What is going on in the beverage segment? Like several other categories, overall, the skies are cloudy, with little rain predicted. Sales in the vast category are mixed year-over-year (YoY), but there are plenty signs of strength. Declining subcategories certainly did not take it on the chin, perhaps a good sign for the industry.

On April 8, something miraculous occurred in the United States that only happens every 18-plus years — a total solar eclipse. St. Louis, Southern Illinois, and Waco, Texas, were among the prime viewing locations for the path of totality.

“Summer Sun, something’s begun” sings John Travolta (Danny Zuko) about his summer romance at the beach with Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) during the song “Summer Nights,” one of the many popular hit songs in the 1978 musical “Grease.” 

Like a powerful blizzard blasting the landscape, health and wellness is socking it to the dairy ingredients’ sector. But rather than snow, ice, and high winds pelting consumers, shoppers are facing a deluge of such positive elements as products that are low in sugar, high in protein, and those that contain prebiotics and probiotics.

Last year in this feature, we stated ice cream and frozen novelties would have a difficult time matching a “Super Bowl champion”-level performance put forth by the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, which occurred for ice cream during the COVID-19 pandemic when consumers sought a home indulgence.

Market research firm Circana reports that the overall milk category, comprising refrigerated milk, refrigerated alternative milk, “all other” refrigerated milk, and non-dairy refrigerated milk, notched $19.6 billion in dollar sales at a slight 1.2% decrease over the prior year. 

American life in the 1800s looked vastly different than today. Thanks to the Industrial Revolution, the 1800s saw the newly established United States of America expand from a largely agrarian society to an industrial powerhouse. 

Like the past year, one major theme affecting the cost of food and beverages is inflation. For the 12 months ending Aug. 13, the consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.7% compared to the prior year. Because of inflation, many categories in our State of the Industry issue did exceedingly well dollar-sales wise, but unit sales didn't always sparkle.

While it is typically obvious when a team wins, loses or ties (although ties are a rarity in sports these days), in the commodity export world, a win depends on how you define it. 

When it comes to butter, sales are serving up plenty of aces, with very few faults.