Sonali Raghunath

Sonali Raghunath, is a Food Engineer cum scientist working on her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota to better understand how novel food processing technologies can be used to improve the functionality of food proteins. She has a B.Tech in Food Technology from Anna University, Chennai, India, and her M.S. in Food Science from the University of Minnesota. Sonali is a proud recipient of various leadership awards and scholarships from IFT Feeding Tomorrow, including the Excellence in Leadership Graduate award from IFT and MnDRIVE Global food ventures. She has served as both a student and social media lead for the IFT Dairy Foods Division, and is a Past Student Committee Chair of IFTNPD.

Jars of milk,small bowls of rice, glasses of milk are laid out surrounded by nuts, leaves and oats on a tan-colored table.

Dairy Detective

Innovation essential to continued growth of milk

Lactose-free milk, UHT milk and flavored products driving sales.

Sonali Raghunath

January 16, 2026

Milk has been a basis of nutrition for centuries, but the modern fluid milk industry faces challenges in maintaining its heritage while adapting to changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, and sustainability issues. The future of milk presents both opportunities and challenges, as noted by Sonali Raghunath.

Opportunities and challenges of milk

Innovations in lactose-free, flavors and UHT milk facilitate market demand.

Sonali Raghunath

January 27, 2025

Milk has been a basis in nutrition for centuries, building generations with its rich array of nutrients.

Many yogurts meet consumer demand for clean labels and provide natural, wholesome nutrition.

Ingredient and product innovation in the dairy industry

Milk’s bioactive peptides can boost mood, reduce anxiety and stimulate the immune system.

Sonali Raghunath

Pratishtha Verma

August 16, 2024

Both Sonali Raghunath and Pratishtha Verma are active committee members of IFT’s Dairy Foods Division, with Verma leading the resource library and dairy food magazine teams and Raghunath managing its social media presence.

Exploring the momentum of cheese snacking trends and innovations

Health-conscious consumers love delicious, nutritious cheese in salty and savory snacks.

Patrice Stratton

Sonali Raghunath

June 9, 2023

Consumer demand for cheese as one of the favorite snacks globally has risen following the pandemic.

The global cosmetics market is undergoing a major shift towards the use of natural bioactive ingredients as consumers grow more skeptical of traditional formulations and demand greater transparency and sustainability.

Reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are well established in dairy processing but continue to evolve to improve performance, reduce energy use, and increase operational longevity.

Sonali Raghunath

ARTICLES

Innovation essential to continued growth of milk

Opportunities and challenges of milk

Ingredient and product innovation in the dairy industry

Exploring the momentum of cheese snacking trends and innovations

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