Marketers of dairy desserts key into the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday in this week’s free-standing inserts. Kahala Corp.’s Cold Stone Creamery shows a heart-shaped chocolate and strawberry ice cream cake.  Schwan Food Co. touts its Edwards frozen desserts, made with ice cream, while Sara Lee Corp. pictures a slice of cheesecake under the headline "You are the sunshine of my life, Sweet love that always goes around . . .".

New production equipment and a new frozen-foods warehouse have positionedPerry’s Ice Cream Co. for growth. Its 120,000-square-foot facility in western New York is one of only two large-scale plants in the state.

In planning its growth, Perry’s Ice Cream measures sales, calculates ROI on plant expenditures and analyzes consumer trends.

Thanks to robust sales of Nesquik flavored milks, innovations in the Juicy Juice brand and a new partnership with Jamba Juice, Nestlé USA is far from a milquetoast in grocery and convenience store channels.

X-ray machines and metal detectors keep foods safe. Checkweighers assure foods are made to consistent sizes. Processors and vendors share information.

Makers of blow-molding equipment design more efficient machines that use less energy. Safety, ease of operation and smaller footprints are other benefits.

Though I’ve been editing magazines for many years, the arrival of a new issue still excites me. It’s like receiving a birthday or Christmas present every month. Each issue of Dairy Foods is packed with information you can act on. Here is a sample of what we’ve delivered in the last 12 months.

Processors expect sales to increase (slightly) next year. Meanwhile, they continue to develop new flavors and portions to tempt consumers.