This month, Lincolnshire, Ill.-based Saputo Cheese USA’s Frigo® Cheese Heads® have teamed up with the hit animated TV sitcom “The Simpsons” for a back-to-school promotion. Coming together in the dairy case to grab attention and sales, these two powerhouses bring “Simpsons” fun to every pack of Frigo Cheese Heads; images of Bart and Lisa will appear on more than 9 million packages.

In a national, chain-wide rollout in July, milk in plastic single-serve packaging debuted for Wendy’s International Inc. as a Kids’ Meal beverage selection. The shift to plastic packaging from gabletops was prompted by results from a nine-month test of the 8-ounce plastic bottles at 420 Wendy’s restaurants in Columbus, Ohio; Miami, Philadelphia and Raleigh, N.C. Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy’s becomes the first quick-service restaurant chain to feature the National Dairy Council’s 3-A-Day of Dairy logo on milk packaging. The white reduced-fat (2%) and chocolate lowfat (1%) milks are now available as soft drink substitutes in children’s meals as well as a la carte.

Publix and Winn-Dixie supermarket dairy cases in Florida recently received media compliments for their ethnic selections including those for Indian cuisine. Such products include plain yogurt for curries, marinades, drinks and use in Indian vegetable dishes; unsalted butter to clarify for ghee; and queso blanco (white cheese) to fry to simulate the Indian fresh curd paneer used in spinach and pea dishes.

Dairy will be in demand by the 24,000-plus athletes, coaches and officials on hand for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. In a 60-day span, including the 17 days of the Olympic events, those associated with the games are expected to eat literally tons of foods. Stocked dairy foods include 52,000 pounds of cheese in more than two dozen varieties; 18,300 pounds of butter; and 67,000 gallons of milk, both cow and goat. Aramark and its Greek partner, Daskalantonakis Group, will serve more than 2 million meals in the newly constructed Olympic Village dining hall, which seats 6,000.

In honor of Tillamook County Creamery Association’s 95th anniversary, July 30 was “Tillamook Cheese Day” in the state of Oregon as decreed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski. A community celebration was hosted in downtown Portland by the Tillamook, Ore.-based cheese company, widely known for its aged cheddars and visitors center that attracts thousands of tourists every year.

Responding to the extreme sports craze, Le Mars, Iowa-based Wells’ Dairy teams up with X Games to bring consumers Blue Bunny’s X Games UltimateFreeze™ frozen confections. Pushing the limits with Super Sour Cherry and Super Sour Lemon in easy-to-handle stadium cups, these tasty treats make summer outrageously more fun.

Roger Clemens, the Houston Astros star pitcher, has signed a multi-year agreement with Pennsauken, N.J.-based J&J Snack Foods Corp. to become the spokesperson for its Icee® beverages and frozen desserts, as well as its Superpretzel® soft pretzels. J&J Foods manufactures ice cream treats and snack foods primarily for concession sales.

Plymouth, Wis.-based Masters Gallery Foods Inc., a major supplier of private label cheese, has been awarded Vendor of the Year honors from Supervalu Inc. in the frozen and dairy foods category. As a supplier to Supervalu’s retail and deli cheese programs, Masters Gallery provides a full line of items under several Supervalu controlled brands including the Flavorite and Richfoods labels.

Rondelé Specialty Foods’ Dairy Box cartons are sporting a new, bold look to match the cheese line’s five exciting flavors. Consistently innovating within the premium spreadable cheese category, the company’s redesign incorporates side windows for serving cup viewing and an easy-to-read banner identifying the flavor of the popular gourmet spreadable cheese. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Merrill, Wis.-based company.

Mozzarella cheeses from Wisconsin’s Alto Dairy Cooperative were awarded first and second place in their class at the 2004 Wisconsin State Fair Governor’s Sweepstakes Cheese and Butter Contest. A 20-pound loaf of low-moisture part-skim mozzarella entered by Wanda Shepard, cheese plant operator at Alto Dairy Black Creek, won its class with a score of 99.5 out of 100 possible points. A 20-pound loaf of low-moisture part-skim mozzarella entered by Doug Kamphuis, cheese plant operator at Alto Dairy Waupun, placed second with a score of 98.95.