The fluid milk processor from Kent, Wash., was one of 12 dairy processors nominated for the Dairy Foods’ Plant of the Year. Visitors to dairyfoods.com in the month of June made their selections, casting more than 2,900 votes. Smith Brothers Farms, a 90-year-old independent processor and home delivery company, received the most votes.
Nestlé (based in Switzerland), Saputo (Canada) and Dean Foods (Dallas) are the three largest dairy processors in North America, according to the 21st annual Dairy 100.
A milk processor moved from a 90-year-old operation into a newer facility in Kent, Wash. Smith Brothers Farms made the most of the space, designing process areas for efficiency, safety and future growth.
The Castello Burger Blue slices are made in Denmark by Høgelund Dairy.
May 22, 2014
Arla Foods USA, a division of the European giant Arla, is marketing the cheese as Castello Burger Blue. The company says the slices “are cut to be the perfect match for a standard burger.” Høgelund Dairy in Denmark is producing the cheese.
Researchers at Cornell University offer a perspective on producer premium programs. They find that premiums for raw milk quality may deliver financial benefits to dairy processors.
A number of tests have been used traditionally to evaluate the quality of raw milk, including, but not limited to, somatic cell counts (SCC), different types of bacterial counts including the standard plate count (SPC) and tests for the presence of drug residues and added water.
I was buried in annual reports this month while we were compiling our Dairy 100 list. What I realized is that there are no secrets. It’s how you execute business basics that determines your level of success.
Organic processed products certified in the United States or Korea can now be labeled as organic in either country, the U.S. Trade Representative announced in July.
The 26th annual Membrane Technology Forum (membraneforum.com) was sold out for the first time ever. The record-breaking attendance (20% from international delegates) was up 27% from 2013.
The university aims to expand and enhance its dairy program. It formed a partnership with Quality Chekd to train and educate dairy professionals in food safety and equipment operation.
Dairy processing isn’t getting any easier. The business changes every day. Owners of dairy plants deal with new regulations, new equipment, new products and new hires.
Palsgaard’s ChoMilk 173 is a multipurpose mixture of emulsifiers and stabilizers designed to enhance the sensory properties and stability of a variety of chocolate milk and other dairy drinks.
Dairy protein delivers the taste, nutrition, flexibility and functionality that food and beverage manufacturers need so that their formulations satisfy today’s changing lifestyles and dining habits.
Food and beverage formulators are always monitoring consumer trends. Incorporating sources of protein is one of the more popular trends, as evidenced by global protein product launch activity growing 14.5% from 2008 to 2012, according to Innova Database.
Consumer awareness and purchases of probiotic-containing products have skyrocketed. Has this paved the way for promoting and marketing prebiotics in dairy foods?
A common sentiment among food industry experts is that consumers aren’t yet ready to hear about prebiotics. I respectfully disagree. As a nutrition therapist, I’ve noticed an increased interest in probiotics among my clients, which is the perfect opportunity to explain that certain fibers, called prebiotics, are needed for probiotics to survive and thrive.
Overall, Americans do not suffer from nutrition deficiencies. But cheesemakers might find opportunities in niche markets. Certain bioactive peptides have potential benefits. They are worth watching.
Fortification is nothing new for the dairy industry. In fact, one of the most well-known examples of beneficial food fortification is the addition of Vitamin D to milk.
Robotic automation equipment is common in the auto industry, but the wet conditions in dairy plants have created a need for equipment standards to comply with strict food safety and hygiene rules. Here is what we have done so far.
Traditional applications for robot-based automation in food processing have been basic pick-and-place packing operations. On the processing side, dairy plants contain many applications that are repetitive or labor-intensive. These are perfect candidates for robot-based automation.
The Flexible Packaging Association honored its members in the 58th Annual FPA Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards and Innovation Showcase program.
July 28, 2014
Packages of frozen yogurt that reveal images when warmed by the human hand and rotogravure printing that results in mouth-watering images are two examples of award-winning flexible packages. See what other packages for dairy foods were honored by the Flexible Packaging Association.
Waiting for test results can slow down dairy processing. Faster testing methods cut wait time from minutes to seconds. In-line analyzers deliver information in real time.
Speed, accuracy and consistency are three metrics that managers of dairy processing plants should be measuring. An on-site dairy laboratory can play an important role in achieving high values in each of those metrics.