The ability to digest lactose varies widely within populations, ranging from more than 90% of individuals from northern European countries, to less than 10% of individuals from Southeast Asian countries.

Clean label is big business. Euromonitor International estimates that global sales of clean-label food products will reach $180 billion by 2020.

Large companies will be required to list "added sugars" on their Nutrition Facts panels by the end of this year.

It seems that every year I learn about another exotic tropical superfruit brimming with healthy phytonutrients. But the reality is that most fermented dairy products in the United States rely on a fairly narrow list of traditional and cost effective fruits in their flavor lineup.

"Jack Sprat could eat no fat. His wife could eat no lean." This might be a modern day couple, with one spouse following a plant-based low-fat diet while the other adheres to a high-fat, low-carb regimen with generous portions of meat and dairy.

Nutritionists recommend a daily fiber consumption of 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men, but most people in the United States get only half that amount.

"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?

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.

Over my 20 years of consulting for the U.S. dairy industry, and 15 years of writing for Dairy Foods, I've learned a lot about protein quality.

The science behind the health benefits of probiotics grows each day. Probiotics can benefit digestive health, heart health, mental health, weight management and the immune system. But formulating probiotics into fermented dairy foods and translating health benefits into appropriate claims can be tricky.