Dairy Foods Columnists - Articles

Cultured dairy: Rethinking phage

Not all phage are problematic - you might actually want some to go viral in your facility

December 11, 2018

It seems like anything, your insightful comments, cat pictures, video of your coworker falling over, can be instantly shared, then spread from one smartphone, connected mind to the next, like a super-contagious flu. There rarely seems to be any rhyme or reason to their spread.

Dairy consumption may promote heart health

Dairy foods, as part of overall healthy eating patterns, are linked to reduced risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease among adults

Gregory Miller

December 10, 2018

Since National Dairy Council’s inception over a century ago, the body of research linking dairy foods with reduced risk of disease has continued to grow.

GMO labeling: What's in a name?

Sharon Gerdes

December 7, 2018

"That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet," Shakespeare said. But would calling foods and ingredients "bioengineered" rather than "genetically modified" make them more acceptable to consumers?

FDA strategy promises progress on standards and labeling

With the right approach and focus, the agency’s comprehensive initiative will provide the updates companies need to innovate and meet the tastes of today’s consumers.

Cary Frye

Danielle Quist

December 6, 2018

Consumers walking down the dairy aisle have their choice of many different brands and products, from traditional favorites to new offerings with novel tastes, textures, flavors and nutritional content. When they're making purchase decisions, product labels matter.

Promotion, innovation and trade will be key to dairy industry growth

Healthy growth in the dairy industry requires industrywide cooperation, a laser-like focus and relentless advocacy on multiple fronts.

Michael Dykes

November 9, 2018

America's dairy foods industry is experiencing unprecedented change. We’re dealing with political and trade pressures, evolving consumer choice and increased competition in the food and beverage space, among other things.

Ramp up food safety efforts

A challenge for the dairy industry is more tightly controlling and understanding food safety across the entire supply chain

Tim Freier Steve Decker Charles H. White

October 18, 2018

The dairy processing industry is under constant pressure to improve its food safety systems. This pressure stems from improvements in public health surveillance (such as the expanded use of whole-genome sequencing) and a ramping-up of food safety requirements from regulators, further processing customers and consumers.

Optimize cheesemaking via quality-minded in-plant practices

Quality-minded in-plant practices are key to more consistent, high-quality cheese

John A. Lucey Ph.D., Director, Center for Dairy Research

October 11, 2018

Cheese is a fermented product, which means that cheesemaking requires the growth of millions of bacteria, we call them starters (to start the acid development), to acidify the product. Initially, these bacteria originate from the raw milk itself (cow, milker, equipment, etc.).

Milk butter cheese photo courtesy of Edlong Dairy Technologies

Think beyond the protein bar for dairy proteins

U.S. dairy proteins are uniquely able to deliver multiple desirable attributes in a variety of foods and beverages.

Vikki Nicholson-West

October 10, 2018

There is a large (and growing) body of published nutrition research studies that affirm dairy protein's popular and proven benefits, including weight management support, muscle health maintenance in aging and post-exercise recovery enhancement.

Look to dairy for calcium and vitamin D

Dairy calcium is highly bioavailable and works synergistically with vitamin D and other nutrients to build healthy bones. Adding probiotics may increase bioavailability

Sharon Gerdes

October 9, 2018

A few years back, my family physician recommended that I be tested for bone mineral density and start taking a calcium supplement. I explained that I got my calcium from dairy and had great bones.

Manage food safety data

Use data analytics to drive decision-making and continuous improvement.

John T. Allan III, MS Rebecca Piston

September 17, 2018

The data age is here to stay, and we know dairy companies that don't take advantage of it will be less successful than those that do in this highly competitive, and often volatile, market environment.