Dairy Foods Columnists

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We need dietary fat. Milk naturally contains fat. So let’s better understand the facts on fat and communicate this to consumers instead of trying to dodge the topic. After all, dairy foods are in a unique situation when it comes to fatty acid profile, as research shows that all fatty acids are not created equal.

My job title may be "Food Service Director," but I feel like a high-wire acrobat most days.

If the Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich., can make cereal “craveable” by using quality chocolate in its new Kellogg’s Krave (crispy shell cereal squares filled with rich, smooth chocolate, with each serving delivering 8 to 9 grams of whole grains, depending on variety, and 3 grams of fiber), dairy processors can turn it up a notch when formulating with cocoa.

It is time to talk about best practices for the dairy processing industry. But I am not an engineer and I can’t get too technical, like recommending that you lower your refrigeration system’s minimum head pressure set point or telling you that you should lower your boiler steam generation pressure to match your process requirements.

The first baby boomers turned 65 in 2011. As more of the boomer generation reaches retirement age, the number of consumers 65-plus in the United States will burgeon from 40 million in 2010 to 72 million in 2030. Similar statistics can be seen around the world, with the highest percentages of seniors in Japan and Western Europe, and the highest population of seniors in China, whose citizenry swelled to 132 million people age 65-plus in 2011.

We speak to many dairy processors throughout the year. We see you at trade shows, conferences and in your offices and plants. By listening to you, we learn about issues and challenges critical to your business success, as well as your thoughts about Dairy Foods.

Much like the rest of the beverage industry, retailers and distributors of dairy beverage products are faced with the challenge of having to meet the needs of increasingly discerning consumers who are short on time and constantly on the go.

The U.S. dairy industry has been diligently gathering data, crunching numbers and double-checking methodologies to ensure that the carbon footprint and life-cycle assessments for fluid milk and cheese are consistent with internationally accepted schemes and protocols. Since we are pretty much done with those, now what?

What key factors does the U.S. dairy industry depend on to deliver safe dairy products? There could be many answers, but the predominant factor is an educated, motivated and well-trained workforce.