U.S. dairy proteins have a reputation as a key ingredient for sports nutrition products. Now, consumers are finding that dairy proteins can go beyond sports nutrition with a whole set of benefits that pertain to all ages and lifestyles. Susan Larson explains how the appeal of dairy proteins is expanding to offer benefits in several key trend areas in the latest Dairy Detective column from Dairy Foods magazine.

Susan Larson, the U.S. Dairy Export Council’s Dairy Detective columnist, explained in a recent article how U.S. permeate is a cost effective solution to reducing sodium in certain foods applications. Specifically, it doesn’t sacrifice the salty taste that is often desired by the consumer palate.

The U.S. dairy industry has continuously harnessed its innovation ingenuity to adapt to shifts in the consumer and market landscape, turning them into new product opportunities. Food scientist, editor and marketer Donna Berry, founder of BerryonDairy.com recently presented on what consumers are seeking from dairy-based foods and beverages.

At this year’s IFT16 show, Elizabeth Crawford from FoodNavigator-USA visited the USDEC booth to find out what opportunities exist for manufacturers when formulating sodium-reduced products to preserve taste, save money on raw materials and increase consumer acceptance. The following are insights from our video discussion on reducing sodium with U.S. permeate.

Food and beverage brands are revisiting their formulas to pin-point undesirable ingredients. Now that clean label has become an industry focus, manufacturers are eliminating chemical-sounding or unrecognizable ingredients from their products. Susan Larson explains how the nutrition and familiarity of dairy makes it a reliable alternative to unwanted ingredients.