During a recent visit to Whole Foods Market, I slowed down my pace in order to better observe the trends in new products and label claims. Filtering out natural, organic and similar marketing tactics, one solid trend that was apparent across most food categories was a tie-in to fruit. The pork chops had a serving suggestion to include apple sauce. Breakfast cereals either contained dried fruit pieces or a recommendation to add something fresh from the farm stand.
North American IML Containers, along with Sun Valley Dairy (Voskos), launched a two-compartment yogurt container (RDLS35/170) to address the customer’s need to create a dual component yogurt parfait.
Today’s consumers are more willing to seek out and try new food products. Delivering products to meet a diverse range of interests is a key to keeping consumer brand loyalty. So what should cultured dairy product processors do to grow and maintain sales and profitability?
Commonwealth Dairy epitomizes state-of-the-art. This joint venture between Ehrmann USA, the US subsidiary of Ehrmann AG, and Commonwealth Yogurt, started up its new, ultra-modern facility in Brattleboro, Vermontin May 2011. The SQF-certified plant, which produces yogurts for private label customers, adheres to superior quality standards. Illustrating their commitment to food safety, their three production lines are anchored with Osgood UltraClean fillers followed by SmartChek x-ray inspection systems from Mettler-Toledo Safeline.
The U.S. arm of Switzerland’s largest dairy is staking a claim to the markets for yogurts and milk-based coffee beverages. The dairy processor already is known here for its award-winning specialty cheeses.
Alps, cheese and chocolate are commonly associated with Switzerland. So is the country’s reputation for precision engineering. Just ask anyone who has taken a cable car to the top of a mountain or owns a Swiss watch. A Swiss dairy processor is expanding its presence in the United States by taking precise steps in developing dairy foods, and then executing marketing programs to gain placement on the shelves of grocery stores, with foodservice operators and in specialty food stores.
And developing a style of its own, Puerto Rico-based Orgánica Yogurt hand-packs its premium yogurt parfaits made with 100% natural fruit and no preservatives. The highly perishable product is sold at coffee shops, bakeries and Starbucks across the island.
The new year is here. It is time to flip the calendar, plan ahead and move forward with unfinished business. This year, 2012, proves to be both a profitable and innovative year, as indicated in the “What’s in Store 2012” report, published by the International Dairy-Deli-Bake Association (IDDBA), Madison, Wis.