More than 500 industry leaders gathered in Boca Raton, Fla. last month for IDFA's Dairy Forum. It was among the largest turnouts ever.

Compass DesignThe new Glanbia Foods partnership, Southwest Cheese Co., USA has awarded contracts for $70 million of its new cheese and whey production facility to Carlisle Process Systems (CPS), Winsted,

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings is launching its largest marketing campaign ever to introduce to consumers a new technology said to make low fat frozen products taste like superpremium.

The first-time appearance of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or "mad cow disease," in the United States is likely to renew debate in Washington over food inspection regulations, and many industry representatives see some type of increased regulatory scrutiny in the works.

Former Suprema Specialties operations manager John Van Sickell and three customers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud last month.

It may be too early to tell how the discovery of mad cow disease in the west will affect the shipment of Agricultural products to Cuba.

Tillamook cheese has gotten into a legal tug of war over beef jerky.

Johanna Foods Acquisition Johanna Foods Inc., has acquired the refrigerated orange juice and chilled beverage business from Pasco Beverage Company, LLC, of Dade City, Florida. Terms have not been disclosed.

Italian dairy group Parmalat Finanziaria SpA escaped a financial disaster last month when it narrowly cleared a deadline to repay a $183 million bond.

In December, the Senate approved the $60 million "Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act," (IMPACT) a bill supported by the International Dairy Foods Assn.