DECEMBER 2024 vol. 125 no. 12
IN THIS ISSUE


DAIRY FOODS EXTRA
As part of the 57th Annual World Dairy Expo (WDE), taking place Oct. 1-4 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis., the Global Dairy Summit featured remarks from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack along with national leaders in the dairy industry.

PACKAGING TECHNOLOGIES
Traditional packaging methods, which often require refrigeration and have limited shelf life, have largely been supplemented, or even replaced, by aseptic and extended shelf life (ESL) technologies.

INGREDIENT TECHNOLOGIES
In a relatively new category, hybrid dairy, which combines both plant-based and animal-based ingredients into a single food, has yet to fully take off. Dairy processors started experimenting with hybrid dairy after seeing meat producers come out with blended meats.

OUTLOOK REPORT
Given its versatility, the butter/butter spreads category, with a 5.5% year-over-year (YoY) increase, churned out dollar sales of $5.65 billion in total U.S. multi-outlets, Circana data reports. On the creamers side, driven by flavor innovation, sales clocked in at $6.76 billion, Volume is 3.444 billion pints, up 2.5%.

PROCESSOR of the year
Dairy Foods names New York City-based Chobani LLC as its 2024 Processor of the Year, honoring the company’s outstanding humanitarian efforts, its entrance into new dairy and non-dairy markets, and its impressive growth.
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.
Blue Bunny releases new and returning seasonal flavors; developed with pediatricians, Silk Kids delivers nutritional benefits; Cream Cheese Pound Cake named to Oprah’s coveted “Favorite Things” list.
"Let’s Talk Dairy" Podcast
Kwee Choo Ng, regional product manager, Rice Ingredients and Functional Proteins, North America, at BENEO, joins Dairy Foods for Episode 47 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast, where she addresses ingredient reduction and “free from.”
OPERATIONS
Dairy Foods Extra: PACK EXPO Review
Dairy Foods examines some of the newest equipment and packaging innovations showcased at PACK EXPO International trade show in Chicago.
3-A Today
Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems are fundamental in industries that require stringent hygiene standards, such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, states columnist Rick Rector.
IDFA Rules and Regulations
On Sept. 25, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted a public meeting to gather feedback on its proposed framework for an enhanced systemic post-market assessment process for chemicals in food. International Dairy Foods Association’s (IDFA) Roberta Wagner and Danielle Quist weigh in on this topic.
IDFA Inside Perspective
This summer, IDFA President and CEO Michael Dykes, D.V.M., attended the Michigan AgroExpo show to talk about the political and economic trends shaping the dairy business environment. His main message: Despite challenges such as avian influenza, ongoing Federal Order reform, and a weak export outlook, the fundamentals of U.S. dairy remain strong.
Equipment Showcase
Dairy Foods digs into instrumentation and process control systems.
INGREDIENTS/R&D
Health & Wellness
The importance of digestive health for well-being is in the news these days. Mary Wilcox offers a long look at its importance.
Dairy & Nutrition
Studies support the unique hydrating properties of milk, revealing that it may be more effective in rehydrating the body than water or traditional sports drinks. This development paves the way for innovative dairy-based products that can benefit athletes and active individuals, says Matt Pikosky, Ph.D., RD, vice president, Nutrition Research, National Dairy Council.
Culturally Speaking
The words “fermented” and “dairy” have strong links to nutrition and health that have stood the test of time. But like many foods, we continue to discover nutritional properties found in fermented dairy products that benefit our health throughout life, explains KJ Burrington.
Ingredient Showcase
We take a look at the latest prebiotics/postbiotics/probiotics.