Consumer awareness of natural colorings in dairy foods is important. But coloring milk and dairy foods is a tricky proposition. Never fear. We look at red, yellow, blue and green color options for milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream.
Starbucks probably thought it was doing the right thing by coloring its Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino with carmine. After all, even if consumers didn’t realize it when they ordered the popular dairy-berry beverage from their friendly neighborhood barista, the coffee giant had them in mind in opting for this natural colorant over a synthetic like, say, FD&C Red #40.
Innovations in probiotic dairy products are on the rise. This is a reflection of the increasing demand for probiotics due to consumers’ interest in health and wellbeing. Dairy was the third most commonly named “functional food” in the 2011 Functional Foods Survey conducted by the International Food Information Council.
When cultured dairy foods are manufactured correctly, they function properly as foods. They also deliver specific benefits, such as improving digestion.
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.
International laboratories collaborate to validate a method developed by Mars Inc. to quantify the much-studied cocoa flavanols. Research that could help scientists and the industry in standardized reporting.
The many versatile and year-round available formats offer many production-friendly options.
August 29, 2012
Blueberries are easy to formulate for dairy products from ice cream, yogurt and frozen desserts to cheesecakes, smoothies, drinkable yogurts and milkshakes.
"The results validate that product developers have multiple reasons to formulate natural coloring in foods and beverages,” says a company rep.
August 27, 2012
Color remains a key factor in a consumer’s food choice. To further understand why today’s industry employs coloring, D.D. Williamson conducted a poll at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo in June.
As scientists learn more about prebiotics, dairy’s prospects increase. For the present time, look to plants if you want to add prebiotics. But for the future, prebiotics could come from the oligosaccharides in whey permeate.
Although 72% of Americans are aware of prebiotics’ association with digestive health, according to the International Food Information Council’s 2011 functional foods survey, most would be hard-pressed to describe prebiotics and their functions. That’s understandable. The story of prebiotics and health is not simple. But as scientists learn more, the story becomes more compelling and worth the telling.