then.

Going clean in 2016 means making better-for-you choices when formulating dairy foods. Let’s not forget that sometimes the product requires certain ingredients to meet the demands of distribution, shelf life and affordability.

Going clean is doing the best job you can in developing nutrient-dense dairy foods.

This brings me to the good people at Stonyfield. I’ve long been a fan, almost as long as I have known Gary Hirshberg, co-founder of the company. When he and Samuel Kaymen joined forces in 1983, they were simply trying to help family farms survive, protect the environment, and keep food and food production healthy through their nonprofit organic farming school. When they commercialized their yogurt production, it was not all organic, as demand for the yogurt exceeded supply of organic milk and other ingredients. Still, they focused on producing healthy, delicious food void of “unclean” ingredients.

Like anyone who became acquainted with Gary in the 90s, I quickly learned that part of his mission was to raise consumer awareness about the health- and wellness-benefits of consuming yogurt and other dairy foods. He wanted all processors to thrive and believed by making, promoting and selling the best dairy products possible, everyone was a winner. He celebrated everything dairy!

As you move forward with future innovations, focus on making clean-label choices. Invest in your business, so all players can benefit. No one benefits from name calling.

Growth in the cultured dairy products segment, which includes everything from cream cheese and sour cream to yogurt and its many variations, such as kefir, lassi and skyr, will come from specialty products, premium products with a purpose. This was very apparent at the Winter Fancy Food Show, which took place earlier this week in San Francisco. With enough cheese, chocolate and olive oil to fill four football fields, the show confirmed the growing popularity of specialty foods, which are defined as foods or beverages of the highest grade, style and/or quality in their respective categories. Their specialty nature derives from a combination of some or all of the following qualities: uniqueness, origin, processing method, design, limited supply, unusual application or use, extraordinary packaging, or channel of distribution/sales.

Sales of most mainstream cultured dairy products are flat, with growth for one brand, form or variety coming at the expense of another. This has been the same scenario in the ice cream category for a very long time. Yes, the Greek yogurt segment continues to grow, but has slowed.

According to data from Chicago-based IRI provided to Dairy Management Inc., Rosemont, Ill., and courtesy of the Midwest Dairy Association, Greek yogurt volume sales increased a mere 4.4% in the first 11 months of 2015, as compared to the same time frame in 2014. This is nothing compared to the multi-year, double-digit growths experienced just five years ago. Non-Greek volume sales are relatively flat.

The Chobani folks will say that the Flip line is providing them incremental growth, as use of culinary-inspired inclusions allowed the brand to move out of the breakfast daypart. Flip’s dual-compartment package brought new users to the Greek yogurt category, but these new users will soon all be on board, and then what?

The company believes Chobani Flip will soon be the next billion dollar yogurt brand, and is working very hard to make that happen. For example, just a few weeks ago, the brand made its boldest flavor statement with the rollout of two “heat meets sweet” varieties: Chipotle Pineapple and Sriracha Mango.

Indeed the company is onto something, yet the “heat meets sweet” trend will likely resonate best with the specialty food consumer, the consumer who shops the specialty food refrigerated case at higher-end stores, or seeks out hand-crafted/batch-produced products priced at a premium in the mainstream dairy case.

This is what you get with Noosa. Categorized as Aussie-style yogurt, the Colorado-based company produces its namesake yogurt in small batches using fresh local whole milk. This non-strained yogurt is lightly sweetened with honey. To kick off 2016, noosa yoghurt introduced four new flavors. Three of them--Key Lime, Salted Caramel and limited-batch Blood Orange—rolled out nationally, with the fourth flavor—Blackberry Serrano (blackberries and serrano chilies)—available in limited distribution in Colorado.

To read more about the “heat meets sweet” trend, link HERE to an article I recently wrote for Culinology, the Research Chefs Association publication.

Heat complements the savory trend, which really is all about “less sweet.” I’m not talking less sugar, rather less sweet. Consumers' taste buds are changing, and heat, herbs, spices, etc., are finding their way into unexpected dairy foods, such as cottage cheese. Even bitter flavors such as coffee and tea are finding their way into cultured dairy foods.

That’s one of the directions the folks at Good Culture have taken with their namesake single-serve line of cottage cheese. The company states that cottage cheese is an overlooked superfood, and I agree. I also believe that is changing by the number of queries I get from entrepreneur specialty food innovators. Read about cottage cheese being the original high-protein cultured dairy food HERE. Read how dairies can contemporize cottage cheese HERE.

good culture made its initial debut almost a year ago at the Natural Products Expo West Show, and at this year’s expo will reintroduce the product in a more contemporary package and now in a whole milk formulation (vs. the original line’s debut in 2% milkfat).

The line includes five varieties. In addition to classic cottage cheese, there are two savory varieties (Kalamata Olive and Sundried Tomato) and two sweet varieties (Blueberry Açaí Chia and Strawberry Chia). The single-serve containers come in convenient, on-the-go 5.3-ounce packs.

“We were tired of searching for great-tasting cottage cheese that wasn’t loaded with thickeners, stabilizers, hormones and high-fructose corn syrup sweetened flavors, so we decided to make our own,” says co-founder Jesse Merrill. “Grandma’s cottage cheese/pineapple combo just wasn’t cutting it.”

“Cottage cheese is filled with nutrition and loaded with protein,” says co-founder Anders Eisner. “It has more protein than most Greek yogurts on the market and it tastes delicious.”

The product is certified organic and contains non-GMO ingredients. Low-in sugar, the cottage cheese is made from grass-fed milk from respected cows on sustainable family farms in Wisconsin and has probiotics, according to the company.

In efforts to attract snacking consumers, Sierra Nevada Cheese Co., is now making its handcrafted Cultured Classics dairy products available in 2-ounce single-serve sizes. The line includes Créme Kefir and cream cheese in flavors such as Garlic & Herb, Jalapeno and Original. These organic products are made the old-fashioned way—batch style in small vats--using only simple ingredients: locally sourced organic cultured milk, cream and salt.

Less sugar, but still somewhat sweet, is a growing trend in fruited cultured dairy products. B’more Organic produces Skyr Smoothies, a line of drinkable no-sugar-added strained nonfat yogurts. The cultured beverages come in 16-ounce plastic bottles, with an 8-ounce serving containing no more than 14 grams of sugar from inherent lactose. Organic stevia keeps calories and sugar content low.

To read more about reducing sugar yet maintaining sweetness in dairy foods, link HERE to an article I recently wrote for Food Business News on the topic.

There’s a recurring theme in a number of the new products just referenced and that is being made with whole milk. Fat is no longer the enemy, and in fact, research suggests that the fat found in cows milk can be beneficial when consumed in moderation…like just about anything that tastes good!

Whole milk tastes good. (Cream is even better!) It’s satisfying and delicious. When partnered with the complete protein (contains all essential amino acids in the proportions required by the body) found in cows milk, you’ve got yourself one powerful food.

The IRI data previously mentioned shows that whole milk yogurt (Greek and non-Greek) had 9.2% share of retail yogurt volume sales during the first 11 months of 2015. Compared to the same period in 2014, sales were up 26.7%. This is while fat-free yogurt volume sales were down 4.3%. This trend is expected to continue, with most specialty yogurt manufacturers entering the market with products made with whole milk, and mainstream players expanding product lines to include whole milk options.

For example, Stonyfield Farm introduced its new dual-compartment whole milk Greek line at the Fancy Food show. This is the first time the company has offered a product in this package format. The interactive package allows the consumer to mix in just the right amount of variegate—blueberry, cherry, honey or strawberry—into the yogurt.

In addition, whole milk plain and whole milk vanilla bean will roll out in 5.3- and 30-ounce containers, which represents another Greek yogurt trend: the multi-use, recipe-intended tub. This larger package size, which typically ranges from 16- to-32 ounces, makes up almost a fifth (18.6%) of all refrigerated yogurt sold through retail channels, with volume sales of tubs up 6.2% during the first 11 months of 2015, as compared to the same period in 2014.

A new Illinois company—1871 Dairy LLC--illustrates this trend. Named after the famous Chicago fire of 1871, when Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern (It would have burned down my current home.) starting Chicago afire, the company uses local grass-fed whole milk to produce non-homogenized, cream-on-top probiotic yogurt. Sold in 8-ounce glass jars with hand-applied labels—the “use by date” is hand written in a black Sharpie—I found the product at Plum Market in the city’s Gold Coast neighborhood. I paid $3.99 for that jar, and savored every spoonful.

Introduced a few years ago, the time is right for Sosi’s Armenian Yogurt Dip, which was on display at the Fancy Food Show. This Colorado-based company uses a base of nonfat Armenian-style yogurt. The dips are enhanced with whey proteins and include olive oil, which yields a thick, rich dip that’s also loaded with probiotic cultures. The dips come in five varieties: Artichoke Dill, Garden Mint, Mediterranean Roast. Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Jalapeno.

Probiotics are being included in all types of cultured dairy foods, while their health- and wellness-claims are cautiously being promoted. The good news is that a growing number of consumers understand the positives of consuming probiotics and continue to seek them out…as they are now found in all types of foods. Cultured dairy should own probiotics, or at the very least, be a significant player.

On a global basis, Dannon continues to invest in its probiotic Activia brand, which is designed to improve digestive health. The most recent introduction is Activia Fruit Fusion, a layered product of reduced-fat yogurt with fruity combinations. In the U.S., the line will be available in Blueberry & Blackberry, Cherry & Vanilla, Peach & Mango and Strawberry & Raspberry.

This fusion of flavors is a bit different in the U.K., where the new line comes in Blueberry & Acai, Mango & Passionfruit and Raspberry & Lychee.

Probiotics will likely be one of the key attributes in making drinkable cultured dairy a reality…once again, but hopefully for the long term, in the U.S.

Here’s the deal. Cultured dairy drinks, which include kefir, lassi and yogurt, have experienced ups and downs since the turn-of-the-century. This is likely due to consumer confusion with how to include such products in the daily eating regime. With the recent rise in all-day healthy snacking, coupled with consumers’ distaste for sugary soft drinks, the time might finally be right for drinking yogurts and fermented beverages.

According to my friends at Innova Market Insights, drinkable cultured dairy products accounted for 8.5% of total global dairy launches in the 12 months to the end of October 2015. “The drinking yogurt market has enjoyed mixed fortunes in recent years,” says Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova. “A positioning that falls between traditional spoonable yogurts, milk drinks and other soft drinks has proven to be a mixed blessing, with high levels of competition in all these areas.”

After a period of strong growth in the first half of the 2000s, driven by rising interest in healthy and convenient options, the market also found itself split into two separate areas--single-serve dose-delivery active health drinks and traditional drinking yogurts--with the latter increasingly coming under pressure from the former. This position has tended to reverse with the regulatory changes preventing the use of probiotic claims in key markets, perhaps most notably Europe, which accounts for more than half of launches in the sub-category.

Despite the use of the term “probiotic” being disallowed in the European Union, the association of yogurt with digestive/gut health has clearly been made. It is the most popular claim globally, used on more than half of drinking cultured dairy launches.

There are now indications that the market is moving forward, with a particular focus on yogurt and fruit blends in a smoothie format, while there has also been the rising interest in yogurt-style fermented drinks that has brought products such as kefir and lassi into mainstream markets in non-traditional regions.

One of the most high-profile recent arrivals has been the Icelandic yogurt-style fermented dairy product Skyr in countries such as the U.S., the U.K. and mainland Europe, in drinkable and smoothie formats. It is offered in a range of fruit flavors, as well as trendy options such as coffee and vanilla. There has also been a focus on offering liquid yogurt products for the breakfast market, both in-home in cartons and for on-the-go replacements in resealable plastic bottles.

One of the attributes that makes drinkable cultured dairy attractive to consumers—especially in the U.S.—is not calling it drinkable yogurt. When consumers think yogurt, they think spoon.

Using specialty probiotic cultures described at kefir cultures, my neighbors and friends at Lifeway have done an incredible job of making kefir a household name in the States.

The folks at Maple Hill Creamery want a piece of the action. This artisan dairy is rolling out 100% Grass-Fed Whole Milk Kefir made with milk sourced from small family farms in upstate New York. With 9 grams of protein per serving, the organic kefir comes in plain (no sugar added), strawberry and vanilla varieties.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the cultured dairy foods category has room to grow…it’s up to the players to produce quality product that speaks to the needs of today’s consumers. As I said in last week’s blog, which can be accessed HERE, nobody wins when you attack your dairy foods partner.

Photo source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

The 2016 Winter Fancy Food Show ended on a high note last week in San Francisco with the strongest attendance and largest exhibit space in the show’s 41-year history. Cheese innovations ruled the show, with cheesemakers from Wisconsin, the state that has led the U.S. in cheesemaking since 1910, dominating the expo floor.

Amid record sales in the $109 billion specialty food industry, the show drew close to 20,000 attendees, a 16% increase above 2015 numbers. Buyers represented top names in retailing, restaurants and foodservice including Whole Foods, Kroger, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, Williams-Sonoma, Alaska Airlines, and hundreds of local specialty and natural food markets.

Specialty foods are defined as foods or beverages of the highest grade, style, and/or quality in their respective categories. Their specialty nature derives from a combination of some or all of the following qualities: uniqueness, origin, processing method, design, limited supply, unusual application or use, extraordinary packaging, or channel of distribution/sales.

According to the State of the Specialty Food Industry report, which is produced by the Specialty Food Association and Mintel, specialty food saw a record year in 2014. For the first time ever, total U.S. sales of specialty food topped $100 billion, with an increase of nearly 22% over 2012 to $109 billion. Retail sales in multi-unit outlets, specialty food stores and natural grocers hit $85.5 billion. Foodservice sales represent the other 22% of all specialty food dollars, or $24.1 billion.

Table sourced from the State of the Specialty Food Industry report, 2015

The specialty food market now has 15 segments worth more than $1 billion, led by cheese and cheese alternatives; coffee, coffee substitutes and cocoa; and frozen and refrigerated meat, poultry and seafood. For more information on the specialty food industry, link HERE.

Earlier this week I wrote an article entitled “Party of One: Snacking on Specialty Foods” for Food Business News. The article includes insight and data from The Hartman Group, including why it’s very important to not tell the consumer that a certain snack is for a specific daypart. Let the consumer decide when they will snack on a certain food. This is because grazing has become an all-day activity for many consumers. Dairy foods, in particular, cheese, provide many of the attributes consumers are looking for in snacks. This includes energy, satiety and nutrient density. To read the article, link HERE.

Graph source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

Consumer Cheese Trends for 2016
In late December, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) issued its predictions of what will drive consumer cheese purchases in 2016. With Americans’ passion for cheese at an all-time high—USDA reports that the average American consumes 34 pounds of cheese annually, a growth of 43% over the past 25 years—cheesemakers are aggressively developing new forms and flavors of cheese to keep the category growing. These products take flavor and performance to innovative new heights.

The seven things cheese consumers will look for in 2016 are:

1. Authenticity. According to Technomic, 62% of consumers are more likely to purchase foods produced locally. They want to know how it was made, by whom, and if sustainable practices were used to do so. The Millennial generation is a driving force behind this trend. Not only have they come to expect transparency in the food they purchase and consume, they are also willing to pay a premium for it.

2. Bold Flavor. Bold and uniquely flavored cheeses are expected to outperform in both volume and dollar sales as consumers look for ways to diversify their palates. Data from IRI show that the U.S. retail flavored cheese market is $1.5 billion. In volume, that’s close to a quarter-billion pounds, or 7% of the total cheese category. Year-to-date 2015 data from IRI finds flavored cheeses up by 4.5% in volume sales while unflavored cheeses are up by only half a percent. Similarly, year-to-date dollar sales of flavored cheeses are up 8.3%, compared to unflavored cheese dollar sales up 4.8%.

Photo source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

The most popular flavors used in cheese are:
1.    Jalapeno
2.    Smoked
3.    Taco
4.    Pimento
5.    Berry
6.    Habanero
7.    Onion
8.    Herbs
9.    Garlic
10.   Vegetable
Source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

The fastest-growing flavors enhancing cheese are:
1.    Spice
2.    Vanilla
3.    Bacon
4.    Caramel/Maple/Sugar
5.    Cajun/Creole
6.    Fruit
7.    Alcohol
8.    Hot
9.    Seafood
10.    Olive/Olive Oil
11.    Cinnamon
12.    Nut
13.    Mushroom/Truffle
14.    Buffalo
15.    Roasted
Source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

3. Snack Sophistication. According to WMMB’s custom IRI database, snacks are outperforming the consumer packaged goods category as a whole in all channels. Americans continue to eat on the go, but they know they don’t have to sacrifice taste or nutrition to do so. In fact, more consumers are looking for convenient ways to add high-quality proteins to their diets, with Mintel reporting sales of protein-rich snacks increasing by 89% between 2012 and 2014. New items such as snack sticks with notes of Parmesan and zesty teriyaki beef, fresh mozzarella ball snack packs and aged cheddar cracker cuts offer nutritional value and grown-up flavor appeal to the growing snack sector.

4. Info to Go. With a smartphone or tablet in hand, consumers are searching, planning, sharing and purchasing food online, including cheese. In fact, according to Nielsen data, more than 80% of Millennials rely on their mobile devices when shopping. Mobile apps such as the Wisconsin Cheese Cupid (link HERE) help shoppers pair cheeses with their favorite beer, wine or spirit, while also providing in-depth information on hundreds of varieties of cheeses.

5. Freshness. Cheese curds continue to excite consumers as they look for ways to enjoy more fresh cheeses. Data from IRI shows sales of curds are up 17.3% at retail and 7% at foodservice.

6. Tradition. Cheesemakers are perfecting the aging process and returning to more traditional ways of doing so. Many affineurs are tapping into the historical tradition of underground aging caves with high humidity and moderate temperature, moving away from standard walk-in coolers and finding ways to create their own caves on site.

7. Performance. Shredded cheese is going beyond basic convenience with new blends for specific applications such as homemade flatbreads and macaroni and cheese. With blends created for optimal flavor and meltability, consumers can easily and cost-effectively achieve restaurant-quality results at home. Other new shred products include flavorful additions such as rosemary and roasted garlic to easily build flavor into homemade meals.

Here are on-trend new products that were showcased at the Winter Fancy Food Show.

The unique hand-held snacking combo of cheese and salami known as Cheesewich now comes in a fourth variety—Provolone—joining Colby Jack, Mild Cheddar and Pepper Jack. Designed with today’s fast-paced, health-conscious consumer in mind, this grab-and-go meal of salami sandwiched between two slices of cheese provides 160 to 170 calories and 14 to 16 grams of protein, depending on variety. Each individually wrapped Cheesewich is 2.5-ounce and has a six-month refrigerated shelf life. The Cheesewich comes 24 to a box that functions as a retail merchandiser.

Saxon Creamery’s new Big Ed’s Gouda with Serrano Peppers is a hand-crafted, semi-soft, buttery gouda-style cheese that finishes with a small kick of heat. The creamery was founded in 1848 by the Klessig family, and five generations later, the family still owns and operates the Cleveland, Wis.-based creamery. These cheeses are made from milk from the creamery’s Holstein/Jersey crossbred cows that graze on its 850 acres of pasture.

The creamery is all about innovation and recently created Asiago Fresca, an open-texture cheese that has the tang of asiago in a semi-soft format. It is made using a proprietary blend of cultures and aged for 50-plus days.

Making asiago--traditionally an aged, hard, crumbly cheese, much like Parmesan—into a soft, creamy format opens the door to new uses, including as a spread on crackers and breads. Bel Brands USA is expanding The Laughing Cow brand with wedges of Creamy Asiago. This artisanal-inspired cheese features a nutty, bold and savory flavor. Each wedge is 0.75-ounces and contains 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 3 grams of protein. A package contains eight wedges. Creamy Asiago joins the company’s eight other flavors: Mozzarella Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Flavor, Queso Fresco Chipotle, Spicy Pepper Jack, Swiss French Onion, Swiss Garlic & Herbs, Swiss Light, Swiss (original), and White Cheddar.

Snacking cheese has become so much more than a string of mozzarella. BelGioioso Cheese used the Winter Fancy Food Show to introduce three new items that meet consumers’ needs for individual-sized, portion-controlled snacks. The 70-calorie Fontina Snacking Cheese contains three cubes in an individual 0.75-ounce package. The packs come in 6-ounce retail bags packed 10 per case. Individual packages are printed with the BelGioioso signature snacking smile logo.

In addition, the company has created a 3-ounce Mini Mascarpone cup (18 cups per case) and a 5-ounce Mini Ricotta single-serve cup (12 cups per case). The mascarpone cups are a perfect size for a healthier spread option, with each serving at nearly half the calories of butter. The ricotta cups provide an individual serving of 16 grams of protein and 60% of the Daily Value of calcium and is packaged for use as a single-serve breakfast option with fresh fruit and granola, or as a fresh, creamy dip for vegetables. BelGioioso Cheese is a family-owned and operated company specializing in artisan Italian cheesemaking made with fresh, local Wisconsin milk.

When it comes to adding flavor to cheese, truffles are known for “a little bit going a long way.” This was apparent at the Winter Fancy Food Show, where a number of cheesemakers showcased their truffle cheese creations. This includes Marieke Gouda’s new Truffle Gouda. Made using a traditional gouda recipe from cheesemaker Marieke Penterman’s native Holland, the raw milk Wisconsin cheese is flavored with pieces of real black truffles, as well as black and white truffle oil.

To help culinary professionals get creative with cheese, Emmi Roth USA is introducing Roth Natural Melt Creamy Fontina. This is no ordinary melting cheese. The only ingredients used are natural, simple and wholesome: pasteurized cultured milk, enzymes and salt. It was developed in collaboration with the company’s corporate chefs and master cheesemakers and is designed to melt perfectly in any hot foodservice application. Special cheesemaking techniques are used, allowing for a creamy, homogenous melt. The cheese has a rich, buttery taste and smooth, velvety texture, and is an easy way to elevate a host of menu favorites, from sauces, dips and mac and cheese to burgers, flatbreads and panini. It comes in 7.5-pound loaves and can be sliced, diced, shredded and more.

For the retail channel, the company is introducing a new Wisconsin original: Prairie Sunset. Sold in 10-pound wheels intended for random-weight cutting at the cheese counter, Prairie Sunset has a golden hue with sweet flavor that includes undertones of butterscotch.

The latest fiery lineup in the feta category comes from Klondike Cheese with its new Odyssey Sweet Heat Pepper Crumbled Feta. Flavored with red and green jalapenos and habanero peppers, this spicy-yet-tangy cheese can be used in recipes or blended into dips and spreads.

Gary Vanic Named 2016 National Cheese Institute Laureate

The National Cheese Institute has bestowed its highest honor, the NCI Laureate Award, on Gary Vanic (pictured right), past president and CEO of Great Lakes Cheese Co., Hiram, Ohio. NCI Chairman Ron Dunford (pictured left), president of Schreiber U.S., Schreiber Foods Inc., Green Bay, Wis., presented the award to Vanic this week during a special ceremony at the International Dairy Foods Association’s Dairy Forum 2016 in Phoenix. (It was so wonderful to see so many of you there!)

The NCI Laureate Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development and growth of the cheese industry. A panel of industry professionals chooses a winner each year based on the person’s long-term contributions to the industry.

Vanic started his career in the dairy industry at Land O’ Lakes in Minnesota. Over a span of 20 years, he took on a variety of projects and titles, calling himself “the fixer” as he learned every aspect of the dairy business. At the same time, another NCI Laureate, Hans Epprecht, was building his own business, transforming Great Lakes Cheese from a small market stall in Cleveland to one of the largest suppliers of private-label cheeses in the country. When Epprecht was ready to retire in 1999, he chose Vanic as his successor, who accepted, leading Great Lakes Cheese as president and CEO for the next 16 years. During his tenure, Vanic was known for driving innovation and supporting initiatives that helped to define the company’s continued success.

Including Vanic and Epprecht, other cheese industry pioneers who have won the NCI Laureate Award include Fritz Leeman, Bob Bush, Larry Jensen, Lou Gentine, Mark Johnson, Jerome Schuman, Larry Ferguson, John Jeter, Mark Davis, Wes Allen, Elmer Marth, Max Gonzenbach, Rudy Nef, Betsy Holden, Don Storhoff, Lester Kielsmeier, Norm Olson, Dave Nusbaum, John Nelson, Harold Steinke, Raymond Goldbach, Jack Budahn and Vince Zehren.

A video honoring Vanic for his contributions is available HERE.

The “need” to innovate was a focal point at the recent Dairy Forum in Phoenix.

Steve Jones, CEO of fairlife said in a panel discussion, “They will buy what we make. We need to make what they want.”

This is so very true with Greek yogurt. Consumers did not know they wanted Greek yogurt until Chobani introduced the American mass market to this high-protein dairy phenomena. The rest is history.

Fairlife is experiencing a similar, albeit slower, consumer response to its namesake ultra-filtered high-protein, high-calcium, low-sugar fluid milk line. In keeping with another focal point at Dairy Forum—that of working together not against each other—Jones invited other fluid milk processors to join the value-added milk platform to “make more of what consumers want in their milk.”

Beau Mainous, chief customer officer at Chobani said during the same panel discussion that the speed of innovation is at an all-time high. He explained that in order to make what consumers want, it’s critical to get insight from many sources and act fast.

I hope the Daily Dose of Dairy is one of your innovation tools.

Working with ingredient suppliers is paramount, as product development timelines have gotten shorter and shorter. And innovation is constant. In the past, companies talked about product failure and success by longevity in the market. This is no longer the case. Limited-edition and seasonal products are the norm. A rotation of flavors and concepts is what keeps today’s consumers interested in a brand.

Private-label retailer Aldi does a fabulous job in the U.S. of keeping consumers coming back for what’s new. If you have not been to an Aldi store recently, check one out. With very limited space, the store is constantly bringing in new products when others sell out. It stocks pantry and refrigerator staples, but in the category of dairy, you can always expect to see something new in cheese, dessert and yogurt. This keeps shoppers coming back and when a product catches their eye, they likely spend a little more than originally planned.

Here’s a perfect example of a product intended for the Valentine’s holiday. Sold in the freezer under Aldi’s Specially Selected brand, each box contains two dairy dessert cups. Imported from Germany, these desserts are intended for consumption once thawed. Chocolate Mousse Cups are layers of white, milk and plain chocolate mousse with crunchy chocolate pieces and chocolate sponge cake, all topped with white chocolate hearts. Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cups are layers of vanilla-flavored cream, crunchy chocolate chips, strawberry sauce and golden sponge cake, again, all topped with white chocolate hearts. At only 220 or 260 calories per 3-ounce parfait, this product invites shoppers to treat themselves, and to treat their better half.

In German Aldi stores, the company has rolled out single-serve puddings with dome cups of inclusions. There are typical mix-ins of chocolate candies and crushed cookies, but also more premium indulgent ones, such as toffee fudge pieces and almond brittle. For youngsters, there’s even an option with mini marshmallows.

In the U.K., Farmhouse Fare recently introduced Naughty But Rice, a line of single-serve rice pudding desserts described as “rice pudding, but not as you know it.” The 140-gram microwavable cups (enjoyed warm or cold) come in three varieties: Chocolate Orange, Coconut & Raspberry and Salted Caramel.

The company explains on its website: “Rice pudding rocks. But we reckoned ye olde rice pudding world was in need of a stir. So we took it upon ourselves to zhoosh things up with a glorious range of fabulous flavours. First we simmer our pudding rice in whole milk and cream until perfectly soft. Then we get busy with the salted caramel, the coconut and raspberry or the chocolate orange. We bring you all the heart and soul of traditional rice pudding with a cheeky little twist. Oops naughty.”

Here are more products to inspire innovation. It’s time for you to zhoosh things up.

Bonne Maman, the premium jams and jellies marketer, is venturing out into the dessert business with new Bonne Maman Vanilla Crème & Raspberries. Sold in packs of two in the refrigerated dairy case, this dessert is a layer of vanilla cream atop a puree of gently cooked raspberries. Other new products from the company include: Rice & Raspberries, Strawberry Mousse, Strawberries & Cream, Chocolate Mousse, Crème Caramel, Crème Brûlée, Baba au Rhum and Crème Brûlée au chocolat.

Danone Danette is a refrigerated pudding described as being made of 75% fresh milk. The healthful halo of milk gives permission for consumers to indulge, as the product delivers a dose of calcium and vitamin D (from fortified milk). New to the Canadian marketplace, the dessert comes in four-packs of 100-gram single-serve pots. Danette has been a hit for a long time throughout Europe. Flavors include Cappuccino, Caramel, Chocolate, Crème Brulee, Extra Dark Chocolate and Vanilla. Each cup contains a mere 110 calories.

Poland’s Mleczna Dolina builds on milk’s healthful halo by making a dessert out of kefir. Deser Kefirowy comes in 150-gram single-serve cups in three varieties: Cherry & Apple Jam, Strawberry & Apple Jam and Plum Jam.

Zott’s Monte brand debuted in April 1996 and at the time was described as a completely new kind of dessert. It still is quite unique. Under development for more than two years, Monte is a combination of fresh milk-cream, chocolate and hazelnuts. During the past decade, the brand has expanded with new concepts and additional flavors. For example, Monte Plus starts with the original Monte combination and adds a layer of sauce.

There’s also a dual compartment concept. Cacao Cookie, Cookies and Waffle Sticks recently joined Butter Biscuits, Cappuccino Balls, Cherry and Crunchy.

Most recently the brand added Zott Snack, a practical snack slice for on-the-go consumption. The Monte Snack is the original Monte cream combination sandwiched between two light slices of cake.

Photo source: International Dairy Queen

The fast-food and frozen dairy dessert chain is featuring Red Velvet Blizzard Cupid Cakes for the Valentine holiday. Have a lovely one!

During the past two days I was engaged with the Dairy Council of California Functional Foods Task Force (FFTF). This is a group formed 16 years ago (I was a founding member) and convenes annually to track changes in the external environment that affect the dairy industry. This 14-member group is composed of industry experts from around the country, representing food and nutrition research and development, academia, marketing, education and communications. Discussions ensue around nutrition and dairy research, public policy, regulations and consumer perceptions that impact dairy. Strategies are identified that Dairy Council of California and the industry can pursue to optimize dairy’s positioning in a rapidly changing environment. To learn more about this group, link HERE.

We originally formed to focus on what was at the time the emerging area of functional foods and the role of dairy foods in this movement. Today the term functional foods is almost never heard, as the food industry has evolved to make functionality a given. Consumers have greater expectations of their foods, with nutrient density, wholesomeness, and fortification to bridge the gap for nutrients of concern expected. All foods perform a functional purpose, have it be provide calories for energy, nutrients to grow, or vitamins and minerals to reduce the risk of disease.

That brings me to frozen dairy desserts, including ice cream, fro-yo and novelties. Every year I provide the FFTF a brief overview of recent dairy foods innovations. In the past, my presentation focused on so-called functional foods, those foods that provide benefits beyond basic nutrition. Such foods had typically been fortified with functional ingredients such as plant stanols and sterols, novel fibers, whey proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, resveratrol, green tea extract, botanicals and more. This year I explained to the group that there’s not much of that going on these days in dairy…except in frozen dairy desserts.

These products historically have been all about indulgence and deliciousness. They are a dessert, a treat…but can they be more? With efforts to make refrigerated yogurt an all-day food, even a meal replacement in the evening by loading it up with nutrient-dense inclusions, some with a savory twist, why can’t frozen dairy desserts become something more, or, at the very least, a delivery vehicle for some extra nutrition? That might be something millennials want.

Millennials were a focal point of our discussions at the FFTF meeting. Specifically, we focused on how this demographic is changing the way we produce, source and distribute food. We also discussed how millennials as a group often reject science-proven nutrition and food safety principles—they are the drivers of the raw milk movement—and often listen to their Facebook friends for dietary advice.

To read an article I wrote earlier this week for Food Business News entitled “Debunking the Food Babe,” link HERE. The article is a Q&A with the three authors of the 400-page The Fear Babe: Shattering Vani Hari’s Glass House. This book has been dubbed “the book the natural and organic food industries doesn’t want you to read.”

The book’s title makes reference to the self-proclaimed Food Babe, Vani Hari, an attractive 30-something food activist from Charlotte, N.C., who, according to the authors, uses scare tactics rather than sound science to make food companies change their ingredients and business practices. Though too old to be a millennial herself, she preys on the millennial demographic and their rejection of science and Big Business.

This infographic from BuzzBack provides some insight to how millennials think and what makes them tick. The market research firm surveyed 190 U.S. residents, ages 18 to 34, and found that they are all about balancing health and indulgence. Specifically, eight in 10 say it’s important to eat healthy and believe it’s good to indulge occasionally. This is a perfect opportunity for ice cream and like products to be repositioned as a healthful indulgence.

According to a report rolling out later this month from Technavio entitled “Ice Cream Market in the U.S., 2016-2020,” the demand for healthier, more natural food has extended into the ice cream sector. This is being accomplished by manufacturers offering ice cream in smaller portion sizes, lower levels of fat and sugar, and fortified with functional ingredients such as probiotics and fiber.

Technavio’s market research analyst predicts the ice cream market in the U.S. to grow at a modest compound annual growth rate of around 2% by 2020. The growing consumption of take-home ice-cream products is the primary growth driver for this market, with Millennials often the ones buying the decadent pint to enjoy while watching something on Netflix. Factors such as the emergence of ice cream as a snack and a rise in the availability of ice cream in unique styles and flavors will impel market growth during the estimated period.

To keep consumers interested in the category, ice cream marketers need to differentiate themselves from others by innovating in packaging and formulation, as well as position in the marketplace. That’s what you get with this new product line rolling out by foxy’s.

I first wrote about this company in August 2012 when it introduced a line of “playful and healthful” frozen yogurts. You can read about the product line HERE.

The company is now rolling out what it calls “thoughtful ice cream,” a line of small-batch, probiotic ice creams with less sugar than most products in the marketplace. The line talks to millennials.

CEO and Managing Partner Angus Murray, a dynamic man who I have gotten to know over the past few years, says the company spent 36 months of research and development before introducing the new foxy’s ice cream line. It’s a super-premium ice cream crafted so that:

You can’t tell the difference.
It’s premium.
In no nonsense, unique packaging.
Reasonably priced.
Thoughtfully created.
Uniquely sourced.

This is everything millennials look for in packaged foods.

“We make foxy’s to order, meaning you have the freshest possible milk and ingredients,” he says. “It’s a range of very unique, premium 16% butterfat, 50% overrun ice creams loaded with more than one billion probiotics per serving and around 20% less sugar than comparable products.

“The products are also symbiotic. We use organic agave inulin to assist with the stabilization of the base mix, which is required when we reduce sugar,” he says. “Inulin is a fiber that is not digested. Instead it makes its way to the areas of the digestive tract where the probiotics do most good and supports them by providing a growing medium.”

The company’s production process minimizes waste, reducing its carbon footprint. Only 60 pints are made per batch and containers are hand packed.

There are 11 flavors in the line, many with whimsical names that speak to millennials. For example, with “6 Mile Almond & Honey,” the milk goes directly from the milking sheds to the farmer’s own plant. The almonds are from the same farmer’s land. The honey is from the beehives of the bees that pollinated the groves that provided the almonds. All this happens within a 6-mile radius. With other flavors such as “Rocky Road Less Travelled,” there’s a story behind the source of the ingredients, everything from the marshmallows to the nuts. For more information on foxy’s thoughtful ice cream, link HERE.

As much thought went into the foxy’s products as the package. Minimal, simple graphics communicate what the products are all about.

According to the Millennial Marketing website (link HERE), millennials are into packaging as much as they are product. The experts provide four suggestions to use packaging to engage millennials and get them to buy your product. They are:

Implement limited-edition packaging, as millennials are always into the next trend.
Support sustainability.
Bring something new to the table.
Personify the package.

Millennials believe that the products they purchase and consume define who they are. Ice cream can do that.

Happy Valentine’s Day weekend…and for many U.S. subscribers, enjoy your three-day Presidents’ Day weekend, too.

It was wonderful to see so many of you in San Luis Obispo for the 18th Annual Dairy Ingredients Symposium this past week. Who knew at that first meeting 18 years ago at the San Francisco Hilton, which has long been replaced by an airport runway, that dairy ingredients, in particular, specialty whey proteins, would be such in-demand ingredients in today’s food and beverage industry?

According to a recently released report from MarketsAndMarkets, the global dairy ingredients market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.6% from 2015 to 2020, to reach $59.8 billion. The major drivers of this ingredient segment are increasing awareness towards health and wellness, growth in application sectors, and R&D and innovations to expand applicability and accelerate growth.

This is being driven by millennials who have unprecedented expectations of the food supply chain. They want customization, simplicity and transparency, but at the same time demand convenience, deliciousness and portability. Dairy ingredients in dairy foods—for nutrition and functionality--deliver all this.

Milk, and ingredients made from milk, have a positive image with millennials, as they suggest wholesomeness, farm-to-fork sourcing and nutrient density. This is why formulators are seeking out dairy ingredients for their product development efforts and making package claims such as “made with real milk” and “contains quality dairy proteins.”

The U.S. Dairy Export Council recently posted a blog entitled “Formulate a Clean Label with U.S. Dairy Ingredients.” You can read it HERE.

Here are seven innovative dairy foods concepts made with dairy ingredients.

From Indonesia, NutriFood Introduces WRP On The Go! These shelf-stable milk drinks are designed for health-conscious women on the run. Available in chocolate, coffee and strawberry flavors, the beverage is based on “cows milk, skim milk powder, whey protein isolate and full cream milk powder.” Fortified with fiber, minerals and vitamins, a 200-milliliter serving provides 150 calories, 3 grams of fat, 9 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. These high levels of protein and fiber are said to satisfy and satiate.

In Finland, Valio recently introduced a range of products under the Valio ProFeel brand. Premier ProFeel Fat-Free Milk Drink contains double the amount of whey proteins found in mainstream milk, with 1-liter containing a whopping 50 grams of total protein. The product is basically skim milk fortified with whey protein. Filtration technology assists with the fortification and also renders the product lactose free.

There are also two (chocolate and strawberry) ProFeel Protein Drinks. With no added sugars (the sweetening system is acesulfame potassium and sucralose) and no lactose, a 250-gram serving contains 20 grams of protein, which comes from low-fat milk and whey. There are also quark options in the ProFeel line.

Speaking of quark, Heideblume Molkerei Elsdorf-Rotenburg AG of Germany recently introduced Elsdorfer Quark + Protein To Go. This low-fat, high-protein fitness snack is targeted to health-conscious active adults. The convenient 90-gram pouch allows for spoon-free eating. The formulation combines fresh soft cheese (quark) with whey protein to deliver 11 gram so protein per pouch.

In Poland, there’s a new cultured dairy product option designed for the breakfast daypart. Jogobella Breakfast is a dual-compartment product with a protein-fortified yogurt-type product on one side and inclusions in the other. The cultured dairy food is made from milk, whey powder, milk protein and skimmed milk powder. Each 125-gram container provides 5 grams of protein. Varieties are: Banana with choco crunchy, Blueberry with choco crunchy, Peach with tropical muesli and Strawberry with a nutty muesli.

ProYo Frozen Yogurt was introduced about three years ago in 4-ounce squeeze tubes. This high-protein probiotic product has been rebranded and repackaged and will make its debut at Natural Products Expo West 2016 in a few weeks. The new package format is a 4-ounce single-serve cup sold in boxes of three. Each serving contains 20 grams of milk protein, live active probiotic cultures, added fiber and only 140 to 150 calories. ProYo comes in four varieties: Banana Vanilla, Blueberry Pomegranate, Dutch Chocolate and Vanilla Bean. It is based on skim milk, whole milk and whey protein concentrate.

Founded by Nathan Carey in 2013 on the idea that big protein could fit into a small, delicious package, the new look boldly answers millennials’ demand for brands with a vibrant personality and convenient, on-the-go packaging. “We carefully listened to feedback from our fans and retail partners and are pumped to showcase our new brand and packaging that make eating an awesome, high-protein food even easier.”

The new branding and packaging features a hint to future innovation. A sleek new trademark and logo not only hints at the original innovation behind the brand, but also speaks to the company’s future by de-emphasizing the “yo,” as ProYo plans to expand beyond yogurt-based products into new categories.

It’s summertime in Cape Town, the perfect time to introduce new frozen dairy desserts. NuWhey is rolling out Skinny Scoop, the first protein-fortified ice cream in South Africa that is also free of added sugars, as it is sweetened with xylitol. Skinny Scoop comes in two varieties—Afterdark Cocoa and Vanilla Camilla—and is made from cream, whole milk and whey protein isolate. A 175-milliliter serving contains 17 grams of protein.

For many of us, summertime is right around the corner. Could this be the year of high-protein ice cream?

The battle between pro-and anti-GMO forces, as well as the controversy between loosening laws governing intrastate raw milk sales, shows no sign of abating. If anything, both topics seem to be getting more intense.

In collaboration with Cary Frye, vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), I wrote a column this week for Food Business News entitled “Halting the raw milk movement.” (Thank you Cary.) You can read it HERE.

The column discusses the reasons raw milk advocates have such strong views, while at the same time provides statistics on the correlation between consuming unpasteurized milk and getting ill, possibly dying. The science is sound. Pasteurization is a food safety technology, not some “erroneous picture of reality that is ludicrous and counterproductive,” as one reader wrote. I am thankful to the grade school teacher who summed up the power of pasteurization as explained by one of her eight-year old students: “It’s like using hot water to wash dishes or take a shower.”

http://www.ingredion.us/applications/Dairy/FunctionalSportsEnergy4.html?utm_source=DonnaBerry_NonGMO&utm_medium=729x90_DairyNutrition&utm_campaign=DairyCapabilities

The science is so solid on the power of pasteurization that even an eight-year old can understand it’s a technique to clean milk! Would you dare eat a piece of spinach right from the plant before washing it? I’ll admit I pop some blueberries in my mouth when picking in August in Michigan with the family, but don’t think that food safety does not cross my mind.

It seems in this day and age with food safety front and center after Chipotle’s recent situations, and other issues with Listeria in ice cream and cheese and E. coli on leafy vegetables, consumers would want to err on the side of caution. Please take the time to read the COLUMN and share with your local media outlets. The time is right to set the record straight: Pasteurization is a necessary food safety technology.

The time is also right to set the record straight on GMOs. Non-GMO is a personal choice, one that is appealing to an increasing number of consumers. There’s no denying this fact. But there’s no science to show that non-GMO ingredients are any better or any worse than GM ingredients.

Packaged Facts reports in its study “Non-GMO Foods: U.S. and Global Market Perspective, 2nd Edition,” that in the U.S., 80% to 90% of such key crops as corn, soybeans and cotton are grown from GM seeds and there is little effort by anti-GMO forces to undo those facts on the ground. Instead, there is bitter conflict over attempts to have foods made using ingredients from GMOs labeled as such.

The approach is very different in Europe and throughout the rest of the world where GM crops have been widely banned. Rather than focusing on labeling food products, an epic struggle is taking place over those bans. On one side are environmentalists and health advocates who would keep and extend the bans. On the other side are agricultural experts and the GM seed companies who want to see the bans removed. On both sides are farmers, non-governmental organizations and politicians of differing opinions, reports Packaged Facts.

Unlike with pasteurization, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has real, tangible data to show that between 1993 and 2006 more than 1,500 people in the U.S. became sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk, the research on the safety or non-safety of GMOs is still a matter of personal opinion. There is science that shows that GMOs have caused no harm to human consumers in the two-plus decades that GMOs have been in use. But opponents reject the extensive studies cited. They question the validity of the research, noting a lack of peer review, despite approvals from leading U.S. and European health agencies, and suggesting that the period of use is too short to have provided adequate data.

Here’s one fact that the dairy industry cannot afford to ignore.
Packaged Facts estimates that retail sales of foods and beverages identified as non-GMO were approximately $200 billion in 2014. This represented about a quarter of all retail food and beverage sales for that year. Looking ahead, Packaged Facts projects that non-GMO food and beverage retail sales will reach $330 billion by 2019, an increase of 65%. In that same period, retail sales of all food and beverages will only grow by 13%.

Organic and natural foods accounted for an estimated 60% of all non-GMO retail sales in 2014. Packaged Facts projects that this share will increase to about three-fourths of overall non-GMO retail sales by 2019. Keep in mind, while all organic foods are non-GMO, not all non-GMO foods are organic.

For many dairies, organic formulation and certification is cost prohibitive. Non-GMO certification, which is provided by private organizations, or simply stating the use of non-GMO ingredients, in particular those on many watchdog lists (e.g., corn-derived ingredients), is a more practical option to attract today’s label-reading consumer.

In early 2014, Whole Foods Market stopped selling Chobani yogurt. It was reported that this was because of the grocer’s newly adapted policy of only selling organic or non-GMO Greek yogurt. (Chobani says it was because of an exclusivity deal the retailer requested, one that did not interest Chobani.) At the time, some of the Greek yogurts sold at Whole Foods were made with milk from conventionally raised cows, most of which were likely consuming genetically modified feed. Whole Foods was under the impression that animal byproducts from an animal that has eaten GM feed is also GM.

Read this again to fully comprehend its lunacy: animal byproducts from an animal that has eaten GM feed is also GM. That would mean any human—we are animal—who has ever eaten GM food is now a GMO!

With that said, Chobani is changing its ways. The company says it is dedicated to increasing non-GM feed options and is building relationships with organizations and dairy farmers who are committed to GM feed alternatives. The company is sourcing, and says it has long been sourcing, non-GMO ingredients and has started stating this on packaging.

Rising Sun Farms identifies on its ingredient statements the use of artificial growth hormone-free cream cheese, and non-GMO canola oil and soy protein.

To read more about “Strategies for sourcing non-GMO” ingredients, please read this article recently authored by Jeff Gelski, my colleague at Food Business News. Link HERE.

Here’s a second fact. Two years ago Vermont passed a mandatory law requiring on-package labels of foods containing ingredients that have been genetically modified. This law goes into effect July 1, 2016. Unless Congress acts swiftly to provide a uniform standard for food labeling, food companies will be faced with hefty implementation costs, confusion across their supply chain and chaos marketing their products, explains IDFA.

The implementation costs associated with this law and other state-based labeling laws would inevitably be passed on to consumers via higher prices that would hit lower income families the hardest. Dairy products are important nutritionally, and according to the most recent 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 80% of the U.S. population does not consume the recommended three servings a day. Unnecessarily raising the cost of dairy products for consumers will only exacerbate this public health problem.

Just last week, Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts proposed legislation that would create a national uniform standard on biotechnology labeling and called for urgent action to take up and pass the legislation. The proposed bill would establish a national voluntary GMO-labeling standard to be developed by USDA within two years of the bill’s enactment. The bill would also prohibit any state from setting separate GMO labeling requirements, and also includes an educational component that will inform consumers about the safety and accessibility of information on agricultural biotechnology.

“The bill proposed by Chairman Roberts provides a common-sense, national food labeling standard that brings consistency and transparency to the marketplace, and will ensure consumers have access to more product information than ever before without stigmatizing a safe, proven technology that is a central part of modern farming,” said J. David Carlin, IDFA senior vice president of legislative affairs.

View a moving TV ad from the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, of which IDFA is a member, released in January HERE. The broadcast advertisement, which ran for a week in the Washington, D.C., television market, focuses on the critical need for a national, uniform labeling standard for products containing GMOs. The ad, entitled “Do Something” urges Congress to find a solution to keep farmers growing and food prices low for America’s hard-working families.

To read more about the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, link HERE.

A new economic study highlights the urgent need for congressional action to prevent food price hikes on families as a result of Vermont’s GMO labeling law…and it’s not just on Vermont families. The study, conducted by the New York City-based economic consulting firm John Dunham & Associates for the Corn Refiners Association, found that the Vermont law could increase the price of groceries by nearly $1,050 annually. This highlights the far-reaching impacts one state’s misguided law will have on the entire nation’s food chain and emphasizes the urgent need for Congressional action to prevent people already struggling with the cost of food from having to pay significantly more.

“Vermont’s law will cost all of us, as higher grocery costs will be a jolt to every family’s budget, with the greatest effects on lower-income families already struggling to put food on the table,” says Claire Parker, spokesperson for the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food. “At a time when 48 million Americans are already struggling with food insecurity, Congress cannot allow one state to implement an unprecedented labeling law that will significantly raise food costs for families across the country.”

The impacts of Vermont’s labeling law will vary state-by-state. For more information on these state-level impacts, link HERE.

Here’s what you need to know about Vermont’s law.

Vermont‘s effective date for compliance is July 1, 2016, which means unless Congress acts fast, if you want to sell product in Vermont, you need to be changing your labels very soon.

“Vermont’s GMO labeling law is not straightforward,” says Emily Lyons, director-regulatory affairs & counsel at IDFA. “The law is riddled with exemptions and includes strict record keeping requirements, all of which dairy food companies must consider when developing a compliance strategy.”

Starting July 1, 2016, foods sold at retail in Vermont that are produced wholly or in part by genetic engineering must include a GMO declaration. “While there are some exceptions that relate to dairy products, it is important to understand what the law requires before you determine if your products are exempt,” says Lyons. “Exemptions include animal products, organic foods, enzymes, foods that contain GM ingredients that make up less than 0.9% of the food’s weight and more.”

Yes, you read that correctly. Animal products are exempt, to a point. White milk from cows fed GM crops or given a vaccine are exempt. But as soon as that milk changes, the rules change. If the sweetener used in flavored milk was derived from GM crops, now that milk must be labeled according to Vermont’s law.

Here’s an example on how tedious the process is regarding compliance with Vermont’s law.

“Cheddar cheese contains pasteurized milk, cultures, salt, enzymes and sometimes a colorant, such as annatto,” explains Lyons. “Under the law, the milk and enzymes are expressly exempt, but a processor will need to have additional records to indicate the cultures, salt and colorant are also either GMO free to fall under another exception to avoid labeling. Luckily, in this instance, there are no GM cheese cultures available on the market and salt is GM free because it has no DNA, and the colorant is also likely GM free. The processor would need to have all of this information on file, with supporting documentation from suppliers for each ingredient.”

These are the three types of GMO disclosures available for Vermont food product labels:

1. If a product contains less than 75% food produced with genetic engineering by weight, the product may bear the declaration “partially produced with genetic engineering.”
2. If the manufacturer does not know, after a reasonable inquiry, whether the food contains ingredients produced with genetic engineering, a product may bear the declaration “may be produced with genetic engineering.”
3. All other products made with any type of GM ingredient must bear the declaration “produced with genetic engineering” if they do not qualify for either of the other two declarations.

There are more details to the regulation, including reference to the term natural in labeling and advertising. There are also very hefty fines for non-compliance.

Around the time Vermont passed its GMO law in 2014, Vermont’s Finest, Ben & Jerry’s announced that it had transitioned all plant-based ingredients in all its ice cream flavors sold in pints, quarts, mini-cups and Scoop Shops to non-GMO. Still not free of GMO ingredients is the company’s ice cream bars.

Here’s a recent introduction from the company: Cake My Day. This is vanilla cake batter-flavored ice cream with vanilla cake pieces, buttercream frosting and raspberry swirls.

The ingredient legend reads: CREAM, SKIM MILK, WATER, LIQUID SUGAR (SUGAR, WATER), CORN SYRUP, SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, WHEAT FLOUR, DRIED CANE SYRUP, RED RASPBERRY PUREE, COCONUT OIL, EGG YOLKS, NATURAL FLAVORS, VANILLA EXTRACT, RED RASPBERRY JUICE CONCENTRATE, BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), PECTIN, VEGETABLE JUICE (COLOR), XANTHAN GUM, SOY LECITHIN, GUAR GUM, SALT, TURMERIC (COLOR), BAKING POWDER (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, CORN STARCH, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), EGGS, CARRAGEENAN.

To read more about Ben & Jerry’s non-GMO effort, link HERE.

I knew this product would get your attention! It’s real and it’s debuting this coming week at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. I hope to see many of you there.

Goats and camels watch out…now gorillas want part of the “other mammal” milk. That’s right, eco-friendly Gorilla Milk is nutritionally dense milk from western lowland gorillas. Marketed by Santa Monica, CA-based, Barnana, a pioneer in the healthy snack category, most notably those based on bananas—the Gorilla’s meal of choice—new Gorilla Milk is described as an alternative to cows milk that is more genetically similar to human milk.

The Fair Trade, Non-GMO Project Verified, organic, grass-fed milk from western lowland gorillas is also unpasteurized and raw. (I thought the two terms meant the same thing!) It comes in a pouch package, and though not confirmed, I am guessing it is refrigerated.

“After spending time with western lowland gorillas in Africa, seeing their wild habitat being destroyed and after having the privilege to milk one myself, I am excited to bring mother gorillas’ milk to market for human consumption and save the lives of gorillas and their wild habitat,” says Caue Suplicy, Barnana CEO. Sales of Gorilla Milk will directly benefit efforts to save and repopulate the wild habitat of the gorilla.

How do you milk a gorilla? Find out on March 12th by signing up HERE.

(Interested in colors harvested from nature? Attending Natural Products Expo West? Visit DDW-The Color House at booth 685 in the Engredia Hall A.)

Now that I have your attention, here’s the deal. This product, as well as thousands of others described using similar “all-natural, ecofriendly” jargon will be showcased at Expo West, which promises to be the largest one to date. The natural products industry continues to grow year after year, as consumer demand for such products intensifies.

According to The NPD Group, major food companies are scrambling to meet consumers’ changing needs. The unprecedented shift in consumer attitudes and behaviors has food manufacturers struggling to find growth in a changing marketplace where legacy brands are ceding share to smaller, new entrants and the store perimeter is outperforming center of the store. (This is an opportunity for dairy, a perimeter category.)

Among the contributing factors to Big Food’s current dilemma is consumers’ increasing demand for purity in their foods and beverages. Consumers are avoiding adulterated elements and looking for natural and fresh foods and beverages at grocery stores, and avoiding the processed foods on which many major food companies base their business.

“The bottom line is that major food companies and retailers are faced with meeting changing consumer needs with processes and infrastructure that were built for the mass-produced foods consumers craved a decade ago,” says David Portalatin, vice president-food industry analyst at NPD.

“The U.S. consumer has changed,” writes my Food Business News colleague Keith Nunes in an article with this title. He references a report published by the consultancy Deloitte Consulting L.L.P., which is based on a study conducted with the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association. The study states that new purchasing influences, such as health and wellness, safety, social impact, experience and transparency, are motivating consumers and forcing food and beverage manufacturers and marketers to adapt.

“The U.S. consumer has changed in a fundamental and impactful way, and people’s preferences are becoming even more fragmented than the food industry may have anticipated,” said Jack Ringquist, a principal with Deloitte.

As a result of the emerging purchasing influences, the report predicts consumer tastes and preferences will continue to fragment, the retailer’s role in influencing purchases will continue to grow, smaller and newer companies will remain competitive—such as those exhibiting at Expo West--as they leverage new technologies to earn consumer trust, and market success will be determined by those companies that can build purpose-driven competitive advantages.

The accompanying infographic shows the top-five attributes that the 5,000 U.S. consumers surveyed ranked in terms of importance. (More than one attribute could be selected.) Number-one was free of harmful elements (62%). This was followed by clear and accurate labeling (51%), clear information (47%), fewer ingredients (42%) and nutritional content (41%).

To read the entire Food Business News article, link HERE.

This week I wrote an article on coloring beverages for Food Business News. It will be published in a week. I found this bit of research interesting: Consumers are not evaluating every component of a product individually. Rather, they use a method of elimination whereby they scan the label for certain ingredients that they personally avoid. If they discover them among the contents, the product is returned to shelf. For many, artificial color is the deal breaker.

It’s no wonder every week another Big Food company announces its commitment to eliminate artificial colors from product formulations. But converting from artificial to natural colors comes with challenges.

If you are in the ice cream business, plan to attend the International Dairy Foods Association’s Ice Cream Technology Conference this April 12 to 13 in Bonita Springs, FL. You will be able to hear Jody Renner-Nantz, senior application scientist at DDW-The Color House speak about new technologies for more stable colorants and the various hurdles to consider when selecting colorful ingredients.

For more information on the conference, link HERE.

“You do OODA better than anybody I ever met,” was once said to Chef Keith Schroeder, CEO of High Road Craft Ice Cream. Schroeder shared this with attendees of the Research Chefs Association’s (RCA) 2016 Annual Conference & Culinology Expo in Denver.

The phrase OODA refers to the decision cycle of “observe, orient, decide and act,” which was developed by the U.S. military. Many today apply this process to commercial operations and learning processes.

Just think about it for a moment and why OODA is so important to today’s food innovation process.

This past week I joined more than 1,200 culinary professionals in Denver for the RCA, which actually wraps up today. I had to leave early to get to Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, where an expected 75,000-plus are expected to convene. (The size of Expo West speaks for itself in terms of the direction the food industry is moving.)

What these two shows have in common is more companies, and their leaders, practicing OODA.

Schroeder said in his RCA session, “Build culinary bridges. Trends don’t matter.”

He said: Honor the customer. PEOPLE + CHOICES = REPUTATION.

This is so true. If you listen to the consumer, really listen (observe), figure out what piece of the puzzle you can be (orient), decide how to go about being the best puzzle piece you can be and then act on it, you will have a product—a brand--that the people will want. Make the right choices (namely ingredient selection, as it relates to food formulating) when executing the product concept, and you will define your brand.

As stated in Forbes (Jan. 2, 2013), “Reputation Trumps All -- Define Your Brand and Live It in the New Year, and Beyond.”

So what do consumers want, the “observe” of OODA?

At both RCA and Expo West, there were two recurring themes among exhibitors: 1) Live consciously while eating deliciously and 2) Food with integrity.

At RCA, Walter Zuromski, president and culinary director of Chef Services Group Inc., said in a session entitled “Food as Medicine: Retooling Your Menu and Your Health,” “It's about feeling good, which has a clear focus on delivering flavor.”

To read a Food Business News article I wrote about a “Culinary approach to clean label,” based on content collected at RCA, link HERE.

Graph source: Datamonitor/Sensus

In that same session, Chef Leah Sarris, program director of the Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University, provided culinary professionals with tips on how to improve the nutrient density of the foods they create. She emphasized the importance of formulating foods with less sugar and increasing the content of nutrients that satiate, namely protein and fiber. “And consumers are asking for more vegetables,” she said.

Sarris runs the teaching kitchen in Tulane’s groundbreaking new program that teaches medical students, doctors and patients the tenets of healthful cooking and the significant role food plays in preventing and managing obesity and associated diseases. As the first full-time chef ever employed by a medical school, she uses her culinary background to translate the latest nutrition science into practical strategies patients can take home to reduce their salt intake, cut calories and eat more healthful meals. To read more about Harris and the program, as well as view a video on how healthy food is medicine, link HERE.

So let’s talk fiber. As consumers around the world struggle with obesity and related health issues, there’s a push for healthier food choices. Fiber is gaining lots of attention as a way to provide those choices.

According to a survey of 1,250 males and 1,250 females between the ages of 18 and 64 years in seven countries (France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain U.K. and U.S.) conducted by Datamonitor Consulting and commissioned by Sensus, the majority of consumers believe that foods and beverages that contain fiber will help them stay healthy. The survey showed consumers increasingly care about their digestive health, which they perceive to be important for general health.

With growing attention to digestive health, they are increasingly seeking prebiotic and probiotic food products, such as yogurt and other fermented foods, to help optimize digestion.

Interestingly, consumers are increasingly aware that their daily diet does not include all required nutrients in sufficient amounts. At the same time, they tend to be unwilling to change their eating habits and instead look for products that offer these additional benefits.

Here are five very different dairy foods from around the world that all deliver fiber, as well as speak to other health and wellness attributes today’s consumer is seeking. They all contain the dietary fiber inulin, which can be used to replace sugar and fat while improving taste and mouthfeel in dairy foods. In indulgent products, inulin can act as an extra layer of richness without the extra calories. It has also been shown to assist with syneresis in cultured products.

In the U.S., Kroger is rolling out a unique spin on Greek yogurt. The new non-fat line combines fruits and vegetables, and is described as probiotic and prebiotic. Varieties are: Blueberry Cucumber, Cherry Beet, Lemon Zucchini, Pineapple Spinach & Kiwi, and Spiced Apricot & Butternut Squash. Each 5.3-ounce cup contains 120 calories, 15 grams of sugar, 13 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.

Nestle USA expands its Skinny Cow franchise with Ultimate Chocolate ice cream sandwiches. This 180-calorie frozen novelty is low-fat chocolate ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate wafers and dipped in chocolatey coating. Each sandwich contains 9 grams of fat, 12 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. The line also includes Creamy Caramel and Vanilla Bean Dream varieties.

In Italy, the Philadelphia cream cheese brand now includes a unique appetizer-style cheese: Philadelphia Sensations. The concept resembles cheese tortes currently in the marketplace, but is different in the sense that it is filled cream cheese rather than layered. The product come packaged in a unique wrap that allows it to be served plated as a fanciful cheese spread. It comes in three varieties: Classic, Olive and Sundried Tomato. This is an example of where low levels of inulin slow syneresis.

In Switzerland, new Emmi Energy Milk comes in Banana, Chocolate, Mocha, Strawberry, Vanilla and limited-edition Dare Devil varieties. The latter is flavored with mango and chili and is the first spicy drink that Emmi has ever launched. Each 330-milliliter shelf-stable carton provides around 280 calories, 8 grams of fat, 33 grams of sugar, 11 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. The product is also fortified with multiple vitamins and minerals.

And lastly, in Canada, there’s new JillyV’s Jump Starter. Packaged in clear plastic containers so consumers can see the layers of product, Jump Starter combines organic yogurt, oats and chia, and is topped with fruit compote. Varieties are: Berries, Lemon, Raspberry and Strawberry. Each 227-gram serving contains 270 to 290 calories, 6 to 7 grams of fat, 19 to 23 grams of sugar, 10 to 11 grams of protein and 7 to grams of fiber, depending on variety. The fiber comes from the chia, oats and inulin.

What makes this product line different than similar grain-style yogurts is the optional JumpPack. Sold separately, JumpPacks include toasted almonds, pecans, hemp hearts and ground flax and can be added to the Jumpstarter for an extra nutrition boost.

Hope to see you at Expo West!

Photo source: MilkPEP

Yesterday, Bloomberg Businessweek published an article entitled “Coke thinks designer milk could be a billion-dollar brand.” Coke is part owner of fairlife LLC, makers of the namesake ultra-filtered high-protein milk. As mentioned in the article, and something I have heard fairlife co-founder Mike McCloskey say time after time, “Milk is one of nature’s superfoods.” Thank you, Mike. You can read the article HERE.

The numbers speak for themselves. Specialty milk sales jumped 21% in 2015, up from 9% in 2014, according to Bloomberg research. This increase is directly correlated to Coke’s investment in Fairlife milk.

To read “Fairlife: The story behind the innovation,” link HERE to an article I wrote for Food Business News.

Like I said, the numbers speak for themselves. Let’s talk Natural Products Expo West, which took place March 10 to 13 in Anaheim, CA. I was so glad to learn a couple of days ago that it was not just me thinking the exposition was insanely crowded (borderline dangerous). It truly was jam packed.

It was reported that the 36th edition of this annual event experienced another record-setting year with 6.9% growth. The Anaheim convention center hosted more than 77,000 attendees. The event brought together an inspired community of industry members and more than 3,000 exhibiting companies, including more than 600 first-time exhibitors.

These total numbers, along with the growing number of exhibiting dairy processors, confirms the unstoppable growth of the natural products industry. Just 10 years ago, this group was all about granola and vegan diets. This year, all-natural, organic, clean-label animal-derived products (mainly dairy and jerky) were very prominent, and without protest.

New Hope Network, the expo organizers, project strong growth for the natural products industry. U.S. consumer sales of natural, organic and healthy products are expected to grow 64% from $153 billion in 2013 to $252 billion by 2019, including growth of 9% per year driven in part by new and emerging brands. I believe many of these will be dairy or based on dairy. That’s because milk is one of nature’s superfoods.

“Natural Products Expo West serves as a launching pad for innovation from entrepreneurial brands to more established companies looking to keep up with shifts in consumer demand,” says Carlotta Mast, executive director of content and insights, New Hope Network. “Evolving shopper tastes and values have positioned the natural products industry as a major force in what products end up on shelves from natural stores to more conventional supermarkets.”

Also this week, it was reported that Gatorade, a brand of PepsiCo, Coke’s leading soft drink rival, is embracing the superiority of dairy, too. The brand is said to be working on a new line of products including a night protein yogurt to boost workout performance.

“What will make you a better athlete is not just what you drink on the field,” said Xavi Cortadellas, Gatorade’s senior director of global innovation and design to Fox Business. “It’s what you put in your body throughout the day. We want to help athletes better fuel themselves, to have better health and nutrition. The more regimented they are on what they are eating and what they are drinking, the better athletes they’ll be.”

The yogurt concept is all about addressing overnight muscle repair. It focuses on the casein protein content. The human body digests casein much slower than whey proteins, making it ideal for rebuilding muscle while consumers sleep.

A study from The Netherlands found consuming casein after a workout and a half hour before bedtime led to greater muscle protein synthesis. In a separate study published in the Journal of Nutrition in August 2012, researchers found ingesting protein before going to sleep led to a greater increase in muscle mass and strength compared to participants who took a placebo before bed.

Milk is a nutrient powerhouse

The MilkPEP folks are making an even greater effort this month—National Nutrition Month—to educate consumers about the nutrient density of milk. Did you know milk is one of the most nutrient-rich beverages you can find? In fact, there are thousands of studies that have documented the benefits of drinking milk, which is why nutrition experts recommend adults drink three servings of milk or milk products a day. Yet, most Americans fall short of the USDA’s recommended daily servings.

No matter your age, it’s hard to get the nutrients you need without dairy in the diet. Milk is the top food source for three out of four nutrients of concern, which are nutrients many Americans are lacking. These are calcium, vitamin D and potassium. The fourth nutrient of concern is fiber. And, guess what? Dairy foods are an ideal carrier of added fiber food ingredients.

All milk, regardless of fat content, the cows’ diet or the cows’ pasture regime, contains nine essential nutrients. This includes B vitamins for energy, vitamin A for a healthy immune system plus several bone-building nutrients.

Milk is also a source of high-quality protein. This means the protein is complete, as it contains all the essential amino acids in the proportion the body requires for proper functioning. A simple rule of thumb to communicate to consumers: every ounce of fluid milk provides a gram of protein.

Dairy marketers must never stop communicating the fact that it’s hard to get all of the nutrients the body needs without real dairy milk and dairy products in the diet. Milk resonates with today’s consumers as it is simple, wholesome, real and more often than not, local. Milk is one of the original farm-to-table foods. Did you know 97% of dairy farms are still family-owned and operated?

At Expo West, dairy foods manufacturers showcased how milk can be further enhanced with nutrients to create real powerhouse products. Here are some of those concepts.

Dairy Innovations showcased its new Fruzinga line of high-fiber, probiotic drinkable yogurts. Made with real fruit and no added sugar, the naturally gluten-free beverage is made with a skim milk yogurt base enhanced with milk protein concentrate to deliver 7 grams of protein in every 7-ounce bottle. This is in addition to 8 grams of prebiotic fiber to support digestive health. Together, the protein and fiber help satiate the consumer, assisting with weight-loss and weight-management programs. To read more about Fruzinga, link HERE.

Figo Brands offers Forte Gelato now made with Fair Trade ingredients. Forte Vanilla Gelato with organic Fair Trade Madagascar bourbon vanilla was awarded Men’s Health Best Ice Cream in November 2015. Forte Chocolate Gelato is now made with organic Fair Trade cocoa from Holland.

All of the gelatos, which also include Espresso and Ginger varieties, are now sweetened with organic Fair Trade cane sugar and organic agave nectar and stabilized with only cage-free egg yolks. Flavors are sourced from their origin, not from added natural or artificial flavorings, according to Adrian Pace, founder and CEO.

All Forte Gelato offerings contain 15 grams of protein per 4-ounce single-serve container. This is accomplished through the use of skim milk and added milk proteins. A serving also contains 2.5 grams of fat and a mere 160 calories. For more information, link HERE.

Interested in learning more about on-trend dairy products such as these two concepts? Plan on attending the International Dairy Foods Association’s annual Ice Cream Technology conference April 12 to 13 in Florida and the Milk and Cultured Dairy Products conference May 24 to 25 in Indianapolis.

For more information, use the links below. I will be speaking at both conferences on industry trends driving innovation.

Ice Cream Technology 2016
Milk and Cultured Dairy Products 2016

In the next few weeks, I will showcase other dairy ingredient-enhanced dairy foods including frozen desserts, cultured dairy snacks and even cheese spreads. Expect to see more innovations containing highly functional and nutritional isolated milk components.

For example, select milk protein hydrolysates contain bioactives with relaxing properties, which have been clinically proven to reduce stress-related symptoms such as mood swings, sleep disorders, food cravings, tension, digestive disorders, and impaired memory and concentration.

Lactoferrin is a naturally occurring protein found in milk. With its high iron-binding capacity, the protein has strong anti-microbial activity and supports immunity while also encouraging good gut health.

Casein is available as an ingredient. In particular, micellar casein is 92% casein and 8% soluble whey protein. It has application in products designed to deliver slowly digested protein for muscle recovery and weight loss.

By the way, if you were wondering about the Gorilla Milk I spotlighted a few weeks ago, here’s the scoop. According to the company Barnana, just because you can milk a gorilla, doesn’t mean you should! Barnana launched the Gorilla Milk campaign to raise awareness to bettering the environment, people, and the animals that we cohabitate the planet with. It’s a jungle out there!

Pictured: Thiriet Grand’ Saveurs Poire Caramel au Beurre Salé is a recently introduced packaged ice cream in France.

Brown flavors continue to evolve in the ice cream category, with caramel’s new best friends being the apple, the banana, the pear and the pineapple. Think of classic desserts involving butter and brown sugar. Now think of the fruits in those desserts and why they partner so well with caramel…caramel with spice, with heat, with a twist.

I’m not talking the overtly sweet candied apple or banana taffy flavor profiles. Think more burnt, cooked or grilled flavors.

Looking for ice cream flavor ideas? Plan to attend the International Dairy Foods Association’s annual Ice Cream Technology conference April 12 to 13 in Florida. I will help kick off the meeting with a presentation on global ice cream insight and innovation ideas. For more information, link HERE.

http://foodingredients.treetop.com/?utm_source=berry_on_dairy_blog&utm_medium=banner_gif&utm_term=728x90&utm_content=idfa_conf&utm_campaign=berry_on_dairy_blog_banner_gif_728x90_idfa_conf_03252016

To read more about formulating dairy foods with fruits, nuts and seeds, link HERE to a recent article I wrote for Food Business News on the topic.

Let’s start with banana, which is technically a brown flavor. Though yellow at the beginning, when they are fully to over-ripened, they go brown, and that is the banana flavor most consumers recognize in recipes.

Think Banana Cream Pie. Think Banana Pudding. Think Bananas Foster, which is a “flaming” dessert made with bananas and vanilla ice cream topped with a caramel-style sauce made from butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum and banana liqueur. The alcohol gets added right before serving and is ignited. Imagine an ice cream with real banana puree and crunchy brown sugared shell inclusions that explode with caramel sauce.

Häagen-Dazs offered a Bananas Foster product exclusive to 7-Eleven stores. According to the company, the ice cream captures all of the flavors of classic bananas foster dessert in one distinctly delicious ice cream. It contains hints of cinnamon and nutmeg with lingering notes of caramel and brown sugar that enhance the banana-flavored ice cream.

This past year, 7-Eleven rolled out a private-label line of ice cream pints under the 7-Select GO!Yum brand. The line includes Banana Cream Pie, which is described as being made with real bananas, pie crust pieces and fresh milk and cream.

Häagen-Dazs is right on track with reaching out to the Millennials with its Artisan Collection ice cream line. The brand teamed up with small confection makers from around the country to craft six gourmet flavors, including Banana Rum Jam. Inspired by Drunken Monkey jam from The Jam Stand in Brooklyn, this uniquely flavored recipe combines banana, caramelized rum and lime into smooth vanilla bean ice cream.

Photo source: Nancy's Fancy

Arctic Zero offers Banana Pudding in its Chunky Pints line. This banana pudding-flavored ice cream is loaded with vanilla wafer crumble, without all the fat and calories. Each pint contains 12 grams of both protein and fiber with only 300 calories per pint.

For the past year, two-time James Beard Award-winning chef and author Nancy Silverton has been offering premium artisanal gelati and sorbetti. Created from recipes inspired by the well-loved desserts served at her acclaimed restaurants, Nancy’s Fancy is the chef’s first-ever product line in her distinguished career.

Being the baking goddess that she is, Nancy knows the secret to transforming the humble banana into something magnificent. That would be Roasted Banana with Bourbon & Pecan Praline Gelato. By roasting the bananas for this gelato, Nancy gently coaxes out all of the caramel goodness from this wholesome fruit. And as a grown up, Nancy also knows that the secret to almost everything else is bourbon. What better pairing could there be for this banana-y, bourbon-y deliciousness than southern-style pecan pralines? The flavor of this gelato knocks the socks off of adults, but is subtle enough to also be a favorite of the under-21 crowd and teetotalers alike, according to the company.

Ben & Jerry’s is being petitioned in the U.S. to bring Satisfy My Bowl (banana ice cream, caramel, cookie swirls and chocolate peace signs), to bring it to America. It debuted in 2014 in the U.K., the Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway, to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Bob Marley’s Legend album. Since, it’s rolled out to other countries, but not the U.S. Hopefully the time is now right. The banana ice cream is 9% caramel, 6% cookie swirls and 4% chocolatey peace signs.

In Brooklyn, N.Y., Lotus Scoop loves working bananas into its artisan ice creams. Yam-A-Rama is said to taste like a frozen sweet potato pie. It is one of the company’s most popular ice cream flavors. It is a buttery mash of baked sweet potatoes and cinnamon, frozen into Hudson Valley Fresh’s all-natural ice cream base. Generous amounts of homemade banana caramel are swirled in, which has a hint of Himalayan pink salt.

The company also developed Meet Your Matcha. To create this ice cream variety the company smooshed, whipped and then folded fresh organic bananas into its custom ice cream base. (It does not need to be that difficult. Try banana puree.) When the mix gets thick and frozen, matcha green tea-infused sea salt is swirled in along with raspberry marmalade.

After banana, there’s the pineapple. How do you turn this Food Network recipe— Grilled Pineapple with Vanilla Ice Cream--from Ellie Krieger into an all-inclusive dessert, char marks and all?

Source: Food Network

There are so many potential twists to this recipe, flavor spins that will get Millennials’ interested. Think caramel variegate infused with chipotle or grilled pineapple pieces seasoned with cardamom.

After all, grilled pineapple has become a mainstay for mixologists shaking up top-shelf cocktails for spirits-centric Millennials.
How about mixing caramelized pineapple pieces, vanilla cake cubes and buttered caramel variegate into vanilla ice cream for a scoop of Pineapple Upside Down Cake?

Schwan’s recently added a Pineapple Upside Down Cake offering to its Jack Nicklaus Ice Cream line. Its recipe is vanilla caramel-flavored ice cream with pineapple ripple and pound cake pieces.

What about pears? I know many of us don’t think of pears and ice cream. But they are a great combo with huge potential. Think roasted brown sugar-coated pear pieces in bourbon vanilla ice cream.

Caramelized pear frozen dessert resonates with the French. Unilever offers Carte d’Or Tradition Caramel à la Fleur de Sel Vanille Poire, which is vanilla ice cream, caramel ice cream with sea salt and milk caramel pieces, pear sorbet and cocoa sauce.

Glaces Thiriet recently introduced Thiriet Grand’ Saveurs Poire Caramel au Beurre Salé, which is pear sorbet and salted butter caramel ice cream. The frozen dessert contains real, identifiable pear pieces.

Ice cream season is summertime. In the U.S., that means baseball, hot dogs and apple pie. And apple pie and its many variants all go so much better with a touch of caramel. Talenti knows that! Talenti Caramel Apple Pie is made with real cinnamon sticks, pieces of Red Delicious apples, sweet flaky pie crust and a caramel swirl for a unique yet familiar flavor experience.

The Crumbs Ice Cream line features popular Crumbs Cupcake flavors, including Apple Cobbler. And The Pie People LLC, loves both apple and banana. The company offers Banana Cream and Caramel Apple Crumble varieties of its JC’s Pie Pops.

Happy spring! Have a lovely Easter weekend! Hope to see you at the Ice Cream Technology conference to talk about caramel’s new best friends.

Pints are powerful! They cost more--often a lot more--than larger-sized ice cream containers. In fact, numerous artisan, hand-crafted brands command as much as $10 per pint at retail. Such smaller-sized containers, though more expensive, invite consumers to try something new…less product, less risk of waste in case you don’t like it.

But what’s not to like? Innovative flavor systems, premium inclusions, textured variegates and out-of-the-box product development is making this summer’s ice cream menu one of the best in a long time.

If you missed last week’s blog on how brown flavors continue to evolve in the ice cream category, with caramel’s new best friends being the apple, the banana, the pear and the pineapple, link HERE.

http://sensoryeffects.com/our-products/frozen-dessert-systems?utm_source=bod&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=BOD_0416_IC_Inclusion_Innovations

Think of classic desserts involving butter and brown sugar. Now think of the fruits in those desserts and why they partner so well with caramel…caramel with spice, with heat, with a twist.

Let’s expand on the idea of desserts. Cakes concepts are hot in ice cream. I’m not talking simple cake batter flavor with some festive sprinkles. I’m talking reconstructed cake by layering flavors and real cake pieces or swirling cake ingredients into an ice cream base.

And as cookies become the next cupcake in the bakery scene, this trend is trickling over to ice cream. I’m not talking chocolate chip cookie dough. Think reconstructing a snickerdoodle, speculoos over even a Rice Krispie treat.

I challenge an ice cream manufacturer to create a line such as State Fair Favorites. Last year, Velvet created Elephant Ear Ice Cream exclusively for the week-long Ohio State Fair in August. Demand inspired the company to re-launch the flavor this summer, adding Elephant Ear Ice Cream to its permanent lineup of flavors. This one-of-a-kind frozen confection starts with Velvet’s creamy traditional vanilla recipe, to which swirls of rich caramel sauce and crispy nuggets of fried, cinnamon-coated elephant ears are added. Read more about it HERE.

Why not a line of state fair favorite flavors from around the country? Wisconsin can be cream puff and Illinois something with buttered corn. I’m sure Florida would be tropical while Texas would have some heat. Colorado would be beer…or if kept in state, maybe “edibles.” What fun for consumers to be able to taste the flavors of different states without traveling!
How about creating a flight of flavors for comparative tasting. It’s been done in cheese. Think Sargento’s Tastings (link HERE) and Cabot’s Founder’s Collection (link HERE).

Photo source: Choctál

Here’s some flight ideas: cherry varietals, chocolates, coffee roasts and vanillas. Choctál does this. The company uses chocolates and vanillas grown around the world, allowing consumers to experience unique and distinct flavor profiles of ice cream. Read more HERE.

Looking for ice cream flavor ideas? Plan to attend the International Dairy Foods Association’s annual Ice Cream Technology conference April 12 to 13 in Florida. I will help kick off the meeting with a presentation on global ice cream insight and innovation ideas. For more information, link HERE.

Check out all these new products.

Just two days ago, Unilever, the world’s largest ice cream company, announced it is rolling out 17 new frozen treats in 2016 across five of its ice cream brands: Breyers, Good Humor, Klondike, MAGNUM Ice Cream and Popsicle. (Many of these concepts will be featured in the future as a Daily Dose of Dairy.)

“At Unilever, we’re on a consistent journey to better understand the connection consumers have to ice cream,” says Nick Soukas, director of ice cream at Unilever. “We’ve discovered that nostalgia and memorable moments are two reasons consumers enjoy ice cream. With this in mind, we’ve reimagined favorite flavors and pairings that cultivate great memories--like birthday cake, s’mores and chocolate and peanut butter--to surprise and delight our ice cream fans.”

Breyers has brought families together over frozen treats since 1866. In celebration of its 150-year anniversary, Breyers is introducing a full-frozen twist on ice cream cake. New Breyers Ice Cream Cake offers Breyers Chocolate Ice Cream and loads of chocolatey crunchies sandwiched between Breyers Natural Vanilla Ice Cream.

Graeter’s newest flavor is Cheese Crown, which is based on the cheese crown danish, a Cincinnati bakery tradition for more than half a century. The cheese crown is a danish roll filled with cream cheese and cinnamon streusel. Graeter’s new Cheese Crown ice cream pays homage to this popular baked good with a rich cream cheese base along with crunchy cinnamon pastry pieces and fondant icing flakes.

Graeter’s is the last family-owned, authentic small-batch ice cream maker still dedicated to the French Pot Process. Passionate artisans pour and swirl the best ingredients into each spinning, 2.5-gallon French Pot freezer. The resulting ice cream is so dense and rich, due to the absence of air, it must be removed by hand with a paddle. That’s how Graeter’s has been hand-crafting ice cream since 1870. (And this new flavor is to die for. Finished a pint by myself over a couple of days.)

Snoqualmie Ice Cream from the Pacific Northwest has launched six new, all-natural frozen custards. The innovative flavors speak to many of the themes I identified, including recreating desserts, celebrating traditions and sneaking in little surprises.

The frozen custards contain 14% butterfat, more cream and extra eggs. Snoqualmie Ice Cream is made in a sustainable factory north of Seattle. The pints are vat-pasteurized in small batches and are all natural, rBST-free and sweetened with non-GMO cane sugar.

The six new flavors are:
Blueberry Cardamom Crisp Custard: Northwest blueberries, crispy oats and cinnamon swirled into sweet, blueberry cardamom custard
Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Custard: Brown butter custard and soft sugar cookies
Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Custard: Creamy custard sweetened with brown sugar and extra bites of chocolate chip cookie dough.
Crispy Marshmallow Treat Custard: Creamy marshmallow custard with crispy rice marshmallow clusters
Red Raspberry Cake Custard: Cake batter custard, red raspberry ripples and white cake pieces
Spicy Banana Brownie Custard: Chocolate fudge brownies mixed into sweet banana cinnamon custard
(I believe samples are arriving today. Thanks in advance. I cannot wait to taste!)

Arctic Zero Fit Frozen Desserts are all about less fat and fewer calories. The brand recently added seven craveable new additions to its family of zero-guilt treats. In the Chunky pints line there’s Banana Pudding, Brownie Blast and Snickerdoodle Dandy. In the Creamy pints line, there’s Cake Batter and Poppin’ Pomegranate. In novelties, there’s Mint and Salted Caramel Chocolate-Dipped Bars.

“From the beginning, our mission was to bring frozen dessert favorites to consumers in fresh and exciting ways that they could actually feel good about,” said Greg Holtman, founder of Arctic Zero. “We were inspired by the recent throwback to traditional desserts as well as culinary trends like salted caramel, which we witnessed in the marketplace and in direct feedback from our fans. This led us to reimagine time-honored favorites like brownies, banana pudding and cake batter into our own unique versions with an Arctic Zero twist. The result is a fresh batch of low-calorie, clean, yet indulgent desserts that hit on the satisfying flavor profiles consumers crave in ways they haven’t experienced before.”

Enlightened is rolling out pints of “the good-for-you ice cream,” including two cookie concepts. Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Crunch is oatmeal cookie clusters and ribbons of silky caramel blended with rich caramel ice cream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is chunks of soft chocolate chip cookie dough and rich chocolate chips blended with sweet cream ice cream. There’s also Frozen Hot Cocoa, Mint Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Sea Salt Caramel and Triple Chocolate.

A half-cup of the new pint flavors contains 80 to 100 calories, 1.5 to 4.5 grams of fat, 7 to 8 grams of protein and 4 to 6 grams of sugar, depending on variety. All flavors deliver 5 grams of fiber per serving. The pints join the company’s existing novelty line, which debuted about three years ago. Read more about them HERE. Both concepts are all about providing protein and fiber with less sugar and fewer calories.

Tillamook is growing its frozen desserts business with pints, a format consumers have been requesting from Tillamook for quite some time, according to the company. Since 1947, the farmer-owners of Tillamook have packed ice cream with extra cream, not extra air, ensuring each scoop is really smooth and creamy. And it’s made the Tillamook way; with no artificial preservatives, flavors, colors, sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup.

The gelato line includes: Authentic Sweet Cream (made with buttermilk), Chocolate-Covered Strawberry, Oregon Hazelnut Chocolate, Salted Caramel Toffee, TCHO Double Dark Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Fudge. The Extra Creamy ice cream line includes: Dark Chocolate Mint, Double Peanut Butter, Speculoos Cookie Caramel and Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee. The frozen custard line includes: California Peach Cobbler, California Pistachio, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Oregon Marionberry Cheesecake.

All varieties are made with locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, which are often called out on packages. Stumptown is a popular Portland, Ore.-based coffee roaster. TCHO is a craft chocolate make in Berkeley, Calif. The TCHO chocolate used in the gelato is 70% dark chocolate made with sustainably sourced cocoa.

In Brooklyn, N.Y., Lotus Scoop is all about adding little surprises to its hand-crafted artisan ice creams. For example, Cocoa-Nut Clem is premium chocolate ice cream that is so dense, it is literally fudge-y” when it starts to melt, according to the company. It is made with the company’s signature organic Caribbean cocoa powder that gets doubled down with dark, raw cacao to develop the cocoa fudge base.

Cocoa-Nut Clem is one of the company’s most labor-intensive flavors because it requires cleaning and peeling tons of fresh Clementines by hand, juicing the inside fruit and then cooking the zest. The result is a flavorful and fragrant dessert sauce, which when mixed with the intense fudge ice cream, yields a familiar Mandarin orange chocolate flavor reminiscent of Godiva chocolates. Here’s the little surprise, a touch of cayenne pepper and roasted almonds are added to finish off what is already a very complex and layered flavor.

Yam-A-Rama is said to taste like a frozen sweet potato pie. It is one of the company’s most popular ice cream flavors. It is a buttery mash of baked sweet potatoes and cinnamon swirled into ice cream base with generous amounts of homemade banana caramel with hints of Himalayan pink salt.

Smoked Mocha combines the very robust Marley Coffee’s Fair Trade Lively Up espresso with the company’s signature organic Caribbean cocoa into ice cream base that gets layered with an organic mesquite powder to give the ice cream a unique smoky flavor. According to the company, mesquite is derived from a flowering Southwestern tree and its wood gives off a flavor that is less potent than hickory, so it is perfect for giving an already strong and mocha ice cream depth and character.

Ben & Jerry’s third installment of its Core innovation line is rolling out this month. With a twist on some classic baked goods, the three new flavors feature decadent chunks and swirls that will be sure to satisfy even the sweetest tooth.

The new offerings are: Brownie Batter (chocolate and vanilla ice creams with fudge brownies and brownie batter core), Coconuts for Caramel (caramel and sweet cream coconut ice creams with fudge flakes and caramel core) and Cookies & Cream Cheesecake (chocolate and cheesecake ice creams with chocolate cookies and cheesecake core).

Friendly’s Ice Cream, the operator of more than 250 Friendly’s restaurants and a manufacturer of ice cream products distributed in over 8,000 retail outlets, is introducing 10 all-new, one-of-a-kind sundae cups to supermarket freezers across the Northeast. (The entire line will be featured in the near future as a Daily Dose of Dairy.)

Cake sundae concepts include Chocolate Cake Krunch (layers of chocolate ice cream separated by chocolaty crunchies, all topped with fudge and additional chocolaty crunchies), Salted Caramel Cake Krunch (two layers of salted caramel ice cream separated by a layer of chocolaty crunchies topped with caramel sauce and more chocolaty crunchies) and Strawberry Cake Krunch (layers of strawberry and vanilla ice cream separated by a layer of pink and white vanilla crunchies, topped with strawberry sauce, whipped topping and more crunchies).

Here’s something you don’t see every day, but it’s just the type of tradition that can be recreated into a packaged product. South Tampa’s quirky and whimsical bistro and bakery Dough by Datz now offers its version of the Czech internet sensation: Doughnut Ice Cream Cones.

Dough’s version of the infamous deep-fried spirals of sugar-coated goodness are made fresh daily and served while supplies last. The flaky cones can be filled with doughnut-flavored soft-serve ice cream, with flavors varying weekly.

For its mouthwatering Florida debut this week, the Doughnut Ice Cream Cones are being filled with creamy swirls of house-made jelly doughnut-flavored ice cream. Toppings include bacon caramel popcorn, cotton candy, whipped cream and a cherry.

This adventurous alternative to the classic cone is credited to Good Food Coffee and Bakery cafe in Prague, whose fried sensation took over the internet in February, drawing the attention of foodies on every social media platform and major news outlet. These specific desserts, inspired by the Czech trdelník, include a cone made from actual doughnut dough, a Nutella lining and soft-serve ice cream.

If the weather was not so questionable in the Midwest this week, I’d be on plane to get me one! Hope to see you on the opposite coast of Florida in a few weeks at the International Dairy Foods Association’s annual Ice Cream Technology conference. For more information, link HERE.

Natural Cheese: Understanding its Complexity to Best Market its Deliciousness

Obsessing on Protein, Focusing on Millennials (and not Skinnygirls)

Clean Label Is the Buzz in Food Biz News This Week; Why Salmon and Beef Should Inspire You to Clean Up Your Dairy Foods’ Labels

Understanding Natural and Natural Colors

The Return of Milkfat…It’s Time to Make Cheese the Snack Food Leader in 2016!

Dairy Foods Industry Trends 2016

Dairy Foods Partners: Let’s Do the Right Things in 2016.

Ice Cream Trends 2016: Five Flavor Platforms to Consider in Product Development

Dairy Foods Trends: Going Clean in 2016. (And by the way…how about a united front in getting more people to consume their three servings of dairy a day?)

Cultured Dairy Products: Trends 2016

Specialty Foods Are Hot; Cheese Leads the Industry

Developing Dairy (Dessert) Deliciousness Must Be a Constant Priority

Millennials, Functional Foods and Ice Cream: Packaging and Product Considerations

Innovation Knows No Limits When Dairy Ingredients Are Part of a Dairy Product’s Formulation

Sourcing Non-GMO Ingredients in the Dairy Industry…and Let’s Talk About Raw Milk

Colorful Dairy Foods Innovations: It’s a Jungle Out There!

Less Sugar, More Fiber: A Recurring Theme at RCA and Expo West...and how OODA can get you there

In Honor of National Nutrition Month Let’s All Agree: Milk Is One of Nature’s Superfoods

Ice Cream Trends: Meet Caramel’s New Best Friends (part one of three blogs focusing on what to expect this coming year in ice cream)

Ice Cream Trends: Create Inviting Formulations (part two of three blogs focusing on what to expect this coming year in ice cream)