Yogurt has become a universal snack that attracts global consumers for its innate health and convenience. According to Innova Market Insights, new yogurt product introductions increased 9.3% (compound annual growth rate) from 2012 to 2017.¹ As consumers find more occasions to soak up the nutritional benefits and indulgent flavors, yogurt sales rise. It is predicted that the market volume will increase 11% from 2016 to 2018.²

Investing in nutrition research to increase the understanding of dairy’s impact on the human body and filling knowledge gaps is a priority for the National Dairy Council (NDC). The latest updates show dairy as the ultimate ingredient in product development for delivering high-quality nutrition across the globe.

Nutrition plays an undeniably-important role in child development. A parent’s choice of what foods and beverages to keep in their home goes well beyond choosing healthy options. Their child’s age, stage of development, allergies and intolerances are important elements. In this first piece in a series on how dairy supports different life stages, we are outlining dairy’s role in supporting child development. What better time to explore the benefits of milk and milk-derived ingredients than during the celebrations around World School Milk Day, commonly celebrated the last Wednesday in September each year.

Cheese is the ultimate flavor carrier. The four simple ingredients in cheese — milk, salt, starter culture (good bacteria) and rennet (an enzyme) — make the perfect landscape for countless flavor profiles. One small addition to the formulation and a new cheese is born. This creative ability is used by U.S. cheesemakers to produce more than 600 cheese varieties ranging from soft, fresh options all the way to hard, aged varieties. Food and beverage professionals worldwide are experimenting with these new cheese products to naturally meet diverse consumer tastes.

Products with free-from claims, such as lactose-free, seem to be multiplying overnight. According to Innova Market Insights, 2% of new global product introductions in 2015 included lactose free claims.¹ This number is rising as manufacturers take the opportunity to contribute lactose-free innovations using dairy ingredients.