It's no secret that the fluid milk category has been struggling at retail for quite some time. However, sales of flavored milk and whole milk actually made some impressive gains in the not-too-distant past.

The competition among ice cream brands remains fierce, as some scramble to answer the call for "healthy indulgence" and others seek to grab attention with unique flavors and premiumization.

Cheese is one of the most versatile foods around, with consumers enjoying it as a snack, as part of a meal and as an ingredient in countless dishes.

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.

They might not be sold hot, but ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee and tea are sizzling when it comes to U.S. sales. Dollar sales for the convenience-minded category jumped 5.1% during the 52 weeks ending Aug. 12, 2018, to reach $6.3 billion, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI.

In the frozen dessert market, ice cream typically reigns supreme among consumers who are looking to indulge in a treat. But even ice cream sales are struggling.

On May 31, Mexico announced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. cheese, and then on June 16, China announced retaliatory tariffs against most U.S. dairy products.

Consumers still love eating ice cream and other frozen and refrigerated desserts, but now many are looking for cleaner versions of their favorite treats. Alongside this, even those who desire to eat healthfully still don't want to give up the indulgence factor.

Dollar sales in the ice cream/sherbet category rose 2.2% during the 52 weeks ending April 22, 2018, to $6.9 billion, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI. Unit sales increased 1.6% to 1.8 billion.

The picture appears to be a little less than rosy for the refrigerated juices/drinks category. For the 52 weeks ending March 25, 2018, dollar sales in the category fell 1.1% to $6.6 billion, while unit sales declined by 2.1% to 2.2 billion, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI.