2000 Ad

Prepared Foods, April, 2001 by Donna Berry

New dairy offerings milk functional benefits, consumer-friendly packaging and plain ol' fresh-from-the-farm wholesomeness.

Although there were fewer dairy products introduced in 2000 than in previous years, the degree of innovation and sophistication more than makes up for the numbers.

Single-serve fluid milks, for example, extended into lattes, shakes and new flavors. Organic products marched across all categories and found success.

Consumers have shown a willingness to experiment with bizarre ice cream combinations, non-traditional cheese flavors and tropical yogurt flavors. Dairy products also gained notoriety as the one-and-only real source of calcium, improving their image as a functional food.

Freezer Frontiers

Combinations like pie a la mode, blender milkshakes and the sundae are what keep vanilla the No. 1 flavor for ice cream. However, manufacturers continue to innovate and test consumers' limits of what can be added.

Burlington, Vt.-based Ben & Jerry's added Island Paradise--a pineapple ice cream with a passionfruit swirl and a hint of coconut--to its flavor list. Also new, KaBerry KaBoom! is strawberry and blueberry ice cream with white fudge-covered crackling candies (i.e., Pop Rocks) and blueberry swirl.

To tap into the brand loyalty of Nascar fans, Wells' Dairy Inc., Lemars, Iowa, teamed up with the racing group to license its name for use on three novelties. In addition, Wells' launched a novelty line just for Hispanic markets. One of the products in the line, Lucas Limon, tastes like a margarita. Another product, Lucas Pelucas contains tamarind fruit with a kick of chili powder.

Fat-free and lowfat ice creams may be a thing of the past, but no-sugar-added ice creams continue to have a strong presence and it's not because of a diabetic following. The Sugar Busters ice cream line from Marigolds Foods Inc., Minneapolis, appeals to folks following popular low-carbohydrate diet plans.

Cheese Please

According to research from Dairy Management Inc., 74% of consumers love the taste of cheese, and 78% say they want to try new and different varieties.

This data has dairies like Cabot Creamery, Cabot, Vt., adding green olive or sage and onion ingredients to its flagship Vermont Cheddar cheese.

Packaging is also enabling cheesemakers to provide their products with a point of distinction. Plymouth, Wis.-based Sargento Foods Inc. is the first to put its shreds in a reclosable, slider zipper package.

The use of cheese as an ingredient in prepared and snack foods continues to grow. New Berlin, Wis.-based Mexican Accents offers Manny's Quesadillas. Each package contains two slices of Cheddar cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla, which can be microwaved. A packet of salsa is enclosed.

Value-added and Functional

Along with an array of flavored milks, coffee milks and even milk-shake-like products going into single-serve bottles, the big innovation in fluid milk last year came from Parmalat USA, Wallington, NJ.

Parmalat introduced a line of value-added refrigerated milks. Varieties include Skim Plus, which uses fat-free milk proteins to turn ordinary skim milk into creamy, nonfat milk with 37% more protein and 34% more calcium than whole milk. Milk-E is fortified with vitamin E and biotin, and the company says it promotes a healthy complexion and delays the skin's aging process. Lactose Free Plus is fortified with the prebiotic inulin and two beneficial bacteria--acidophilus and bifidus.

After a few years without much activity, the yogurt category is coming around. The good news is that many of the new products are truly innovative and directly fit into the functional foods movement.

The most simple examples include Cabot's reformulated yogurt line, now with vitamins A, E and C. Dan-non, Tarrytown, N.Y., renamed its Light line to be Light 'n Fit. It now includes vitamins A and D.

Some of the most sophisticated yogurt introductions in 2000 came from Stonyfield Farm Inc., Londonderry, N.H., which rolled out two "synbiotic" yogurt products formulated with six beneficial bacteria (probiotics) and the prebiotic inulin. YoSqueeze is a spoon-free eating experience for kids that comes on the heels of Yoplait's success the previous year with Go Gurt. For adults, Blends is an all-natural blended yogurt made without the use of starches, gelatins or whey protein concentrates.

Another big innovation in the cultured category comes from Anderson Erickson Dairy Inc., Des Moines, Iowa. Fat Free Yogurt Fortified with Soy Protein is the first U.S. cultured milk and soy combo. In addition to 6.25 g of soy protein, each serving contains 50% of the RDI for vitamin C, 30% for calcium and 25% for both vitamin D and fiber.

Dairy Products
                         2000  1999
Cheese                    240   314
Ice cream/frozen yogurt   235   272
Other frozen desserts     113   105
Milk                      102   103
Yogurt                     67    71
Other                      19    44
Chilled desserts           29    15
Butter/yellow fats         27    12
Shelf-stable desserts      29     8
Total                     861   944
Source: New Product News/GNPD & PF