There’s no question that consumers today love learning what’s new. And the dairy industry is always releasing new products with their audience in mind. Whether it’s a drinkable or spoon-able yogurt designed for children (or the kid in all of us), new delectable flavors of ice cream or products made for dipping and slathering like dairy dips and cream cheese, not to mention ice cream and frozen dairy desserts, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Given the popularity of charcuterie boards, one can never forget cheese, glorious cheese, and the aged hard, soft, string cheese artfully created to please every taste and palate. Chicago-based market research firm Circana reports that natural cheese — and the diverse types of shredded, chunks, slices, string/stick, crumbled, cubes, ricotta, and all other forms — generated $17.4 billion in dollar sales, a year-over-year (YoY) increase of 7% for the 52 weeks ending August 13, 2023. Unit-wise, all natural cheese collectively sold 4.3 billion units, a slight 0.3% increase over the prior-year timeframe.
Since health and wellness is a top concern, consumers are reading labels and seeking reduced and low-sugar products, natural colors and clean labels with recognizable ingredients without sacrificing on taste. Perhaps that why stevia, monk fruit and other natural sweeteners are growing in importance while inclusions like fruits and nuts are adding appeal to ice cream, yogurt and more.
Yet, the dairy industry also has a lot of competition, so dairy suppliers are sourcing ingredients (whey protein, faba bean, vanilla and chocolate) that will add value to functional, ready-to-drink smoothies and coffees. To appeal to the 30 million Americans who are lactose intolerant, dairy companies are removing the lactose from milk, cottage cheese, ice cream and more to make sure all can enjoy dairy.
New technology and mashups are also furthering growth of new products with an eye on sustainability. For example, Perfect Day, a leading precision fermentation innovator and supplier, partnered with Unilever's Breyers, a family favorite since 1866, on the creation of Breyers Lactose-Free Chocolate. The Berkeley, Calif.-based Perfect Day uses a decades-old process of precision fermentation to create its highly functional whey protein that offers the same indulgent experience consumers have loved for decades without any lactose, with a reduced environmental footprint and no cholesterol.
While nothing can beat the nutrition of full dairy in terms of vitamins, minerals and calcium, plant-based “dairy” products in all forms (cheese, yogurt, creamers, ice cream) are hitting refrigerated, and even non-refrigerated cases, with greater regularity.
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