AUGUST 2024 vol. 125 no. 8
IN THIS ISSUE
INSIDE THE PLANT
Dairy Foods has visited many plants over the years, but few match the size of Westrock Coffee Co.’s facility, which opened earlier this year. The 570,000-square-foot facility in Conway, Ark., spans 45 acres and is now the largest roast to ready-to-drink (RTD) manufacturing facility in North America, the company says.
Processing Technologies
In the world of dairy operations, heat exchangers, which work in the same way as a radiator, are transferring heat or cold to solve pasteurization and sterilization challenges in raw milk, making it safe to drink and extending the shelf life of milk, yogurt, creamers and more.
INGREDIENT TECHNOLOGIES
Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Such is the case of the surge in consumers actively purchasing functional, clean-label products designed to keep them hydrated, but also provide protein and good nutrition from natural sources.
OPERATIONS
Although not often covered in the pages of trade magazines, an important topic dairy processors should be thinking about — especially smaller operations — is succession planning.
OUTLOOK REPORT
Protecting dairy products during production and transportation is a vital, and often arduous, endeavor. Successfully safeguarding ingredients, equipment and facilities requires that processors adhere to a wide range of measures that incorporate technologies, cleaning methods and employee education.
FEATURES
DAIRY FOODS EXTRA
With PROOF Hard Ice Cream currently expanding at a blazing pace, corporate executives acknowledge they will soon outgrow its 4,000-square-foot South Carolina plant.
EXPORTER OF THE YEAR
South Carolina is perhaps where the next great dairy segment has been born: alcohol-infused ice cream. At the forefront of the alcohol-infused ice cream movement is PROOF Hard Ice Cream, led by Jennifer Randall, co-founder and CEO, and Dirk Brown, co-founder and chairman, who founded the start-up in 2014.
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
Eat. Drink. Dairy.
New on-pack design elevates aged Cheddar cheeses; McConnell’s + See’s create custom-confection flavors; Califia Farms debuts first-ever organic plant-based milks.
Market Trends
Although some may not consider its sales gains gangbusters, the butter and creamer dairy subcategories are led by refrigerated butters and refrigerated coffee creamers, according to Chicago-based market research firm Circana.
"Let’s Talk Dairy" Podcast
Glenn Campbell, regional director of operations for Williamston, S.C.-based Transervice Logistics, joins us for Episode 44 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast to discuss dairy logistics.
OPERATIONS
3A Today
We live in a world with limited resources, especially fresh water, and it’s the lifeblood of cleaning systems in food and beverage processes. The 3-R’s of sustainability are Reduce, Re-use and Recycle. Columnist Gabriel Miller focuses on Reduce.
Rules & Regulations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to announce a proposed regulation this year that will require front-of-package nutrition labeling (FOPNL) on food packages, a move aimed at providing consumers with at-a-glance nutrition information to help them quickly and easily make informed food selections, suggest IDFA’s Roberta Wagner and Michelle Albee Matto.
Equipment Showcase
We present the latest conveyor and palletizer offerings.
INGREDIENTS/R&D
Health & Wellness
The goodness of dairy’s nine essential nutrients can be delivered in myriad ways: as milk, cheese, yogurt, protein powders, fermented milk drinks, ice cream, and more. The technologies that dairy processors and food manufacturers use to deliver dairy will affect both nutritional parameters and nutrient bioavailability of the finished dairy food, notes Sharon Gerdes.
Dairy Detective
Consumer preferences have had a major influence on the development of new products as they are willing to pay for the value of their food. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, foods that promote immunity and healthy aging have also become increasingly popular among consumers, explain Sonali Raghunath and Pratishtha Verma.
Cheese Doctor
As the name implies, mixed milk cheeses are produced by blending any combination of cow, sheep and/or goat milks. These cheeses provide an opportunity for cheesemakers to produce products with unique flavor profiles, states John Lucey.
Ingredient Showcase
Dairy Foods focuses on innovations in flavors this month.
