Featured Stories - Articles - Page 63

Dairy brands focus on clean labels with new packaging

Daisy Brand and Hudsonville Ice Cream design easy-to-read packages that signal a clean label or the absence of gluten.

April 13, 2014

Although Greek yogurt and natural cheeses are the stars of the dairy case (as measured by sales figures, at least), it is dowdy cottage cheese that is getting the packaging makeover.

EPA’s next big measurement program

Clay Detlefsen

April 12, 2014

EPA’s next big measurement program uses energy performance indicators in a program created by Duke University. Soon you will be able to compare your plant to the overall dairy industry’s performance. EPA will recognize the top 25% of participating dairy plants with its Energy Star Certification.

Food safety

FSMA Timetable Reset: Court Orders & Re-Writes

Use this 3-year enforcement timeline when planning for employee training and compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act.

Allen Sayler

April 11, 2014

"Are we there yet?” Many senior plant and dairy corporate leaders are wondering when the journey will end regarding full implementation of the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act.

Fluid motion

How to choose the right pumps and valves

Efficiency in a dairy plant is greatly improved with the proper selection of pumps and valves. We asked experts to talk about the importance of automation, flexibility, avoiding production loss and reducing energy costs.

Sarah M. Kennedy

April 10, 2014

Dairy Foods invited leading suppliers of pumps and valves to talk about new innovations, cost cutting and best practices in dairy processing facilities. Here’s what they had to say about selecting the best pumps and valves in our virtual roundtable.

Natural and alternative sweeteners for dairy foods

Health advocates have been whacking the sugar piñata. Consumers say they are cutting back, but sales receipts tell a different story. Dairy processors seek sweetening systems that allow for flavor but reduce the calorie count.

Kimberly Decker

April 9, 2014

Dairy processors are in the “customer-is-always-right” business. But lately, knowing just what the customer is right about can test the faculties of even the keenest student of consumer behavior.

Working with cocoa in ice cream

To formulate a quality product, you must understand the properties and attributes of cocoa and chocolate. Then you can achieve the desired flavor, body, texture and color.

Bruce Tharp

Steven Young

April 8, 2014

Chocolate is second only to vanilla as the most popular ice cream flavor in the United States. Therefore, it is a major component of the product portfolios of most ice cream companies, representing on average of 8% to 10% of the volume of a typical portfolio.

Natural cheese products still winning against processed

Refrigerated grated, crumbled and shredded cheeses are still winners for the natural cheese category, while imitation cheese loaf and shreds show promise in the processed cheese category.

Sarah M. Kennedy

April 7, 2014

Convenience is the key. Shred it, grate it, crumble it. Consumers like their cheese ready-to-go, whether it’s natural or processed, though natural is still winning the game.

Equipment, lab tests, employee training contribute to food safety

Go beyond HACCP plans and GMPs to assure that dairy foods are manufactured safely. Take advantage of advances in CIP technology, detection devices and environmental air samplers.