Dairy Foods Columnists

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The New Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 emphasize three goals: 1) Eat the right amount; 2) Prioritize protein at every meal; and 3) Include dairy, even full-fat options without added sugars. Gut health is also highlighted, and KJ Burrington notes that cultured dairy products meet these criteria.

Cheese yield, or the product obtained from milk, is crucial for optimizing plant operations. Even minor yield differences significantly affect revenue. With the increased use of concentrated milk, monitoring efficiency has become even more essential, according to Dr. John Lucey.

A quick look at the composition of some cultured dairy products shows that they are well designed for GLP-1 diets. High-protein yogurts, including skyr and Greek yogurt, are the first products that comes to mind.

Cleaning and sanitizing dairy processing equipment is a complex task influenced by the nature of dairy products, intricate equipment designs, strict regulatory standards (FSMA, PMO), and environmental conditions. Inadequate sanitation can lead to product recalls and outbreaks, especially when manual cleaning is required for dry systems or equipment with complex internal geometries, such as heat exchangers.

The healthfulness of ultra-processed foods often sparks debate, particularly regarding the definitions of "hyper-palatable." Many associate these foods with being unnatural and inherently unhealthy, overlooking scientific considerations to the contrary.

As individuals eat, two processes occur: satiation and satiety. Satiation is the gradual feeling of fullness during a meal, influenced by factors like sight, smell, and texture. Satiety, explained by Mary Wilcox, is the satisfied state after finishing a meal.

U.S. headline milk production growth was much stronger than expected in September, up 4% compared to the forecast of +3.2%. The only other time that we’ve seen an expansion like this was the mid-1980s, reveals Nate Donnay.

Milk has been a basis of nutrition for centuries, but the modern fluid milk industry faces challenges in maintaining its heritage while adapting to changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, and sustainability issues. The future of milk presents both opportunities and challenges, as noted by Sonali Raghunath.

Casein proteins in milk self-associate to form large aggregates called casein micelles. This self-association occurs because the hydrophobic amino acids in caseins prefer to cluster together, minimizing their contact with water, according to Dr. John Lucey.

The U.S. has been in the process of building a record amount of new cheese processing capacity which has now been coming online during 2025.