Skirious (Skee-your-os) combines two Greek words meaning "shady" and "tail" and is the name of my college sorority's mascot-the squirrel. It's a strange mascot, but its selection was not random.

From whole to skim, creamed to whipped, fluid milk and related milk products have a normal pH of 6.6 to 6.9. But this neutrality stops here. In order to transform fluid milk into one of the many other dairy products in the marketplace, pH must be reduced.

Is your manufacturing line on a tight schedule? Can't wait for a fermentation to complete? Need better control of pH development or some kick in flavor? Acidulants might be the answer.

It’s that time when marketers play on the emotions of consumers seeking to improve their life in the new year. From health club memberships to diet books, the consumer media

It can be entertaining to see how foreign marketers try to give their product lines an American twist. Mishaps in translation can provide a giggle or two. For example, one company exhibiting at ANUGA touted its whey-based drink as a bewitching beverage. Running with images that combined a black-hat witch and something resembling Coors Light's Elvira, this company was marketing whey as a source of power. (The power to cast a spell, I guess!)

After reading my column in the September issue-On Probiotics and Maternity Leave-many of you felt inclined to drop me a line. (It was all positive-thanks!) For those who missed the column, let me explain why these two very dissimilar topics were addressed in the same article.

A great deal has happened since Dairy Foods last published its Best New Products of the Year feature article one year ago. The low-carb movement slowed, and flavor fusion made its way into cheese. Yogurt-in all shapes and forms-refrigerated and frozen, with inclusions or with plant sterols, in dips or in beverages, has become the dairy food to keep any eye on. Frozen snacking became decadent, and a soft drink company now markets a great-tasting milk drink under an oatmeal brand.

dbv

I thought I had heard them all-that is, all the reasons for choosing organic dairy foods.

Dairy foods have historically served as ideal vehicles for fruits and nuts. The motive for adding fruits and nuts to dairy was to enhance flavor and color. Today, this has expanded to include boosting nutritional profiles.

Research suggests that consumers are seeking foods and beverages with added value in terms of increased nutrition, so fruity and nutty dairy foods can have "real" appeal.