Neal Schuman and his three children have a nose for good cheeses. They are also adept at sniffing out opportunities with innovative flavors and packaging to appeal to millennials and baby boomers alike.
Neal Schuman is perhaps the most ardent defender of Parmesan cheese in the United States. Incensed that some cheesemakers were adulterating grated Parm with cellulose, Schuman organized the True Cheese campaign, warning consumers and retailers that all was not right in shelf-stable grated Parmesan products.
Hispanic cuisine makes up a large portion of the food market in the United States, and the demand of Hispanic-style cheeses has been rising over the past two decades.
When dairy cooperative members sign off on investments, the dairy processing arm develops new products and formats. This yields a win for farmers, employees, customers and consumers.
Our farmers and employees appreciate the honor of being named the 2017 Dairy Foods Plant of the Year. This vote of confidence by one of our industry’s most trusted information sources reflects our entire industry’s commitment to making high-quality U.S. dairy products.
Although bottles, cartons and tubs are widely used, flexible plastic packaging dominates in the global dairy industry. With a market share of more than 27%, it owns a larger share than rigid plastic, paper/paperboard, glass or metal packaging, according to Global Dairy Packaging Market 2016-2020, a report from London-based Technavio.
There is plenty of room in the growing protein category for dairy-based and plant-based sources. In fact, there are good reasons to formulate with a blend of dairy and plant proteins.
Demand for plant proteins — and not just soy, but pea, seed, bean and more — is reinvigorating the sector in whole new ways. While a 2015 report by the research firm MarketsandMarkets predicted dairy proteins will reach a value of $18 billion by 2020, plant proteins are hardly far behind. Mordor Intelligence research from 2017 estimates their value will top $14 million by 2022.
With Danone acquiring WhiteWave, the new dairy processing company lands at No. 4 on our 24th annual Dairy 100. This detailed dossier includes brands, products made and plant locations for the largest processors of fluid milk, ice cream, cheese, butter, cultured dairy products, dairy ingredients and other dairy-derived foods and beverages.
The state of North America’s dairy industry is constantly in motion. Since our last report, dairies have been on an acquisition spree. And the deals kept happening even after we finished tabulating the 2016 revenues of the 100 largest dairy processing companies based in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Two other factors garnering attention from brand marketers are convenience and sustainability. Here’s a look at innovative packaging, including aseptic containers and in-mold labels.
Maximizing product protection, freshness, convenience and shelf appeal govern packaging decisions about dairy foods. These goals are driving interest in aseptic filling, in-mold labeling, single-serving sizes and functional features.
Younger consumers have different perspectives about food. They seek foods that are healthy, convenient, clean label and tasty. Drinkable yogurt can fit all those needs.
For a fermented dairy beverage that originated in the Caucasus Mountains more than 2,000 years ago, kefir sure is having a moment. Innova Market Insights reports that the number of kefir launches grew more than threefold globally between 2011 and 2016. In the United States, beverages featuring kefir accounted for 40% of the drinking yogurt/fermented beverage introductions in 2016.