Manufacturers are taking notice of consumer desires trending toward healthy and functional food.

U.S. dairy products and ingredients allow manufacturers to develop foods and beverages consumers want through various functional and nutritional benefits, including:

• Specialized functionality and customized performance
• Nutritional enrichment
• Enhanced taste and sensory attributes

Facility extensions as well as equipment and process upgrades are helping boost production rates. For example, new export-focused plants, driers and packing updates are helping ramp up milk powder production. In 2014, U.S. dairy suppliers produced an additional 13,000 metric tons (mt) of whole milk powder, a 40% increase from 2013.

New investments and technology advancements also allowed for more production of high-end and value-added U.S. dairy ingredients, such as whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolates (WPI), milk protein concentrate (MPC) and milk protein isolate (MPI). The production of milk proteins has notably risen by 11,000 mt since 2013. These versatile ingredients are advancing the dairy industry's penetration in health and wellness foods, increasing the appeal to consumers.

Broadening U.S. milk and cheese production is also benefitting food manufacturers, foodservice operators as well as consumers. This includes:

• Rising ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk capacity to meet international demand for shelf stable milk.
• Production of bulk gouda was initiated with the export market in mind
• Lower-salt and lower-moisture cheeses are in development with research underway to extend self-life.

Overall, the U.S. dairy industry offers a secure supply of quality products and ingredients and is eager to build lasting partnerships and accelerate the growth of food and beverage manufacturers and foodservice operators around the world. Visit theProducts page for more information on the wide range of U.S. dairy products available and how they can add taste, functionality, nutrition and consumer appeal to a wide range of food products.