If the name Helm rings a bell, it’s because she is the former Chief Food and Nutrition Strategist for Weber Shandwick, who helped turn milk from a commodity to a brand with the iconic got milk? and milk mustache campaigns. At the CFBN breakfast, she identified six movements taking place in food and beverage that are gaining momentum.
For starters, she said that the growth in tools to identify ultra-processed (UP) foods will add more to the confusion. But, she heeded, UP is not going away from the conversation anytime soon. That’s because the second crusade is the MAHA Mom Coalition. This was my first time hearing about this group. The group’s ideology is not based on science. They have an anti-authority sentiment, and are firm believers in “if you can’t pronounce, don’t eat.”
Helm chuckled when she shared that the group was challenged with pronouncing “riboflavin,” otherwise known as vitamin B2. At best, Helm said, the Coalition will mainstream clean-label initiatives.
The next three movements—much more settling, in my opinion—are how the Ozempic phenomenon is inspiring true food and beverage innovation; how consumers are seeking out proactive nutrition through foods with benefits, e.g., longevity, gut health, metabolic health and mental wellbeing; and how protein is evolving from quantity to quality.
The latter was a hot topic at the 2025 ADPI/ABI Annual Conference. (More on this shortly.)
The sixth and final movement disrupting the food and beverage industry, according to Helm, is the rise of healthy indulgence. She explained that after losing a few years of living life during the pandemic, consumers don’t want to compromise. They are looking for healthful desserts and functional indulgent products.
Dairy checks the box for all six movements. These are innovation opportunities you do not want to miss.
Source: Dairy Management Inc.
Before we get back to protein, let’s talk about the Dairy Matrix. That was part of a presentation given by Moises Torres-Gonzales, vice president of nutrition research at Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) at the ADPI/ABI Annual Conference.
He explained how food provides calories that the body requires to simply run. Food also contains macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and bioactives responsible for critical steps in physiological functions. Scientists are starting to better understand that these nutrients, when present in whole, minimally processed foods, interact with each other, impacting digestion and absorption. In the dairy industry, this is now called the Dairy Matrix effect. (See infographic above.)
“With the Dairy Matrix, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” said Torres-Gonzales.
In other words, eating natural whole foods is the optimal way to get important nutrients through the diet. The MAHA Moms would agree. (Trust me, it’s hard to write that, but it’s true.)
Matt Pikosky, vice president of nutrition research at DMI also spoke at the ADPI/ABI Annual Conference. He provided a very thorough explanation of how all proteins are not created equal. (See infographics below.)
For background, currently the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) is used to assess the quality of all protein. The score is an adjustment for the quality of the protein. It is based on the types and amounts of amino acids in the food as well as the overall digestibility. The PDCAAS values range from 0.0 to 1.0, where values are truncated to a maximum score of 1.00, which cow’s milk, casein, whey, eggs and soy protein all possess. Most plant protein sources have much lower values.
Pikosky believes what many in the industry have long hoped for, that the PDCAAS will be sent to the graveyard and that the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) will be adapted. The DIASS analysis enables the differentiation of protein sources by their ability to supply amino acids for use by the human body. It also demonstrates the higher bioavailability of dairy proteins when compared to plant-based protein sources.
Consumer research shows most consumers aren’t aware of, or aren’t able to distinguish, that proteins have differences in protein quality. The industry uses the Nutrition Facts panel to communicate the grams per serving of protein. At this time, the only way to show a difference in protein quality is by using the % Daily Value. That’s because % Daily Value for protein is determined using PDCAAS.
Source: Dairy Management Inc.
Pikosky used the brand Orgain as an example. The brand’s protein shakes are either made with plant proteins or grass-fed dairy proteins. An 11-ounce container of either flags 16 grams of protein on the front panel. At a glance, the consumer may think these beverages are created equal. A turn of the package tells the real story.
The plant protein variety only provides 18% of the Daily Value for protein. This is determined after correcting the protein content to a PDCAAS of 0.56. The grass-fed option, on the other hand, provides 32% of the Daily Value. No correction needed.
It is possible to reach the Daily Value for protein by eating enough plant proteins and complementing their amino acid profiles; however, with more protein, comes more calories. And calories still count.
That’s the protein message that needs to be communicated to consumers. It’s all about nutrient density, getting more nutrition for every calorie.
The amount of protein—dairy and plant—that is getting put into foods and beverages these days is getting to be a bit much. That’s why Helm believes quantity of protein will start to evolve to quality of protein.
And, well, dairy’s got this. got milk? Make it with Dairy!
Thanks for amplifying the dairy nutrient density story and the ADPI Annual Conference, Donna! Cheers to Make It With Dairy!
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