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One might think that consumers would have put sustainability on the back burner amid the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that appears to be far from the case.

Much has been said and written about the COVID-19 pandemic’s influence on consumers’ diets. The consensus is that many consumers have been seeking out functional and other health-positioned foods and beverages to boost their immunity and overall health.

Those of you who are baby boomers or older Gen Xers surely remember the old Wonder bread slogan: "helps build bodies in 12 ways." Although it was retired sometime in the 1970s, the catchphrase was seemingly everywhere for years. It referred to the vitamins and minerals added to the bread to promote health.

Conversations tied to dairy processor sustainability typically focus on plant-level efforts such as wastewater reduction or reuse, energy-efficiency-minded improvements and recyclable product packaging.

Almost two decades ago, marketing companies, news outlets and market research firms across the country issued a warning to American marketers and employers: The oldest millennials soon would be coming of age, and the rest of us had better prepare for it.

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.

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.

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

Each year, Dairy Foods takes a deep dive into trends (both current and emerging), as well as opportunities and challenges, within a variety of dairy-product and related segments. The result is our annual State of the Industry report, published in our November issue.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit back in March, life for most Americans took a sharp detour from business as usual. Among other practices, the "new normal" brought with it the social distancing, mask wearing and sharp increase in at-home food preparation that continue to this day.