Our Cultured Product Trends piece in April brought the news that Greek yogurt is one of the hottest food trends on the horizon. It’s a simple, natural product that’s strained to bring out the rich creaminess of the milk. There are at least four companies now heavily into selling Greek and Greek-style yogurt in the United States. Tart? Yes, it’s tart. It wasn’t that long ago when conventional wisdom had it that Americans would only eat yogurt if it tasted like ice cream. Things change.

Part of the attraction is that Greek-style yogurt can taste great—with a thick, firm, texture—even at low fat levels. Also, most are made without stabilizers, and are unsweetened or flavored with fruit or honey, sometimes in a separate compartment.

There might be an opportunity here for some of you. You could take a shot at manufacturing your own line, or forge a deal with someone else so that you can add their product to your portfolio. 

Speaking of yogurt, my mother-in-law brought over some yogurt for the toddlers the other day. It was a brand of kids’ yogurt that I don’t usually buy because, frankly, the company seems to have a propensity for product that leans heavily toward the sweet rather than the nutritious.

I looked at the nutritional information expecting it to read like a box of Count Chocula, but surprise, surprise: DHA, inulin, beet juice for color…. this was sort of the reverse of that old dog food commercial, you know, “ beef by-products, cracked barley, soybean meal….?”

On top of that, the kids love it. The four year old can now take one out of the fridge herself—gets her own spoon and everything.

Inside this issue we’ve got the latest installment of the Dairy 100. I’d like to thank those of you who helped us by providing information about your company. It’s kind of neat to see the largest part of the industry on a spreadsheet.

Having been in communication with so many of you in the last few months while doing the Dairy 100 research reminds me that we should talk more often. Please feel free to share your stories with us, knowing of course, that we will want to share them with the rest of the industry.

Maybe you have just expanded your plant, or installed a new line, or you are building a new one. We are always looking for potential plant features. 

This month we have a story about the re-branding done by a specialty cheesemaker in Alabama, and an article from Smith Dairy Products explaining how the company ran a successful contest to promote its cottage cheese line.

Within the Dairy 100 this month we have a profile story on one of the companies new to the list. These short profiles might find a place in almost any of our monthly issues, and it’s a great way to build pride within your organization.

Also in this issue is the news of the passing of John Utterback, founder of All Star Dairies.  I never had the chance to meet John before he lost his health, but I understand he was very well-liked, and obviously he was a trailblazer in the industry. If the folks currently at All Star are an indicator, he must have also set a good example for those he worked with.