When it comes to some key nondairy beverage categories, the spin of the wheel has been kinder to some categories than others. The odds have been in ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee and tea's favor, while juice seemingly is facing a gaffed wheel.

The state of the export market for U.S. dairy products is mixed: It depends on the dairy product that you’re exporting and on the destination of the product.

They say that baccarat is entirely a game of chance - that more than any particular skill, it's the luck of the draw that wins the "coup," or round of play.

It seems that butter producers picked their numbers wisely. The cooking staple and flavor booster continues to show positive growth, with dollar sales of butter/butter blends up 1.3% (to $3,131.4 million) and unit sales jumping 2.5% (to 840.6 million) during the 52-week period ending Aug. 11, 2019, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI.

This issue contains our annual "State of the Industry Report," which offers a snapshot of current and emerging trends and product development opportunities within each dairy segment.

The "one armed bandit" brought some good news and some bad news to the ice cream and frozen novelty segment in the past year. The good news? Frozen novelties saw a pretty payout, with dollar sales rising 4.2% to $4,906.3 million during the 52 weeks ending Aug. 11, 2019, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI.

Cheese has the advantage, you might say, as U.S consumers' love affair with it continues to flourish.

The dairy industry currently faces a number of challenges ranging from global trade obstacles to the rise of plant-based dairy alternatives. Dairy Foods asked the top executives from leading dairy associations to provide their thoughts related to current industry issues and opportunities; and to discuss how their organizations are helping members succeed in trying times.

At first glance, it seems that milk hasn't been dealt the best hand. But the beverage isn't considering folding: While purchasing numbers have declined in recent years, it's still present in 91% of American households, according to the September 2019 "Eating Trends: Meat, Dairy, Vegetarian, and Vegan" report from the Packaged Facts division of Rockville, Md.-based MarketResearch.com.

Exports are a demand-pull phenomenon, and demand has been good. U.S. milk equivalent exports from January to July were record high, up 19.5% from 2017.