Articles Tagged with ''dairy processors ''

You won't find any fancy feeder hoppers or blenders in Praline's Inc.'s Wallingford, Conn., ice cream processing, distribution and headquarters facility. The company believes that the old-fashioned methods still yield the best-tasting ice cream. So plant employees start with a high-quality base, then mix in the variegates and inclusions by hand.

Compared to many other ice cream processors, Wallingford, Conn.-based Praline’s Inc. runs a rather small operation. The 34-year-old company got its start with a single Praline’s ice cream store in Wallingford; it later sold that shop through a franchise agreement to exit retail and enter the ice cream-making business full time.

A growing number of food and beverage processors claim to be part of the local food movement. But for many of them, the definition of "local" is a bit of a stretch.

As the company prepares to build a new processing facility, one that will more than double its current 16,000 square feet to approximately 40,000 square feet, it is working to maximize production rates and efficiencies at the Marshall, Calif., plant in which it has been operating since the company’s inception in 1994.

The dairy processor is striving to be a role model for supporting local family farms and preserving the environment.

As another year comes to a close, many dairy processors are likely reflecting on the ups and downs of the past 52 weeks — and looking forward to the year ahead with cautious optimism. Unfortunately, none of them have access to a working crystal ball to help ensure success in 2018.

This year, The Dannon Co., White Plains, N.Y., is celebrating its 75th anniversary. To say that the company has accomplished a lot for the U.S. yogurt category in its seven-plus decades of existence would be a massive understatement.