McDonald’s Corp. announced in October that it plans to provide nutrition information on the individual packages of each and every item that it sells at its restaurants. McDonald's said it hoped to have the labeled packaging in 20,000 of its 30,000 fast food restaurants worldwide by the end of 2006.

Within the dairy industry, Tillamook County Creamery Assn., Dairy Foods’ Processor of the Year in 2005, is developing a company responsibility statement. The trend here is about making the food industry more transparent and giving consumers more information about the food they eat and the companies which make it.

Indeed, today’s consumer is reading ingredient statements, comparing nutritional information and even purchasing products based on value added by manufacturers who formulate products with good-for-you ingredients. Just as consumers want to know more about what’s going on with their food, dairy processors need to stay abreast of what’s happening in their own and in related industries, here at home and abroad.

That’s where Dairy Foods comes in. We’re very proud to bring North American Dairy Processors the most comprehensive news, information and stories about the dairy industry. Our editorial content and the messages from suppliers who advertise with us have more relevance to readers that that of any other magazine. As a result of this unmatched content, our circulation to processors has again risen to an all-time high. Our list of advertisers, those companies that enable us to produce Dairy Foods, continues to grow too.

As we enter a new year and our 107th year in print, there is a lot to look forward to. Editorially, we will have new features on new plant construction, functional food ingredients, school nutrition and more. Our panel of expert contributing columnists will again bring new topics and new angles, and our popular international issue appears in October this year.

On the advertising side, we have a lot to offer to suppliers and readers alike, starting with this month’s supplier capability spotlights. This annual issue is still growing every year as advertisers are given the opportunity to present more information about their products and services beyond their traditional ad messages.

In December we’ll look back on 2006 (with our Year in Review Feature) and we’ll see how much more consumers know about their food. I’m sure Dairy Foods will have helped you know more about the dairy industry.

All of us at Dairy Foods would like to wish you a safe, healthy and prosperous new year. As always, we invite your comments and suggestions.