There's a certain late night talk show that features a nightly top 10 list focusing on various minutia of news, politics and pop culture.

There's a certain late night talk show that features a nightly top 10 list focusing on various minutia of news, politics and pop culture.

In the spirit of this staple of television entertainment, I present the Top10 Reasons to Get Excited about Yogurt and cottage cheese.

Reason No. 10: It's so European. In fact, no other dairy product has quite the international flair of yogurt.

Reason No. 9: The category keeps growing. Every time we look at it the numbers get bigger, and they are even more pronounced for yogurt drinks.

Reason No. 8: Cottage cheese potential. National Dairy Council is promoting cottage cheese as a high-protein food. Add some value with fruit, (or come up with a new innovation) and your sales should jump.

Reason No. 7: Kefir. It's a cousin to yogurt that's beginning to bubble into consumer consciousness.

Reason No. 6: Dessert yogurt. Milk fat is not the demon it once was, and a whole milk, or cream-added yogurt is a delightful treat.

Reason No. 5: Children, and even babies love yogurt, and it's good for them. Give them the products made with no artificial anything.

Reason No. 4: Stonyfield Farm. The top seller of organic yogurt in the U.S., Stonyfield never sleeps, and never disappoints. New products are always in the works, and right now there is even some new construction underway.

Reason No. 3: Functional foods are getting some traction in the U.S. and with the latest evidence being the excitement about Dannon's Activia.

Reason No. 2: Yogurt is crossing over into other food segments and even into pet food.

And the top reason to get excited about yogurt is...well for that I'll ask you to read our annual Cultured Product Outlook and decide for yourself. There is a lot going on with yogurt and other cultured products, so take a look.

This issue also contains a report on new dairy plant construction, news from IDFA's Ice Cream Technology Conference, previews of upcoming industry events, and the technical insights of some of the industry's most respected experts. Happy reading!