Moving milk

Dairy Field, Aug 1999 by Cook, Julie

The Moovers line is available in several varieties: whole, 2% and fatfree in white milk; whole and 1% i chocolate; eggnog and half-andhalf. Late this summer, Smith plans to add a strawberry variety in both 8 and 16-ounce bottles.

Flavors to Favor

So far, strawberry and chocolate in single-serve containers have been recharging the milk category. However, Powell believes processors will begin experimenting with more creative offerings in response to the huge success of chocolate, particularly in the single-serve arena.

In spite of those efforts, he feels chocolate will always wear the crown. "People are going to realize that chocolate milk is a good thing to have around as an alternative to having their kids drink soda," he says. "Flavored milks will generally increase in sales, but the proportion of the flavors is going to stay about the same - chocolate is just going to overwhelmingly dominate it."

"So often, chocolate milk has been thought of as a nice drink for youngsters. But it's a great beverage choice for everybody," says Susan Crane, marketing manager for fluid products, Foremost Farms USA, Baraboo, Wis. "At sampling events I've given a 70-year-old gentleman a glass of chocolate milk and had him come back and say `It was just as good as I remembered.' "

Minneapolis-based Marigold Foods, a division of Wessanen USA, reports strong sales of flavored milks in the wake of a new product introduction. Kemps Half-Pints are sold in a six-pack of plastic 8ounce bottles in both low-fat chocolate and premium whole milk chocolate varieties.

According to Rachel Kyllo, Marigold's vice president of marketing, single-serve milks - including Chugs, Moovers and Half-Pints - are playing directly into the fast-paced lives of most Americans.

"With all of the changing eating habits in America today and consumers eating on the run and in foodservice establishments more than ever, the challenge is in making milk remain a part of their meal occasion," notes Kyllo. "We need to start on the consumer level and really work to find ways to make milk part of America's changing eating habits."

Capitalizing both on the popularity of chocolate milk and the growth of calcium-fortified beverages such as orange juice, Arden Hills, Minn.-based Land O'Lakes has introduced Premium Chocolate Milk with added calcium. Each 8-ounce serving of the whole milk product provides 500 milligrams or 50 percent of the recommended daily value for calcium. The milk comes in half-gallon, quart- and pint-sized cartons and features an on-package cartoon cow holding a glass of chocolate milk.

"The milk arena is one of the most exciting arenas out there because it is changing and even bumping into some other big categories in beverage and snacking," says Chris Policinski, executive vice president and chief operating officer for dairy foods at Land O'Lakes. "Chocolate milk is a wonderful snack item, and added calcium is very important."

Because milk is such a wholesome delivery vehicle, DFA's Williams sees huge potential in producing more value-added milk products. Rather than continually trying to sell existing products, Williams says the industry needs to reach out to consumers with that they need. He points specifically to teen-age girls. Although girls need the calcium more than boys, they tend to consume far less milk than boys.