Vinegar-based functional beverages have been around for centuries. This traditional ingredient is resurfacing in beverages through switchels reappearing on shelves. Thanks to dairy’s nutrition, our take on the Switchel has high-quality protein produced by dedicated U.S. farmers who are focused on animal care and environmental stewardship.

Snack formulations are getting more complex as consumers view snacking as more than a filler between meals. Susan Larson, Associate Researcher at the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, says that even though more consumers snack throughout the day, formulators shouldn’t rush to put product on the shelves without first considering the claims that consumers want most. Successful snacks offer what consumers want for each meal occasion.

U.S. dairy ingredients help address the need for more nutritious and clean label baking.  Dairy’s breadth and depth offer enhancements for bread, cakes, cookies and other bakery applications.  The end result is finished bakery products that meet consumers demand for simpler, recognizable ingredients.

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.

Food and beverage manufacturers have evolved over time to develop many forms of better-for-you foods that not only keep longer, but are tastier and easier to prepare. However, a new movement also requiring food products to have a “clean label” is giving formulators a new challenge to overcome.