July is National Ice Cream Month. Explore some of the creative goodies Americans will be enjoying this summer.

 

The average American consumes about four gallons of ice cream a year, according to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). Most ice cream companies are family owned and have been in operation for more than 50 years, according to an IDFA survey. And last year, ice cream makers in the U.S. churned out more than 1.3 billion gallons of ice cream. That’s a lot of frozen deliciousness. 

As the summer reaches peak temperatures in July, Americans celebrate National Ice Cream Month as a way to cool off and enjoy the nation’s favorite frozen treat with friends and family. This year the majority of that ice cream will be lacking chocolate, as the prices of cocoa, and the chocolate made from it, are at record highs. 

Formulators have gotten creative—and at times, edgy—with innovations for this summer. Many focus on newstalgia flavors, which are nostalgic with a modern twist. Others are designed to provide wow, maybe even shock value. And others are about forging a connection between brand and consumer in order to bring them some joy. 

Less than a mile from my home in Chicago is Pretty Cool Ice Cream. One of the shop’s recent limited editions was the Potato Skins Ice Cream Bar. It tasted just like the famous appetizer, but cold, and a bit creamier. Get inspired by checking out the menu HERE.

Perry’s Ice Cream has three new flavors exclusive to its scoop shops, which are located across New York, Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Only one has some chocolate inclusions. 

Blueberry Cornbread is a fusion of honey ice cream, blueberry swirls and cornbread pieces, while Lavender Dream is a sophisticated blend of lavender vanilla ice cream complemented by ribbons of blackberry swirls. The NutHouse, a collaboration with Ohio State University Athletics, features sea salt caramel ice cream, brownie batter swirls and chunks of peanut butter cookie dough. The latter is also available at retail in a 1.5 quart container. The new flavors can also be purchased online via its website. 

Cold Case Ice Cream is only available online. It is a crime-inspired direct-to-consumer ice cream company breaking the mold with a growing cult following. All ice creams are limited edition, hand-crafted specialty flavors that are shipped in a solid -109.3°F frozen case with a chilling twist.  

Here’s what’s inside the new Break Free Limited Edition Premium Case. A gold “shovel” spoon to scoop out all of the evidence and leave no crumbs behind. One Cold Case Mystery Game, a family-friendly game based on the six suspects’ flavors. There’s also six pints of ice cream and their accompanying “incident report” detailing each mysterious flavor profile. 

The flavors are: 

• America’s Most Wanted: Creamy goat cheese meets rich blackberry jam, sliced almonds, brown sugar, honey and just a whisper of rosemary.  
• Cookie Mobster: A blue sweet cream base hides a stash of Oreo pieces, Famous Amos chocolate chip minis and those notorious pink-and-white Circus Animal cookies. 
• Huckleberry Pie Witness: Fresh huckleberries, jammy swirls, a buttery graham cracker pie crust and warming spice. 
• Illegal Fireworks: Cotton candy and vanilla ice cream rigged with Pop Rocks for an explosive finish, ignited by marshmallow swirls and detonated candy shards.
• Stone Cone Killer: Sweet cream ice cream laced with chunks of fudgy brownie, shards of chocolate-drenched waffle cone and thick veins of fudge swirl. 
• Summer Camp Massacre: Vanilla ice cream stuffed with graham crackers, brown sugar, chocolate shavings and a sticky swirl of marshmallow. 

This isn’t just an ice cream drop. It’s a story-forward, true-crime inspired brand that offers a full sensory experience. 

Speaking of sensory, Unilever’s UK ice cream brand Magnum continues to grow its Utopia novelty. The brand describes the stick bars as being multi-sensorial, as they are “marbled” and surrounded with a liquid sauce and enclosed in a coating.

Double Cherry offers a combination of marbled berry-flavored panna ice cream, drizzled in sour cherry coulis sauce and covered in the signature Magnum milk chocolate coating with crunchy, berry-flavored sugar pieces.

Double Hazelnut swirls hazelnut and caramel almond ice creams within a salted hazelnut sauce, coated in thick white chocolate studded with salted caramelized hazelnut, almond and pistachio pieces.

Euphoria Pink Lemonade is creamy lemon ice cream wrapped around an intense core of sweet raspberry sorbet, coated in white chocolate and bursts of raspberry crunch and popping candy. 

Friendly’s, a brand of Dairy Farmers of America, wants to connect with Gen Z through a collaboration with the Jonas Brothers. The trio are celebrating 20 years of music with their upcoming tour that kicks off on August 10 at MetLife Stadium. (I took my sons to see them 18 years ago. I am still recovering.) 

The new 20th Anniversary Flavor combines each brother’s favorite ice cream flavor--all side by side--in one 48-ounce tub. It’s Neapolitan with a twist. The flavor are: Kevin’s Coffee Cookie Crumble, Joe’s Chocolate Marshmallow Swirl and Nick’s Vanilla.

Hiland Dairy Foods is offering more than just fun-flavored ice cream this summer. It’s serving up a chance to win big. The Golden Ticket Giveaway, a promotional partnership with Silver Dollar City, invites families to celebrate the season with a scoop of fun and a sprinkle of adventure. Running from June 1 to July 27, the campaign features instant-win prizes, social media giveaways, and the ultimate grand prize: the Golden Ticket, which grants winners a memorable trip to Silver Dollar City. With a retro-inspired theme that evokes the magic of summer vacations and rollercoaster thrills, the campaign brings together two summertime favorites: ice cream and amusement parks. This summer Hiland’s three new ice cream flavors are: Chocolate Peanut Butter,  Strawberry Cheesecake and Cherry Cheesecake.

Graeter’s Ice Cream is riding the amusement park ice cream theme with the rollout of Beast Feast – Cookie Dough Unleashed. It is named after the iconic, record-setting wooden roller coaster at Kings Island. The cookie butter ice cream is packed with monster-sized chunks of sugar cookie dough and topped off with rainbow sprinkles. 

Beast Feast – Cookie Dough Unleashed is part of Graeter’s limited-edition summertime flavors inspired by classic bakery treats. The Bake Shop collection includes five other new flavors: Cinnamon Sticky Bun, Blueberry Lemon Crumble, Pineapple Passion Fruit Sorbet, Minty Brownie and Caramel Pecan Cheesecake.

Like Friendly’s, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is connecting with consumers through music, too. It’s all about that feeling when your favorite band takes the stage and time stops. Everything else falls away, you’re wholly present and in the moment, engaged with what’s happening right now, connected with those around you, and you feel fully alive. Jeni’s latest limited-edition flavor is a celebration of that exact feeling, inspired by the band Goose.

Goose Tracks is a riff on a nostalgic classic black raspberry chip. Except Jeni’s made it bolder by swapping black raspberries for juicier, more flavorful berries, including red raspberries and blackberries, and layering in bittersweet chocolate flakes. It’s both nostalgic and new, like hearing your favorite song played live for the first time. Other new flavors from Jeni’s include Pink Bubblegum, Root Beer Float and Toasted S’mores. 

“On a Venn diagram comparing Jeni’s and Goose, where the circles overlap would be called Things That Bring People Together and Make People Feel Good,” said Ryan Morgan, Jeni’s Head of Brand. “Music and ice cream are two of life’s greatest connectors. A live Goose show is about the joy of the moment and sparking the type of emotional connection that only comes through shared presence in real life. A Jeni’s experience is about the same thing.”

Because not everyone can afford a pint of Jeni’s during these inflationary times, The Kroger Co. decided to get bold with its limited-time Kroger Brand Summer in a Pint collection.

The four varieties and their stories are:  

• Fireside Nights: An elevated take on classic s’mores, this toasted marshmallow-flavored ice cream features s’mores pieces and a glittering swirl that radiates the orange hue of a campfire flame so campers and glampers can enjoy a bounty that does not require roughing it.  
• Italian Style Summer Fizz: Transporting taste buds to a carefree moment in the Euro summer sun, this blood orange-flavored sherbet is loaded with popping candy clusters and a blood orange-flavored ribbon.  
• Poolside Tan Lines: Mimicking the tan lines achieved after kicking back poolside, this flavor swirls together vanilla bean, chocolate and coffee ice creams.
• Sandy Shores: Like tropical waters cascading across shorelines, this coconut-flavored ice cream is reminiscent of crystal-blue seas and swirled with a sweet and salty pretzel crunch for a treat even better than a beach day.  

Take a break and grab a scoop of your favorite. Cheers! Oh, and by the way, Happy Friday the 13th!

IDDBA 2025: The Big Takeaway for Dairy

 

The record-breaking International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) 2025 show took place this week in New Orleans. The expo featured 1,000-plus exhibitors, with more than a fourth being first-timers. Many of those first timers were in the dairy space. 
That’s right, dairy, just like the dairy in IDDBA. For long, cheese was the main representation for that first D in IDDBA. That changed this year, which I believe is a reflection on the fact that dairy foods are hot, hot, hot right now, as consumers return to whole, minimally processed familiar foods. 

Products that debuted at the expo were featured this week as a Daily Dose of Dairy. There are more to come throughout the month of June. Keep your eyes out for protein pudding, on-the-go dairy dips, turmeric yogurt and refrigerated milk bars. 

The big takeaway is how dairy can be nutrient-dense treat that gives consumers permission to indulge. Single-serve desserts and refrigerated dips rocked the expo floor. 

During a panel discussion, Sarah Weise, chief executive officer of Bixa, a research consultancy firm, said that 97% of grocery shoppers see food as a way to treat themselves. They equate a treat to “me” time. 

Treats can be sweet as well as savory, hence the overwhelming number of desserts and dips that were showcased on the expo floor. 

Other trends can build into these little luxuries, including limited-time offerings, newstalgia and regionally/globally inspired flavors. Trending flavors include southern U.S. profiles, such as fried pickle and smoked brisket (both of which are available in dairy dips), Latin American flavors, such as Tajin and tres leches, and feta (as a flavor profile and as a carrier).

When it comes to newstalgia—something old and familiar with a new twist—it’s all about appealing to the shopper’s emotions, according to Karri Zwirlein, director of bakery, deli and prepared foods at Tops Market, who also spoke on the panel. “These consumers have had a very disruptive few years and they are looking for food that will remind them of a time when things weren’t so disruptive,” she said.

Disruption is not going away. Remind consumers that dairy is there for them. 

Learnings from lyft Lady: The “future of food” is “food as medicine.” Dairy foods are part of the movement.

 

It’s a busy few weeks in food and agriculture. I’m very much looking forward to judging the student ice cream innovation contest at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, this afternoon, sponsored by Ever Fresh Fruit Company. Then it’s onto New Orleans for IDDBA, and back home to Chicago on Monday for back-to-back conferences: Future Food Tech and Food as Medicine. While all of these events will be educational, the conversation with my lyft driver taking me from Eugene to Corvallis on Thursday afternoon may be the most informative of all. That’s because talking with real people and hearing their needs and desires beats every survey and AI-generated concept, in my perspective. 

My 40-year-old female driver moved from Los Angeles to Willamette Valley soon after the pandemic, leaving a stressful Hollywood career and lifestyle that wreaked havoc on her autoimmune disease. She decided to take her health into control through diet after years of prescription medications that only controlled symptoms. After a year of avoiding certain foods and ingredients, while including more of others, she put her disease into remission and today is symptom free. This is “food as medicine.” This is the future of food. 

Today this woman drives lyft to make sure the bills get paid, while she establishes her consultancy as a “Functional Food Coach.” She educates others on holistic approaches to improving health and overall wellness. 

“It starts on the inside, and is all about restoring balance to the microbes in the gut,” she said.
This woman was talking my language. While she has no formal training, she knows her stuff. This is “food as medicine.” This is the future of food. 

While her initial omission diet did exclude dairy—not animal meat—she recognized its importance and has slowly been reintroducing dairy to her diet, opting for local, grass fed, lactose free and A2 options. The raw milk conversation came up. She was eager to learn more.

I have no formal training in this area. I tried my best to keep it simple. I explained that while raw milk may offer benefits in terms of providing digestive enzymes and contributing to immune function--inherent compounds in milk that break down during high-heat processing--the risks from the presence of pathogenic organisms outweigh the benefits. 

I affirmed that raw and pasteurized milk both contain the same high-quality, complete proteins, healthful fats,  and essential vitamins and minerals. She was thankful for this dialog and assured me she will do more research and stay clear of raw milk. This is “food as medicine.” This is the future of food. 

We moved onto whole food nutrition, which is the type of diet she now follows and promotes. I brought up the Dairy Matrix. Thanks to a presentation given by Moises Torres-Gonzales, vice president of nutrition research at Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) at the ADPI/ABI Annual Conference, I was confident in explaining how food provides calories that the body requires to simply run, but food also contains macronutrients, micronutrients  and bioactives responsible for critical steps in physiological functions. Scientists are starting to better understand that these compounds, 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. In simple terms, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is “food as medicine.” This is the future of food. 

After a 45-minute drive and 30 minutes of conversation—it took 10 minutes to break the ice and find out we had so much in common—we arrived at my hotel. I think we could have talked for hours. We wished each other well and gave out an air hug. 

I feel confident in saying that dairy is part of the “food as medicine” movement. This is the future of food. Remember to always talk dairy up. You never know how far the messaging will go.

Hope to see many of you in New Orleans on Sunday! 

Doubling Down on Wellness-Focused Innovation Requires Protein

 

“It is not inflation that consumers are frustrated with, it is price levels,” said Matthew Barry, insight manager at Euromonitor International, when speaking on an IDDBA-sponsored webinar on trends shaping consumer food demand. “Consumer unhappiness is based on things costing more than they ‘should.’”

They are not going to like where things are going with staples that rely on imports. Cooking oil, for example, is projected to cost nearly double what it was in 2020 when it’s 2030.

For the most part, shoppers, while frustrated with the price of eggs in recent months, understood why they were expensive. There was a shortage because the hens got sick. Many also recognize why chocolate is pricey. There’s a cocoa shortage. But cooking oil? That’s a man-made inflation. 

Barry explained that today’s consumers have lost interest in things that are not price. This, in turn, “has had a chilling effect on innovation,” he said. Global packaged food launches in January and February 2025 were at an all-time low, according to Euromonitor research. 

“Where innovation succeeds, it tends to be wellness focused,” said Barry. 

For dairy, which includes cow’s milk- and plant-based formats, there’s a lot of opportunity in wellness. (See graph.) Protein is part of consumers’ wellness journey. 

 

Enter hybrids. This is something actively—and quite successfully—taking place in the meat category. It’s all about making products that are plant forward. Within meat and poultry, this refers to hybrid or blended products. It’s not a new concept, but it’s one that has had very slow traction. However, Food System Innovations, San Francisco, a philanthropic group aiming to speed the transition toward a greater reliance on plant-based proteins, believes it’s where to meet consumers at this time. The organization refers to these products as “balanced proteins.”

Source: Euromonitor International, courtesy of IDDBA

 

 

 

 

“The rise of plant-based eating is not just a trend,” said Julie Johnson, president, HealthFocus International, Des Plaines, Ill. “It’s a seismic shift in the food industry.”

Blended products enable reducetarians to feel better about their choice, for reasons ranging from health to sustainability. At the same time, depending on the product, they do not have to make any sensory sacrifices. Nutritional beverages touting specific benefits present a real opportunity. 

Source: Euromonitor International, courtesy of IDDBA

Food System Innovations partnered with YouGov to survey a nationally representative sample of 2,001 respondents to gain insights into consumer behavior, perceptions and opportunities for balanced protein meats. The survey showed that many consumers are hesitant to adopt products they perceive as unfamiliar or disconnected from their traditional meat experiences. Balanced protein concepts resonates with consumers by offering recognizable taste, texture and ingredients.

“Balanced protein is a practical solution that creates market demands while delivering the sustainability and equity improvements our food system needs,” according to Tim Dale, category innovation director at Food System Innovations.

Johnson agreed. “We believe harnessing plant’s inherent connection to many other macro trends (e.g., natural/clean, added fiber and protein, etc.) are the best way to push plant forward and deliver the products consumers are really looking for,” she said.

Animal and plant proteins make a powerful pairing. Together in a single product, or simply in the shopping cart. That’s because very few Americans purchase alternatives exclusively, while about a quarter purchase both, according to a survey by McKinsey, New York. 

Source: Euromonitor International, courtesy of IDDBA

“The share of only plant-based buyers is lower with 5%,” said Kwee Choo Ng, regional manager-rice ingredients and functional proteins, BENEO, Parsippany, N.J. “In most cases, plant-based options are an add on to the conventional dairy options and hence contribute to a flexitarian lifestyle that is gaining popularity.”

Barry believes that something BIG is going to happen soon, another crisis, per se. He, of course, has no idea what it is, but it’s inevitable based on the chaos taking place. This, however, presents an opportunity for innovators to focus. 

“Future crisis is likely to lead to [consumers] doubling down on today’s trends of value, wellness and stress-fighting indulgence,” he said. 

The Dairy Processor List. Edition 2.

The Dairy Processor List will be a recurring Friday blog topic as we try to navigate the chaos taking place in Washington, DC. It will highlight the good, the bad and the ugly. Welcome to the second edition, which covers: Shopping habits, SNAP, sugar is poison, reformulation plans need to be accelerated, but most important, highlights from the 101st Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest.

If you missed the first edition on food safety, colors, sugars, clean labels in schools and reformulations for retail, link HERE.

1. Shopping Habits. Thirteen percent of household budgets went toward food in 2023, according to U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2025 by FMI--The Food Industry Association. This was the same amount a decade ago. 

“Despite the economic pressures they face, consumers overwhelmingly tell us they enjoy grocery shopping and that they are willing and able to budget in order to ‘eat well’ based on their specific values and needs,” said Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI. “In fact, our U.S. Grocery Shopper Sentiment Index is currently holding steady at 72 out of 100. While individual needs vary, by and large, most shoppers prioritize four things when shopping for food: health, entertainment, exploration and convenience. Satisfying these key needs are important to shoppers, and they tailor their overall budgets and food spending behaviors to ensure they ‘eat well’.”

 

 

Still, several factors are weighing on consumers. Most Americans (70%) say they are extremely or very worried about rising grocery prices, and 78% said they are at least somewhat concerned about the impact of tariffs on the cost of imported food and ingredients. 

The analysis revealed a silver lining: most consumers (75%) report feeling in control over their grocery spending. However, that confidence has declined in recent months; 85% of consumers expressed confidence in control over food spending in September 2024. In response, shoppers report using various strategies to stretch their food budget further. Traditional methods like list-making (83%), taking household inventory (79%), meal planning (69%) and seeking out coupons or discounts (60%) remain the most common. 

2. SNAP. What’s at stake for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program? The House proposal calls for $230 billion in USDA cuts through 2034, while the Senate has proposed just $1 billion. The more cuts, the more likely SNAP is in jeopardy.
FMI’s Sarasin emphasized, “Our latest grocery shopper research underscores a critical opportunity for the industry to meet their customers where they are—navigating rising costs and economic uncertainty—while reinforcing the importance of SNAP, a vital anti-hunger program that provides just $6 a day to those most in need.”

“The American public is clear on this: 70% support SNAP, and a majority oppose any effort to reduce its funding, according to an FMI national survey by leading pollster, Fabrizio, Lee & Associates. The future strength of this program isn’t just a policy issue. It’s a moral imperative and an economic necessity.”

3. Sugar is Poison. Regardless how much SNAP gets funded, it will likely face purchasing restrictions, for example banning soda purchases. 

“Because of what we learned at the (April 22) press conference’s Q&A, we can now add sugar to (RFK’s hit) list,” according to Nicholas Fereday, executive director, Rabobank. “Let this sink in. For the first time ever, we now have a health secretary who believes that ‘sugar is poison’ and thinks we should not be consuming any added sugars. What were once considered fringe ideas have now been drawn into the very heart of government policy making.”

Per capita consumption of caloric sweeteners is down by about one-fifth since its peak at the start of the 21st century, according to USDA. Most of this is attributed to a decrease in consumption of sugary sodas.

“Kennedy is hoping to achieve further reductions in sugar consumption by raising awareness, or as he likes to say, ‘radical transparency,’” according to Fereday. “This includes initiatives like the upcoming update to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, expected later this year, as well as a proposed four-year ‘Take back your health’ nationwide educational campaign. As he put it, this will give a ‘clear guideline on how much sugar they should be using.’ More broadly, ‘For those ingredients we cannot ban legally, we are going to start informing Americans about what they are eating. We are going to work with Congress and the White House to make sure we have adequate labeling, so Americans know what is good for them.’”

Results from the recent “IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans’ Perceptions of Sweetness in Their Diets” from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) reveals a mounting tension between consumers’ enjoyment and health goals when it comes to sweetness in the diet. Nearly six in 10 Americans (58%) prefer sweet as their favorite taste, more than savory/umami (49%), salty (45%), sour (24%) or bitter (21%).

Despite a fondness for sweet flavors, eight in 10 Americans (78%) believe it is important to reduce the overall sweetness of their diet, primarily to eat healthier, manage blood sugar or diabetes, manage body weight and support dental health. Note, this is a survey of preference for sweetness, not necessarily on the source of that sweetness. 

“From a biological perspective, our love of sweet taste makes sense. It’s thought to be an ancient survival mechanism that signaled safe, energy-rich food, like glucose from plants” said IFIC Senior Director of Research & Consumer Insights, Kris Sollid. “As we’ve evolved, navigating our innate preferences and health goals has become more complicated.”

When asked what comes to mind first when they think about sweet-tasting foods or drinks, most Americans mentioned a specific food (39%) or beverage (23%), while far fewer thought of an ingredient or feeling. But their attitudes toward that sweetness are nuanced. While 59% agree that sweet-tasting foods and drinks can be part of a healthy diet, many still support scaling back the overall sweetness of their diets (78%). 

The survey asked respondents what they would expect if they reduced the sweetness of their current diet. The top expectations were improvements in overall health (64%) and the healthfulness of their diet (64%), followed by lower calorie intake (58%) and reduced body weight (55%).

Fereday said, “Even if Kennedy really believes that zero added sugar is achievable, it is improbable that consumers will want to eliminate all (added) sugars from their diets. However, we can probably expect a tapering off in consumption at some point.”

The fact is, sweetness, whether from added sugars or low- and no-calorie sweeteners, plays a powerful role in how we experience and enjoy food. But as the IFIC survey shows, Americans are increasingly looking for balance. 

4. Reformulation Plans Need to be Accelerated. In my opinion, dairy has already been actively cleaning up formulations. Great job. Keep going. 

“Kennedy has made it clear that he is under a two-year timeline to get stuff done. For companies that choose not to push back, that means thinking hard about accelerating their existing programs to clean up their ingredient labels, taking out the artificial and reducing the number of non-nutritive ingredients,” said Fereday. “We have already heard from a few companies, and more will follow. For example, Hain Celestial is already in the coveted position of being able to boast that its U.S. portfolio is already free of artificial colors. PepsiCo reports that 60% of its U.S. food portfolio is already free of synthetic dyes, with their CEO recently acknowledging that they are going to have to accelerate their transition to natural ingredients. WK Kellogg Co has also committed to not launching any new products with artificial dyes from the start of 2026.”

5. The 101st Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest. California Polytechnic State University students garnered top honors at the 101st Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest, which was hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association during their CheeseCon Show in Madison, Wis. The All Products team title, led by coach Vincent Yung, was also awarded the Shirley Seas Memorial Scholarship and $2,500 from QCS Purchasing Cooperative to support training students. 

Eight schools participated in this year’s contest. The other seven were the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Missouri, the University of Minnesota, the University of Tennessee, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and South Dakota State University. The South Dakota State University team placed second in the Team All Products category and the University of Tennessee team took third place, with several schools bringing home trophies in individual and team product categories.

Novonesis, today’s blog sponsor, hosted a student mixer the evening before the contest. Gary Pieper, technical sales manager at Novonesis, shared thoughts on the contest. 

“The Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest is a perfect way for individuals, such as myself and the companies we work for, to give back,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to invest in the futures of young women and men and our dairy industry. Many do not realize how many of the judges have collaborated over the decades in the industry. The contest becomes just as much of an opportunity to grow as dairy professional as it is being a volunteer.

“This year was one of my most rewarding years.  I was approached by a young man and his family. This young man was attending one of the participating universities. His family is involved in one of Wisconsin’s family-owned cheese factories. This gentlemen wanted to know how he could get involved as a contestant and his family was just as excited about the opportunity as he was. If that does not warm your heart and confirm you are making difference.”

To learn more about the competition or to get involved, link HERE. 
To read more about the contest and the winners, scroll down below the banner. Thanks Novonesis!

Established in 1916 by several universities, the Collegiate Dairy Product Evaluation Contest initially was designed to identify quality defects in dairy products throughout the country so they could be corrected. It expanded over the years to recognize those students and dairy product judging teams that had mastered the ability to identify high-quality dairy products. The contest gives students the opportunity to showcase their evaluation skills and prepare for careers in the dairy industry.

Product Category Winners
First-, second- and third-place winners were named in each of the six product categories. The undergraduate, graduate and team winners are:  

What’s Next for Protein? It’s Emphasizing Quality. (And guess what, dairy takes the lead!)

 

Dairy dominated many industry events this week, which began with the 2025 ADPI/ABI Annual Conference, and ended with a Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network (CFBN) Innovation Breakfast on Thursday. The latter is where Janet Helm, a food and nutrition consultant, kicked off a panel discussion with marketers of Chicago-based companies that were once start-ups and are now national brands.
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.)

Source: Dairy Management Inc.

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! 

The Dairy Processor List. Edition 1: Food safety, colors, sugars, clean labels in schools and reformulations for retail.

 

The Dairy Processor List will be a recurring Friday blog topic as we try to navigate the chaos taking place in Washington, DC. It will highlight the good, the bad and the ugly. Welcome to the first edition.

 
1. Food Safety. The industry needs to ensure consumers that the products it manufactures are safe, and will continue to be safe. Headlines like the following—"FDA Suspends Milk Quality Testing Program for Job Cuts” and “Is Your Milk Still Safe? FDA Puts Dairy Testing on Hold.”--are provoking unease and it’s paramount that processors communicate their food safety programs. 

On Thursday, April 24, 2025, Roberta Wagner, senior vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), issued the following statement clarifying a pause in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) lab proficiency testing program.

“The suspension of FDA’s Grade ‘A’ proficiency testing program does not reduce the types or frequency of milk quality tests for Grade ‘A’ milk or finished dairy products as it makes its way from farms to stores across the country. All Grade ‘A’ milk continues to be subject to stringent testing and oversight throughout the supply chain—on the farm, before transportation and multiple times at processing facilities—by both state and federal regulators, as outlined in the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance. Milk and dairy product safety remains a top priority in the United States, and consumers can continue to trust that the dairy products they purchase at retail are safe to consume. The FDA is actively evaluating alternative approaches for its annual evaluation of laboratories that test required Grade A milk samples, which is the purpose of proficiency testing and evaluation programs. FDA will keep all participating laboratories informed as new information becomes available.”

The paused program was a proficiency check for laboratories, not a test of the milk or dairy products themselves. It served as an internal evaluation tool to ensure FDA-affiliated labs could accurately analyze milk samples. Many of these labs are also evaluated by third-party programs to ensure proficiency. Under the proficiency program, labs are asked to test milk samples spiked by FDA with microbiological, animal drug and chemical contaminants. The labs are evaluated on whether their results concur with those of FDA reference labs for each sample. FDA spikes the samples, analyzes them and then allocates them into appropriate shipping containers and sends them to labs for analysis. The results need to match closely the results of FDA plus or minus a small percentage. FDA has stated they are committed to finding alternative methods to maintain the lab performance monitoring and will share those alternatives when identified.

2. Colors. I don’t want to say I told you so, but for years I’ve been encouraging processors to clean up their labels and eliminate artificial additives, with colors being the biggest one. 

The FDA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, intends to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply and plans to work with food and beverage companies to do so., according to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of HHS, in an April 22 news conference. The FDA is fast-tracking the review of calcium phosphate, Galdieria extract blue, gardenia blue and butterfly pea flower extract as new alternatives for color.

My colleague Jeff Gelski at Food Business News wrote a comprehensive synopsis HERE.

3. Sugars. After eliminating dyes, I’ve been encouraging processors to reduce added sugars for years. And kudos to the many of you who have already done so. During that same news conference, RFK Jr. called sugar a “poison” that was giving America a “diabetes crisis.” Read more about what he said and how the Sugar Association responded HERE.

3. Clean Labels in Schools. IDFA has been busy. The same day as RFK Jr. demonized synthetic colors, added sugars and food additives, in general, IDFA announced the “Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment.” This is a voluntary, proactive pledge to eliminate the use of certified artificial colors in milk, cheese and yogurt products sold to K-12 schools for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs by the start of the 2026 to 2027 school year, or July 2026. 

The goal of the Commitment is to eliminate the use of Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 in any milk, cheese, and/or yogurt products sold to K-12 schools for reimbursable school meals. Today, the vast majority of dairy products sold to schools do not contain any certified artificial colors, as most dairy processors have chosen not to use or decided to remove or replace these ingredients in the past. Moving forward, all companies supporting the Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment have pledged to discontinue products containing certified artificial colors or to reformulate products with natural ingredients, joining the majority of companies that will continue making products for schools without certified artificial colors. At the same time, dairy companies will continue to reduce added sugar and work with school nutrition professionals, parents and students to educate them about the benefits of milk, cheese and yogurt in healthy diets.

“Dairy products in school meals including milk, cheese and yogurt play a critical role in meeting child nutrition requirements by providing 13 essential nutrients students need for healthy growth and development,” said Michael Dykes, president and CEO, IDFA. “Milk is the top source of calcium, potassium, phosphorus and vitamin D in kids ages 2 to 18. Cheese provides a high-quality source of protein, calcium, phosphorous and vitamin A. Yogurt is a nutrient-dense food that is a good source of protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and phosphorous that may reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes. The Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment further demonstrates our industry’s longstanding promise to provide healthy, nutritious dairy options to school kids everywhere.”

Five states--Arizona, California, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia--have already passed laws banning the use of synthetic colors in foods sold to schools, and others are likely to follow suit, signifying a new attitude by states to go beyond federal regulators. 

5. Reformulations for Retail. The Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment does not apply to foods that fall outside of reimbursable school meals. Don’t let that stop you, or let it stop you from reformulating all synthetic colors out of all the products you manufacture, for schools, for foodservice and for retail.