MARCH 2026 vol. 127 no. 3
IN THIS ISSUE
OUR COVER THIS MONTH
PROCESSOR PROFILE
Dairy Foods profiles Atwater, Calif.-based Joseph Gallo Farms, a third-generation, family-owned cheese company celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The cheese processor crafts more than 80 SKUs, with String Cheese emerging as a key growth driver following its successful launch in 2025. Other award-winning, lactose-free cheeses are Monterey Jack, Cheddar and Mozzarella, which are exclusively made using “real” California milk.
Cover photo courtesy of Joseph Gallo Farms.
Membrane Technology
Dairy processors face a daily challenge: keeping milk, cheese and yogurt fresh long enough to reach consumers while maintaining flavor and nutritional quality. Even a few extra weeks of shelf life can reduce waste, enable expanded distribution and protect margins. Membrane technologies like microfiltration are helping processors achieve that balance.
Processing Tech: Pumps and Valves
As sales in most dairy categories climb higher, we cannot forget about the backbone of dairy processing: pumps and valves, which move milk, cream, cheese curds, yogurt and other cultured dairy products consistently throughout each production stage.
Ingredient Tech: Sugar Reduction
On Jan. 7, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030. Sugar and sugar reduction took center stage among these guidelines. Dairy can play a huge role.
Outlook Report: Women in Dairy
For the fourth consecutive year, Dairy Foods is proud to highlight and celebrate 10 fascinating women who share their personal journeys in the dairy industry, mentors who inspired them, and how their company/brands are adapting to shifting consumer trends and economic pressures. Check out Part 1 of our two-month feature.
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
INGREDIENTS/R&D
Health and Wellness
The new DGA prioritizes the importance of consuming high quality, nutrient dense proteins at every meal to reach a total of 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, which is almost double that of previous recommendations and recommends consuming a variety of protein foods from both animal and plant sources. Dairy foods will continue to deliver the nutrition and taste needed by consumers of all ages.
Dairy Detective
Meltability of cheese is one of the most researched properties, write Prateek Sharma, Ph.D., and Nitin Joshi, Ph.D. Among all the dairy ingredients, cheese is atypical in the way that its functionality is most versatile, as it can be modified depending on consumer needs.
Ingredient Showcase
We offer the latest ingredients for cheesemaking.
OPERATIONS
3-A Today
As artificial intelligence transforms dairy operations, hygienic design standards give processors confidence to invest — and give equipment manufacturers a competitive edge. When a major cheese manufacturer implemented AI-driven yield optimization, the results were compelling — a margin improvement of 1% to 3% and potentially millions of dollars in additional revenue.
Membrane Matters
Welcome to the first installment of Membrane Matters, a quarterly column in Dairy Foods, penned by Andy Powers, vice president of technical services at the American Dairy Products Institute. In this column, he discusses the ongoing relevance of spiral crossflow membranes in the production of dairy foods and ingredients.
Global Insights
Global demand for dairy is up perhaps driven by the collapse in prices experienced during the second half of 2025. Global imports of milk were up 3.9%, while butter and cheese imports remain strong, Nate Donnay explains.
Equipment Showcase
Dairy Foods highlights cheesemaking equipment.
DEPARTMENTS
Eat. Drink. Dairy.
Häagen-Dazs debuts six new frozen treats; Boar's Head evolves by introducing Greek yogurt-based dessert dips; and Meadow Gold Dairy launches milk with 15 grams of protein.
Market Trends
The overall frozen novelties category continues to advance. Although the category isn’t growing at the level of yogurt, cottage cheese and kefir, it is holding its own. There is weakness in two subcategories, however.
"Let’s Talk Dairy" Podcast
Cindy Cooper, assistant director of Health and Wellness for Atlanta-based The Dairy Alliance, joins Dairy Foods for Episode 62 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast.
