The past year has been a rollercoaster ride for the cheese category. While the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced demand for cheese in foodservice, the category's growth at retail was extensive, notes Kelly Slentz, associate brand manager, cheese for La Farge, Wis.-based Organic Valley.

An old adage says: "If you want something done right, do it yourself." This saying perfectly encapsulates the operations of Rutter's Dairy, which produces fluid milk along with some juice and tea products at its York, Pa.-based plant.

York, Pa., can trace its beginnings back to 1741, when settlers from the Philadelphia region founded the city. And Rutter's Dairy, which is based in this area, has an origin story that goes back almost as far.

Ice cream and frozen novelties shows no signs of cooling down. At retail, sales of the comfort food staples soared during early pandemic purchase sprees, and that trend has sustained over the past year.

Many of our workdays have looked a little different over the past year. But one thing has remained constant for a lot of us: starting the morning with a coffee- or tea-based beverage.

Last year was a monumental one for the world, and a newsworthy one for Tillamook County Creamery Association, too. The Tillamook, Ore.-based cooperative became a Certified B Corporation, donated $4 million dollars to a COVID-19 relief fund and partnered with the American Farmland Trust to help secure farmland for future generations.

Emulsifiers, stabilizers and gums are the unsung heroes of many dairy products. Not only do they create desired textures, but they also help offerings avoid nasty issues such as syneresis and keep their attributes throughout shelf life.

Healthy eating is nothing new, and consumers have long looked to food as part of their wellness goals. In the past decades, processors have met consumer needs by offering products such as low-fat dairy that supposedly helped people keep their weight down.

Americans' love affair with cheese is defying gravity. According to Chicago-based market research firm IRI, over the 52 weeks ending Sept. 6, 2020, natural cheese retail sales were swinging high through the air.