Kimberly Decker

Formulating successful dairy products can feel like a trapeze act even in the best of times. And 2020 was hardly the best of times.

These days, terms such as keto, paleo, high-protein, plant-based, vegan, even "pegan" (paleo-plus-vegan), describe not just diets but entire lifestyles.

They say that baccarat is entirely a game of chance - that more than any particular skill, it's the luck of the draw that wins the "coup," or round of play.

It's hard to imagine a world without chocolate milk, rocky road ice cream or double-fudge sundaes. But if present trends continue, cacao trees (Theobroma cacao), the source of cocoa and, ultimately, chocolate, could become extinct by midcentury.

In the dairy aisle (and elsewhere), crowing about a formulation's natural colors barely merits a pat on the back anymore. These days, consumers expect natural ingredients, colors included, in their food and drink, and they won't settle for less.

Protein's popularity continues to defy gravity. And with today's health and wellness trends being what they are, the macronutrien's prospects will likely remain lofty for some time.

Seen from a certain angle, any challenge can resemble an opportunity. And by that reckoning, contemporary dairy developers are living in a land of opportunity.

If William McCormack, business development manager for nutrition at Wauconda, Ill.-based Synergy Flavors, noticed anything at the recent Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., it's that the current fad for plant-based dairy alternatives is anything but a fad.

If you'e ready for the day when FDA mandates that all food and beverage labels stipulate not only how much total sugar is in each serving, but how much of that sugar is "added," take a bow: Prepping for the "added sugars" deadline has been no mean feat.

You can learn a lot by hanging out at your local coffee or tea shop. You can learn, for example, what all the cool kids are drinking.