Never mind that most of the world freely uses and understands the word Parmesan as it applies to cheese. To the EU, however, Parm means only Parmigiano-Reggiano. And feta is a cheese made only in Greece. The EU is trying to force its approach to food names on every country in the world. It already has gummed up the South Korean market for non-EU makers of Asiago, feta, fontina and gorgonzola.

High atop Dairy Management Inc. headquarters, DMI staff rolled carts through the conference room and delivered food samples created by the students. It was like being in a dim sum restaurant, except there were no egg rolls, dumplings or noodle dishes. Instead, the judges tasted dairy-based treats with fanciful names like Mooofins, Easy Qurd and Whey-Go.

Smith Brothers Farms has positioned itself for growth from new products and from co-packing opportunities. Raw milk capacity increased 55% to 70,000 gallons and pasteurized milk capacity soared 300% to 60,000 gallons. 

Why buy Swiss cheese when you could buy Swiss cheese made in small batches from milk given by cows who spend their summers at high altitudes in the Bavarian Alps of Germany? 

In Jim Carper's Dairy Case: Dreyer's (a unit of Nestle USA) changed the name of its Fruit Bars to Outshine. The company turned to a social media site to ask users how they "shine brighter." 

A Spanish-language ad campaign from the California Milk Processor Board links positive dreams to drinking milk prior going to bed. Sounds crazy, but the spots are charming. 

July, designated as National Ice Cream Month is winding down, but ice cream processors are still are still busy promoting their treats through social media. Here's a look at the processors, products and people making dairy processing news headlines this week.

Tillamook County, Ore., the so-called "land of cheese, trees and ocean breeze" is a magical place, a bit of Brigadoon in the Pacific Northwest, if you will (although you don't have to wait every 100 years to visit the place). I waited 56 years to make my first visit, and was instantly smitten by the region's beauty and the citizenry's friendliness.

Jim Carper's Dairy Case blog reviews this week's dairy news headlines, including: dairy processor Grassland plans to double the capacity of its milk plant; Hamdi Ulukaya, head of yogurt maker Chobani, receives an award; Coke is going to distribute dairy beverage Core Power, a popular recovery drink for athletes; the Dairy Council of California promotes the health and nutrition benefits of milk.
 

A look at the people, products and processors making the news this week. In this edition: Dairy Farmers of America, Unilever, Golden Glen Creamery, Karoun, Safeway Lucerne and more.