In today’s world, where health and wellness takes center stage, the subject of functional cultured dairy foods typically are about consumption of the probiotic bacteria and their associated health benefits, such as improved immune function, improved digestive function and reduction of symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome.

We Americans have notoriously restless palates. This is especially so in today’s food-forward world, as chefs vie for celebrity status and the more adventuresome among us approach dining as an extreme sport. It’s now commonplace to find even familiar flavor favorites forced into some pretty unusual pairings, as the current practice with chocolate demonstrates.

People need protein for survival as well as optimal health — that’s nothing new. However, recent research unveils that protein requirements may be higher than previously estimated. Also, preliminary research suggests that there is a maximum amount of dietary protein that the body can utilize at one time, leading some scientists to recommend consuming moderate amounts of protein at each meal.

ADM Cocoa launches Fresca Cacao and cocoa specifically suitable for dairy applications, and fruity and acidic drinks.

Grande Custom Ingredients develops a WPC and a WPI for protein fortification of meal replacement bars or sports drinks.

PreGel America introduces new Evolution Glazes for coating desserts and Greek Yogurt Super Sprint, a ready-to-use powdered mix, for soft serve or traditional gelato.

Edlong Dairy Flavors has released two new functional dairy flavors.

Wild Flavors Inc. develops a line of seasonal-inspired Mocktail flavors that can be applied to various categories of non-alcoholic applications including dairy and beverage.