As consumers’ interest in health and wellness foods continues to climb, how to deliver nourishing products that are simultaneously delicious, enjoyable and convenient becomes a challenge and opportunity for food formulators. The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) recently announced two innovation partnerships with leading institutions in China and Southeast Asia aimed at meeting the needs and desires of local consumers across life stages, from youth to adults to seniors.

Two emerging nutritional approaches are increasingly being adopted by athletes to optimize health, performance and recovery according to Dr. Jeff Volek, PhD, RD. Unique qualities of whey protein make it an ideal protein source to consume for athletes, especially around workouts. This nicely compliments a low-carbohydrate diet which is found to accelerate use of fat or fuel well beyond what can be achieved with training.

USDEC’s website ThinkUSAdairy.org is now accessible in four additional languages: Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese (accessed from the ThinkUSAdairy homepage). These international language sites offer extensive resources similar to their English counterpart, opening up a breadth of knowledge and tools to new audiences around the globe, including in China, Vietnam, Latin America and the Middle East.

Will China’s transition to a two-child policy usher in a new baby boom? Time will tell, but in the meantime China’s southern neighbor, Vietnam, is ripe with opportunity boasting a population of 13 million children, aged 8 years and younger.

The United States is little known for its cheese production and supply by chefs and culinary professionals but with China’s growing appetite for cheese and the help of premium food trade shows like World of Food Beijing (Nov. 18-20), the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) saw a perfect opportunity to gather representatives from China’s bourgeoning foodservice sector to showcase the expansive cheese selection from the United States.