JUNE 2026 vol. 127 no. 6
IN THIS ISSUE
OUR COVER THIS MONTH
Health and Wellness Issue
Welcome to Dairy Foods’ inaugural Health and Wellness Issue, where we fully examine the hottest topics driving sales in the dairy industry. In this issue, check out features on weight management/GLP-1 and protein, as well as "Let’s Talk Dairy" and our Health and Wellness and Tharp & Young on Ice Cream columns, which all focus on the topic.
Cover photo by nensuria/iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
FEATURES
Outlook Report: GLP-1 and Weight Management with Dairy
Make no mistake about it: Use of GLP-1 receptor agonists is increasing, and dairy products can be a major food source for what those taking a weight management journey most desire.
Ingredient Tech: Protein
Protein as an ingredient is no longer a trend, but an integral part of modern food positioning. Several forces are driving the protein phenomenon simultaneously.
Membrane Technology
Dairy processors are placing greater emphasis on utility reduction, water recovery and operational efficiency as plants face rising energy costs, sustainability pressures and increasing scrutiny surrounding wastewater management. Across dairy processing operations, membranes are increasingly serving as a central tool for reducing thermal demand, recovering water and improving product yield.
DF Extra: Breakthrough Award
Hilmar PROtelyze Bio-Brain was named the winner of the 2026 Breakthrough Award for Dairy Ingredient Innovation, presented by Dairy Foods and the American Dairy Products Institute. The Hilmar team received the award during the 2026 ADPI Annual Conference, held in Chicago on April 27.
Dairy Foods Extra: Cheese Expo Recap
Walking the exhibit hall at Cheese Expo revealed a working vision of tomorrow’s dairy plant. Automated cutting systems, membrane separation, artificial intelligence-assisted quality control, and advanced sanitation technologies were on full display. Each promised to solve some of the industry’s most pressing challenges and demonstrated how to “do more with less.”
DF Extra: IFT FIRST Preview
We offer a guide on everything to expect at the upcoming IFT First show, scheduled to take place July 12 to 15 in Chicago.
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
INGREDIENTS/R&D
Health and Wellness
As more Americans prioritize fitness, personalized nutrition, GLP‑1 aligned eating patterns and diabetes- or keto‑friendly food choices, ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturers are accelerating innovation by rethinking formulations, sweeteners and portion formats to deliver products that satisfy both nutritional aspirations and desires for indulgence, states Mary Wilcox
Tharp & Young
Can ice cream be healthy? This column, written by William Sipple and Steve Young, is devoted to the topic in honor of this month’s health and wellness theme.
Dairy Detective
While much of the dairy industry continues to debate the future of cow’s milk versus plant‑based alternatives, a third category is steadily gaining momentum: non‑bovine milks. Sourced from goats, sheep, camels, donkeys, and buffalo, these milks bring distinct nutritional and functional characteristics that are increasingly relevant to specialized nutrition, traditional dairy, and new product development, note Gagan Gandhi and Pranav Vashisht.
Dairy & Nutrition
Sleep is widely recognized as a pillar of overall health. It is even included in the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8” as one of eight key behaviors and health factors that support cardiovascular health, alongside other major variables like diet and physical activity. It’s no surprise consumers are increasingly looking for practical, evidence-based ways to support healthy sleep patterns, states Matthew Pikosky.
Ingredient Showcase
We highlight sweeteners for dairy.
OPERATIONS
Processing Tech: Secondary Packaging
In order to get a better understanding of the latest trends and innovations in secondary packaging, Dairy Foods hosted a conversation with Peter Fox, CEO of SOMIC Packaging.
Distribution
Successfully moving dairy products from farm to fork not only hinges on delivering fresh, high-quality milk to dairy plants, but also ensuring that every journey in the supply chain — milk collection, transportation, processing, packaging and distribution — is well thought out and coordinated.
DEPARTMENTS
Eat. Drink. Dairy.
New line of high-protein, ultrafiltered milks from Maola; Wells Enterprises brings candy bar texture to ice cream; and DFA delivers MULU cottage cheese to the masses.
"Let’s Talk Dairy" Podcast
Matt Graziose,Ph.D., vice president, regulatory compliance, Chobani, joins Dairy Foods for Episode 65 of the "Let’s Talk Dairy" podcast, where he discusses protein and natural ingredients.
