Planes, trains and automobiles; all aboard for new challenges, great opportunities - dairy food companies' new markets

Dairy Foods, June, 1989 by Donna Crothers

"For a natural cheese, it becomes a problem meeting the price points," says Semo Sennas, marketing manager for Fromageries Bell Inc.'s Laughing Cow cheeses.

Several transportation industry food directors say they offer food companies a unique marketing opportunity that should be taken into account in pricing. "They (passengers) are a captive audience. They are going to see your product for seven days," says Bruce E. Pettingill, purchasing manager of foods and beverages for Carnival.

The good news for dairy foods companies is that the emphasis on low cost for airline meals may be changing. "It seems to me the airlines are going back to first-class service," says Soufan of Sky Chefs. Agrees Blake of Dobbs International: "There now is a big emphasis on service as well as quality ... now, even if it's an hour flight, they are trying to at least give a snack."

Shaving costs on meals never has been very feasible for either Amtrak or the cruise lines, because good food is part of the package passengers are buying, say industry representatives. "People come to splurge on food," says Schoeneweiss of Carnival.

"We don't skimp on food dollars," says Kabel of Amtrak, noting that the railway soon will add a dessert course to its standard dinner package for $9.50 to $12.50. "If a person is going to spend two days on a train, we've got to make it exciting for them. Good food does that."

In the future, there may be even more opportunities for dairy foods companies to supply the transportation industry. Richard Nelson, director of marketing research services for Campbell Soup Co., predicts that by the year 2000, 20 percent of automobiles will have microwave ovens built into the dashboard. "Most people today are eating in their cars already, so it's a natural extension," says Nelson.

A little less down to earth is the prediction that the space shuttle someday will become a means of transportation for the general public. But if and when that happens, dairy foods will be there, because they already are an important component of the astronauts' menu. Cheeses are a staple in the astronauts' fresh food locker on shuttle missions, and non-fat dry milk is packaged with breakfast cereals so that water can be conveniently added. NASA even makes a rehydratable "astronauts' ice cream."

It's easy to see that the sky's the limit for dairy foods companies moving into the 21st century.

PHOTO : Ice cream isn't easy to handle on airplanes and trains, but passenagers want it and aggressive dairy foods companies are developing products and packages to meet the demand.

PHOTO : Passengers want healthy foods and that has airlines replacing sausages and eggs with yogurt and cereal for breakfast.