Welcome to the dairy case, a round-up of what’s new in products, companies and marketing. In this issue: Rainbow Acres Farm, Cornell University, J & J Snack Foods, Organic Trade Association, Innova Market Insights, Chobani, Red Mango, Dean Foods, Dannon, Friendly’s, Rising Sun Farms, Lovin’ Scoopful, Super Store Industries, Hiland Dairy Foods Co. and more.

Welcome to Jim Carper's Dairy Case, a look at the new dairy products, companies and marketing efforts making the news.

Welcome to the dairy case, a round-up of what's new in products, companies and marketing.

The Justice Department, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has filed a complaint for permanent injunction against Daniel L. Allgyer, owner of the Rainbow Acres Farm, Kinzers, Pa., for distributing unpasteurized (or "raw") milk for human consumption in interstate commerce. The complaint, filed on April 19, 2011, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, also alleges that Allgyer violated federal law by misbranding the "raw" milk containers by failing to provide the label information required by law. Defendant Allgyer was served with the complaint earlier today. Raw milk can contain a wide variety of harmful bacteria, including Listeria, E.coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Yersinia, and Brucella.

As food suppliers attempt to meet the growing demand for local products, a new study finds it’s not always economically or environmentally viable for multi-product industries to focus heavily on local sales.

“The dairy sector is an excellent example for examining the economic consequences of increased localization of food supply chains,” said Miguel Gomez, Cornell University professor of applied economics and management, and co-lead author of “Cost of Localizing a Mutli-Product Food Supply Chain: Dairy in the United States,” which appears in the April 2011 edition of the journal Food Policy.

The average distance traveled for all U.S. dairy products was about 320 miles from farm to market. Increased localization reduces assembly costs while increasing processing and distribution costs, said Gomez. The study provides insights to the U.S. dairy industry, which in 2008 planned to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2025, in part through supply chain reductions.

On May 3, eight of the world’s leading foundations will launch a major new initiative designed to impact food and agriculture policies on a global scale. This initiative is funded by Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and The Walton Family Foundation.

J & J Snack Foods Corp. (Icee, Slush Puppie and Arctic Blast frozen beverages, Whole Fruit sorbet and Fruit-a-Freeze frozen fruit bars) entered into an agreement to acquire the frozen handheld business of ConAgra Foods. The business sells dough enrobed products sold under the Patio, Hand Fulls, Holly Ridge Bakery, Villa Taliano, Top Picks and private label brands with manufacturing facilities in Holly Ridge, North Carolina and Weston, Oregon.

Trends

Innova Market Insights (www.innovadatabase.com) reported a 4% decline in the number of “active health” launches tracked in Western Europe in 2010 [e.g. “functional” and “fortified” products], compared to 2009, despite 25% growth in the number of “passive health” [i.e. “food minus”] launches tracked. The market researcher also noted 36% growth in the number of products with a health positioning tracked in Western Europe over this period that featured the word “proven.”

The company identified 10 emerging trends that will impact new product activity in the nutritionals and functional foods space and will present them at next month’s Vitafoods Europe in Geneva (May 10-12). The 10 trends are:

1. “Proven” is the New Buzzword
2. Return to Softer Claims
3. New Relaxation Paradigm
4. Fruit & Veg Revival
5. Joint Health Boosters
6. Staying Immune
7. Alternative Protein Sources
8. Healthy Mind, Healthy Body
9. Fiber Triumphs on Gut Feeling
10. Out of the Box Weight Loss

Dairy Foods presented the International Dairy Trends webinar. Presenters were Donna Berry, the product development editor for the magazine; Olivia Sant’Angelo, Innova Marketing Insights; and Carrie Schroeder, Fonterra. View it anytime, on-demand.

Products

Red Mango, a retailer of all-natural probiotic frozen yogurt and fresh fruit smoothies, introduced a new frozen yogurt flavor, Raspberry Cheesecake. The recipe can 80 calories per 1/2 cup serving. Raspberry Cheesecake is gluten free, kosher and fortified with natural probiotics. Red Mango, based in Dallas, opened its first U.S. store in July 2007 in Los Angeles, and now has more than 115 store openings in 25 states.

Companies

Super Store Industries (Stockton, Calif.), Hiland Dairy Foods Co. (Fort Smith, Ark.) and Hiland Dairy Foods Co. (Springfield, Mo.) took the top Quality Chekd honors in dairy excellence, plant performance and marketing at the 2011 QCS Leadership Conference. “Our members understand and appreciate that their success depends to a great extent on the commitment and quality of their people,” said Peter Horvath, president of QCS Purchasing, Quality Chekd Dairies and SECO.

Marketing

The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association has become a partner with the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation to fight the growing concern of obesity among Americans, especially children. Many of NFRA’s retailer and manufacturer members are also supporters of HWCF allowing the frozen and refrigerated foods industry to present a unified voice to consumers that promotes healthy, balanced lifestyles.

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation is a first-of-its kind coalition that brings together over 150 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, sporting goods and insurance companies, restaurants, a professional sports association, trade associations, NGOs and the Army. The Foundation focuses on activities in the schools, the workplace and the marketplace to promote healthy weight among Americans by balancing the energy they consume with the energy they expend through physical activity.

The Dairy Calendar

May 11-13. SIAL Canada 2011 at the Metro Toronto Convention Center. http://tinyurl.com/4ro5djo