A survey of dairy food professionals reflects some of the contradictions that come up when choosing stabilizers and thickeners for dairy products.

It’s easy to find creativity in dairy processing. Look at the people involved in formulating, processing, packaging and marketing of dairy foods and beverages. Their innovations meet consumers’ calls for convenience and new flavors.

A professor of animal science explains BST and rBST and the effects on milk supply, retail prices and environmental issues when dairy farmers abandon rBST technology.

One size fits all never works. Dairies understand that consumers want options. That’s why milk processors offer the four fats (whole, 2%, 1% and nonfat), ice cream makers churn no-sugar-added varieties and cheesemakers cut their products into slices, chunks and shreds.

Milk processors can help boost milk sales by showing retail customers  how to optimize the product mix. MilkPEP’s new research makes a powerful case.

The world was turned upside last month for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s winter south of the Equator where Brazil hosted the summer Olympics. That gave me a different perspective on current events.

The 100 largest dairy processors in North America clearly are planning ahead. They are building new plants and adding to existing ones, even though at least 30% of the companies reported lower sales in 2015 than in 2014. They are not going to let a one-year blip derail their plans for the future.