Limited shelf life has long been a challenge for many refrigerated food and beverage segments, and the dairy sector is no exception.

In recent months, we've received a bit of criticism, via email, online comments and other avenues, over our occasional coverage of plant-based dairy alternatives. The comments basically boil down to one complaint: that we're somehow harming the dairy processing industry with such coverage.

When 320 dairy farmers came together in St. Paul, Minn., back in 1921 to form the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association, they likely didn’t have big dreams of becoming a cooperative powerhouse. They simply wanted to market their milk effectively.

Cheese is one of the most versatile foods around, with consumers enjoying it as a snack, as part of a meal and as an ingredient in countless dishes.

On the nondairy beverage front, the ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee and tea category has been throwing some well-placed hooks and jabs. Sales in the total category, including refrigerated and shelf-stable offerings, rose 11.5% during the 52 weeks ending Aug. 12, 2018, to $1.8 billion, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI.

Consumers' love affair with ice cream is global in scope. In fact, the global ice cream market size was valued at US$54.80 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.1% between 2018 and 2025, according to a January 2018 report from San Francisco-based Grand View Research.

Although its growth at retail has slowed down in recent years, the natural cheese category is still gaining yardage. Dollar sales in the total category rose 1% to $12.9 billion during the 52 weeks ending Aug. 12, 2018, data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI show. Unit sales increased 1.5%.

It's been another year filled with bogeys for the milk segment. Dollar sales in the overall category fell 3.9% to $15.3 billion during the 52 weeks ending Aug. 12, 2018, data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI show. Unit sales dropped 1.4%.

According to the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), milk remains a key shopping trip driver, with 95% of U.S. households buying milk, and doing so an average of 30 times per year.

On Sept. 30, the Trump administration finally reached an agreement with Canada on the renegotiation of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), submitting a trade deal to Congress that includes Canada and Mexico.