The beverage milk business has come a long way, but sales data tell us there is a lot more to do.

In Japan, Snow Brand Milk Products has introduced a microwaveable cheese fondue. Sold under the Heidi A Girl of the Alps brand, each cup contains three-to-four-servings of cheese fondue.

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When a sweet tooth calls, even the most health-conscious consumers now have some great options thanks to Blue Bunny® Swirl Sensations™ premium yogurt.

The new Diamond Curve Pure-Pak® carton from Elopak makes the traditional gable-top carton even more appealing and consumer-friendly. It offers the visual impact of the Pure-Pak® Curve plus a unique top with a larger cap that makes drinking and pouring easier.

Two of the best performing categories of recent years seem to have taken two different paths in recent months, at least in terms of food store sales.

The Tillamook County Creamery Assn., Tillamook, Ore., adds Vintage White Medium Cheddar, naturally aged over 100 days, to its product offerings.

Kraft Foods has just launched Nacho Splendips in the United Kingdom under the Philadelphia brand. The Splendips Nachos are a reduced-fat soft cheese dip with mild salsa sauce and tortilla chips.

What a difference a millennium makes. Back in the 20th Century, the United States seldom sold any dairy products to customers or consumers across the border or beyond the pond. And about the only products that did make the trip to overseas destinations were either given away or heavily subsidized.

When it comes to milk sales in the U.S., good news is great news, and finding good news may be a matter of who you ask. Overall milk continued to trend downward in 2005 and there were significant shrinkage in the final quarter of the year, according to Information Resources, Inc. But USDA numbers for January and February indicate that there are some bright spots, particularly when looking at lowfat milk.