Articles by Sharon Gerdes

In September, researchers, manufacturers and end users of whey protein from around the world gathered in Chicago for the eighth International Whey Conference. A key takeaway from the conference is that whey protein continues to be the “gold standard” for fueling muscle protein synthesis (MPS).

Probiotics are hot. Originally found primarily in dairy foods, probiotics now pop up in everything from pills to prunes. As competition mounts from other probiotic delivery vehicles, the dairy industry needs to continue to educate consumers about the benefits of dairy as a delivery vehicle for healthy bacteria.

Making cheese predates recorded history, but artisan cheesemaking in the U.S. is a relatively new industry. According to a 2016 American Cheese Society (ACS) report, there are more than 900 artisan, farmstead and specialty cheesemakers operating in the United States. While a few artisan cheesemakers have been in business for over 100 years, the average has been making cheese for only 15 years.

Today’s health-conscious shoppers want to know more about the ingredients that they consume. Are they natural? Are they sustainable? What health benefits do they provide?

Health and Wellness Editor Sharon Gerdes visited McCarty Family Farms, which supplies milk to Dannon’s yogurt processing plant in Fort Worth, Texas. The dairy farms are Validus-certified in four areas of social responsibility. 

The World Health Organization predicts that the percent of the world’s population over 60 years of age will nearly double in the next 35 years, growing to 22% in 2050 from 12% in 2015.

"Clean label” and “clean eating” are becoming top priorities for young adult consumers. But there is no uniform definition – among consumers or food companies – on what constitutes clean label.

This new generation, defined as those ages 20 to 36 in 2017, have different views about food than my generation of baby boomers.

Today’s health-conscious consumers like to know exactly what’s in their food. And they want it to be clean, whole and natural.

The dairy industry has long touted that “milk contains nine essential nutrients.” And while the nutritional content of milk, cheese and yogurt hasn’t changed, the claims that the industry can make about dairy will be modified in some important ways by the new Nutrition Facts regulations.