Within the dairy products arena, fruit, nuts and other inclusions are much like the prize in a Cracker Jack box. They add a little fun and excitement, transforming an ordinary offering to an extraordinary one.

In recent years, dairy alternatives have been popping up seemingly everywhere. These dairy wannabees typically do not come close, however, to matching dairy's unique nutritional profile and taste.

Up until only recently, milk sales in U.S. retail outlets had been on a decades-long decline. As the coronavirus forced many consumers to work, study and/or eat at home, however, retail milk sales benefited.

Maola Local Dairies, the signature brand from Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association Inc. (MDVA), covers dairy products touted as being "fresh from farm to fridge" and "100% local."

Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association Inc. (MDVA) lays claim to much more than a long name. The Reston, Va.-based dairy cooperative also boasts an impressively long history, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020.

In my December column, I pointed to two areas of particular consumer interest, products that boost immune health and products that target the microbiome, that will spell innovation opportunity for dairy processors in 2021. Those areas of interest are huge, but they are not the only trends that bode well for dairy in the New Year.

Many consumers have been turning to their favorite comfort foods to help combat stress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And one of those favorites certainly appears to be ice cream.

As I write this column, 2020 is not quite over, although I suspect most folks are anxiously counting the days until it is.

At only a decade and a half old, Chobani LLC is still a youngster within the dairy processing universe. Nevertheless, the company, founded in 2005 by current CEO Hamdi Ulukaya, who immigrated to the United States from Turkey about a decade earlier, has racked up a remarkable number of accomplishments.

It has been a very, very good year for cheese, at least within the major retail channels. Dollar sales within the natural cheese category shot up 17.0% to $15,449.5 million during the 52 weeks ending Oct. 4, 2020, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI.