Articles by Brian Berk

Jacqueline Van Schaik, global lead nutritionist, Fonterra, joins Dairy Foods for episode 64 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast. During this podcast, she discusses GLP-1s and dairy.

In 2024, the global average cost of a data breach hit $4.88 million, emphasizing the urgent need for cybersecurity in the dairy industry. With ransomware attacks escalating, dairy processors must adopt robust defenses and collaborate to safeguard against evolving threats.

What’s next in dairy flavor innovation? From tiramisu and chai spice to sweet heat and global citrus, emerging trends blend comfort with creativity—offering processors fresh opportunities to captivate consumers and drive growth through bold, unexpected profiles.

Cheese sales growth, while not explosive, continues to show steady year-over-year gains. For the 52 weeks ending Jan. 25, the natural cheese category saw a 2% increase in dollar sales to $21 billion and a 2% rise in unit sales to 5.2 billion, according to Circana.

Fluid milk outperformed its main rival, plant-based beverages, in 2025. While fluid milk sales remained steady, plant-based drink sales fell 6% YoY to 358.4 million gallons. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act seeks to boost milk sales in schools, highlighting traditional milk's nutritional benefits amid competition.

Drew DiSpirito and Joe Rotondo, founders of Smearcase, join Dairy Foods for Episode 63 of the "Let’s Talk Dairy" podcast to discuss Smearcase and frozen cottage cheese, also known as FroCo.

As dairy sales grow, pumps and valves play a vital role—pumps ensure accurate, controlled product transfer, while valves regulate flow, isolate systems, and support cleaning processes.

Baskin-Robbins Trolli Sour Blast ice cream, awarded a third-place finish at the 2025 IDFA Ice Cream and Cultured Innovation Conference, has had tremendous success.

Over the past several years, the phrase “a win is a win” has been used by many athletes, often in reference to winning a game or match without a dominant performance. The phrase applies aptly to the overall frozen novelty category.