Both Sonali Raghunath and Pratishtha Verma are active committee members of IFT’s Dairy Foods Division, with Verma leading the resource library and dairy food magazine teams and Raghunath managing its social media presence. Verma is a Dairy Ingredients & Applications Specialist at the Center for Dairy Research (CDR), University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a program coordinator, she supports process optimization, product development, and application strategies for dairy ingredients, cultured products, and powders. She also contributes to educational short courses at CDR. Verma's backgound is in food technology and dairy microbiology.

Sonali Raghunath, is a food engineer scientist finishing her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota to understand how novel food processing technologies can be used to improve the functionality of food proteins and specifically dairy proteins. With degrees in food technology and food science, Raghunath has been recognized with several various research, leadership, and scholarship awards including an Excellence in Leadership award from IFT and two Feed Tomorrow scholarships. Her expertise is centered around  working with dairy and plant proteins, non-thermal processing, food safety, and business management. 

Consumer preferences have had a major influence on the development of new products as they are willing to pay for the value of their food. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, foods that promote immunity and healthy aging have also become increasingly popular among consumers. As a result, the focus shifted to innovating new products that enhance value by providing nutrition and other healthy ingredients. Additionally, there has been an ongoing trend of sustainable products showing the need for green consumption practices across generations and the growing awareness of environmental issues.

The dairy market is strong with overall nutritional excellence, backed by research and clinical studies. Therefore, the creation of powerhouse ingredients, such as phospholipids, milk fat globule membrane, bioactive peptides, hydrolysates is becoming increasingly popular for their nutritional benefits, which has been favorable to the dairy industry. Dairy phospholipids promote cardiovascular health and cognitive function and the MFGM, a breakthrough in dairy nutrition and is well-known for its functions in immunological support, gastrointestinal health, and cognitive development. 

Milk's bioactive peptides can boost mood, reduce anxiety, provide stress relief or calmness, and stimulate the immune system, and thus have gained significant importance in the wake of the epidemic for holistic wellness and stress-relieving products. Dairy ingredients are slowly increasing their space in the sports nutrition category, especially blends of both whey protein and casein. These blends support the release of amino acids in slow and fast digestion, making them an ideal ingredient for muscle building and post workout muscle recovery. Overall, the ongoing ingredient innovation represents the dairy industry's commitment to support consumers’ diverse dietary needs. 

Application of these unique ingredients has resulted in the innovation of several novel and indulgent dairy products, such as caffeinated protein drinks, as convenient ways to boost protein intake, probiotic-rich milk, protein-rich snacks, reduced- or no-sugar ice creams, functional cheeses, and alcohol-infused ice creams. The use of dairy ingredients as probiotics further highlights its multifaceted health benefits and growth in yogurt drinks, kefir, and more. 

Prebiotic milk is yet another innovation focusing on this spectrum; however, product developers’ major challenge is ensuring that only the good bacteria thrive and maintain a decent shelf-life of about 60 days or longer. Several smooth cottage cheese products are available in the market today, offering a smooth, creamy alternative to traditional curd-style cottage cheese. Each brand provides unique flavors and nutritional benefits, catering to various dietary preferences and needs. 

A newer concept that has emerged in the market is alcohol-infused ice cream created by combining ice cream and alcohol, offering a novel and indulgent experience. It is made up of a range of alcoholic beverages, such as beer, rum, whiskey, etc., and contains anywhere from 0.5% to 8% infused alcohol. This product requires careful consideration and understanding the impact of alcohol on the freezing point depression to make a palatable and stable product.

Sustainability is another factor driving innovation in the dairy industry. Eco-conscious consumers are also seeking products that are produced ethically and sustainably. This has led to the development of dairy products with lower carbon footprints, sustainable packaging, and humane animal treatment practices. Companies are collaborating to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from manure and transition to renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. They are also adopting biodegradable and recyclable packaging to minimize waste and the overall carbon footprint of dairy production.

References

Korhonen, H., Pihlanto, A. (2006). Bioactive peptides: Production and functionality. International Dairy Journal, 16(9), 945 - 960.

Spitsberg, V. L. (2005). Invited review: Bovine milk fat globule membrane as a potential nutraceutical. Journal of Dairy Science, 88(7), 2289–2294.

Tang, J. E. et al. (2009). Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: Effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men Journal of Applied Physiology, 107(3), 987-992.'

Top Trends In The Global Functional Food And Drink Market For 2023 | Nutraceuticals World

https://www.agproud.com/articles/57332-novel-dairy-products-hitting-the-market

https://www.einpresswire.com/article/670653447/how-alcohol-infused-ice-cream-is-reshaping-the-dessert-industry-a-market-analysis-by-2032

Kumari, A., Solanki, H., & Sudhakaran V, A. (2020). Novel milk and milk products: Consumer perceptions. Dairy Processing: Advanced Research to Applications, 283-299.