He says dairy has increased because of consumers looking after themselves more during lockdown and spending increasing time at home. “Cheese consumption has risen by 15.7% with more people eating cheese at lunch. Yoghurt sales have risen by 4.1% and butter by 16.1%, particularly block butter sales, due to more people home baking.”

Rob Hutchinson, operations director for Müller, says they had seen strong retail sales during the pandemic. “Cereal consumption is up 8%, which is good for milk sales. The challenge now is to maintain the level of consumption as we come out of lockdown,” he adds.

The panellists, which also included journalist and commentator Chris Walkland and chair John Allen from Kite Consulting, said they were optimistic about the UK dairy industry.

Hutchinson says, “I’m cautiously optimistic about the market outlook. The markets recovered after March last year and the global stock position is lower than we expected coming into this year, which is a good position to be in.”

The exception is cream, which is seeing a big mismatch in the price compared to the EU. This is largely because of Brexit and the extra export health certificates that are now required when exporting fresh products, like cream. Hutchinson adds, “We hope to see the situation improve as there’s no doubt this is having an impact on the cream price.”

Walkland said the outlook was good to firm for most commodities. “Cheddar is firm, mozzarella is firming, butter is good, and powders are okay, but cream is struggling. There are reasons to be optimistic on price, but sober on margins,” he adds.

Dairy-Tech Online is an online event running until 17 February. To view the programme of activity and to register for free go to dairy-tech.uk. You can rewatch the sessions by clicking the ‘rewatch’ tab on the Dairy-Tech website.

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With the world awaiting a vaccine to combat the coronavirus, consumer demand for products and methods to boost the immune system and suppress viral infections is on the rise. The review discusses the following about kefir, the fermented milk made from kefir grains:

• Kefir and kefir derivatives can suppress viral activity by modulating immune-system responses and/or causing disruption of viral adhesion [26,27].
• The antiviral mechanisms of kefir involve enhancement of macrophage production and boosting the activity of proinflammatory cytokines [27].
• Kefir dietaries have anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the activity of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6, meaning the nutrients and various biomolecules produced [27].

“At Lifeway Foods, we are on a mission to keep our communities healthy, and a big part of that mission is educating consumers that good health and immunity starts within the gut,” states Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, Inc. “With viral infections like Covid-19 at the forefront of our minds, it’s important that studies like this continue to educate and demonstrate to people everywhere how probiotic products such as kefir may help mitigate the viral risks we all face. This review builds upon the foundation of Nobel Prize winner Élie Metchnikoff’s research on immunology. Metchnikoff is revered for first discovering the connection between immunity and probiotic fermented milk products, such as kefir, over 100 years ago. Today, we honour his legacy by celebrating the ongoing research and spreading the word about the benefits of probiotics and kefir.”

As the leading US supplier of kefir, Lifeway Kefir is made with 12 active cultures and packed with protein, calcium and Vitamin D. Each product is loaded with probiotics, which research suggests may help to support the microbiome and protect against infections. Additionally, probiotic products such as Lifeway Kefir may help support the body’s response to decrease inflammation.

To learn more about Lifeway and its products, visit: lifewayfoods.com.

To view the full review published in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy Volume 133, visit: Sciencedirect.com.

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The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has taken the decision to alter the format of Dairy-Tech 2021, due to ongoing Covid-19 concerns, by instead hosting a series of online events over a fortnight from 3 February to 17 February.

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Well, after attending the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers policy conference this morning, I can say, I am optimistic. During the first lockdown, the British dairy industry got together and co-operated, mapping the milk supply and capacity throughout the country, so that the spring flush and the removal of the hospitality and catering sectors did not cripple it, according to Nicholar Saphir, the chair of the UK’s Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB). “The UK came through the spring flush in a far better shape than in other European Union countries and America,” he notes.

In addition to mapping the supply, the £1 million (€1.09m) campaign launched earlier this year by Dairy UK, AHDB, dairy processors, Defra, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments, has seen good results. The national dairy TV campaign, the first for 20 years, helped drive an estimated 11.2 million litres of additional liquid milk sales during the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year, as well as raising £100,000 for mental health charities, Dairy UK says.

The UK-wide ‘Milk Your Moments’ campaign ran for 12 weeks from mid-May, and resulted in an additional 212,000 consumers buying milk who would not otherwise have purchased it. This was against a challenging background of milk already being bought by 98% of UK households prior to the pandemic.

Co-operation in this way is what people can do well when faced with such an existential challenge. As the lockdown largely removes the hospitality sector again, it will be tested again, but hopefully we not be found wanting this time either.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

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To get a school open and compliant with the rules for social distancing is a logistical nightmare on a good day, but when there’s an international pandemic, it doesn’t bear thinking about. So much has to be looked at – facilities, ventilation, catering, staff and child safety, to name just a few.

My child is enjoying being back at school and the masks and constant handwashing seem like small prices to pay for the joy of seeing his friends again every day, and learning.

Plus, his teachers don’t yell at him as much as his stressed out parents did during home education, I am sure. Our gratitude cannot be over-expressed for the teachers and administrators working hard to keep the children in school and engaged, while untangling all the new regulations that have to be put in place.

As we all know, school milk is a big part of a many countries’ dairy industries, and having the children back in school where they can drink milk and enjoy it is key to this. The dairy industry is going to have to think outside the box a bit when it comes to things like the UN FAO’s World School Milk Day, which is set for this Wednesday, 30 September.

As it celebrates its 21st anniversary, the events held in more than 25 different countries will have a different feel to it, due to social distancing requirements. But I am sure we will still see a variety of educational celebrations for this very important day in the dairy calendar.

I for one look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with, and hope they can continue to have a few people dressed like cows, no matter where they celebrate World School Milk Day.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

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Over 80% of those surveyed paid attention to freshness and regionality during the lockdown – only half (42.1%), however, increasingly went for low prices.

Almost all regional buyers have a common goal: 96.6% buy local products to support regional agriculture with their purchases. This means that solidarity with local farmers is ahead of the environmental aspect of short transport routes with 78.6%.

“I am particularly pleased that almost all of the respondents stated that they buy regionally in order to support local agriculture. It is immensely important for our farmers to know that there is enormous interest among the population in who produces our food and how,” says managing director Bernhard Pointner.

Statements such as “I think it’s important that the farmers get reasonable prices for their work” and “I buy regionally because small farmers are also important” impress Georg Baumgartner, who is the district chairman of the Bavarian Farmers’ Association. “Sustainable agriculture is not a question of size, but of innovation,” he emphasises.

For him, the results give hope that the dairy industry in the mountain area has a future. Two thirds of the respondents also stated that since the pandemic started, regional and local origins have become even more important to them when it comes to food.

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The coronavirus-induced slump in the food service business had a particularly heavy impact on sales in the Americas division. Despite considerable uncertainties, Emmi remains cautiously optimistic for the full year result.

The markets in the Europe division showed a general trend comparable to that in Switzerland: The decline in convenience-heavy fresh products was offset by strong growth in dairy products and cheese. However, positive impulses for the fresh products segment came from the UK, where Onken yogurts and Emmi Caffè Latte increased. In the cheese segment, higher exports of Swiss cheese to Italy and the Netherlands contributed to organic growth. The Gläserne Molkerei in Germany was able to switch back to growth on the basis of a revised strategy and profited from the increasing demand for organic products. Sales in the Americas division (US, Spain (excluding Lácteos Caprinos), Chile, Brazil, Tunisia, France, Mexico and Canada) were hampered by the slump in the food service business. The total growth of 15.5% compared to the same period of the previous year is essentially due to the acquisitions in Brazil and Chile.

In the first half of 2020, Emmi once again demonstrated that it is solidly positioned. Based on a broadly diversified portfolio and a diversified mix of countries, categories and sales channels, it has so far been possible to successfully defy the Covid-19 crisis.

However, a recovery is currently not in sight in markets that have been severely affected by the pandemic and are important for Emmi, such as the US, Brazil, Mexico and Chile.

Worldwide consumer confidence remains at a low level and recessive economic developments are already a fact in most countries. In the second half of the year, there will also be no positive one-off effects from the first half of the year, while it should take several years for certain sales channels to sustainably recover.

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First, I know where the food is and where the restroom facilities are located. I may this year for the German shows, go to Lidl and Aldi and stock up on wursts and other delightful treats for the duration. Asda and Tesco also carry a decent supply of American goods and my relatives have assured me of a steady stream of US candy treats.

The US’s IDFA has done more than one of these very informative seminars (last one we covered was in the May issue) and I plan to sit down with the Moo University zoom meeting I missed last week, while eating a hotdog and maybe some macaroni and cheese. And nobody will think twice about me eating while watching. See this link: dairy.unl.edu/i-29-moo-university/proceedings.

The European Dairy Association’s autumn meeting was to be held in Madrid. Olé! Manchego cheese and serrano ham to be bought and consumed on 20 November. Check eda.euromilk.org for further information.

Then, there is the issue of leaving the session for a comfort break. Normally, while you are sitting in a conference session, you can almost feel the eyes of the speaker following you while you try to nip out quietly, avoid crashing into the banners placed strategically to showcase the conference/seminar and to open the very squeaky door to the outside, where the hopeful tabletop exhibitors greet you as you try to go find that loo.

In the UK, the delayed PPMA Show 2020 is offering a Meeting Hub to connect those exhibitors with attendees virtually. from 7 September. The hub is free to use and provides a gateway to over 1,500 brands from over 300 PPMA Show 2020 exhibitors. It promises to be the largest single gathering of processing equipment, packaging machinery, robotics, and industrial vision companies throughout the UK, the organisers say. Visit www.ppma.co.uk for further information.

Last but not least, Arena’s Dairy Innovation Summit will be held 13-14 October. I believe that was going to be held in Denmark. Off I go to get the pickled herring and Danish blue cheese. See arena-international.com/dairy for more information.

Also, if there are any virtual (or real life) events I have missed, please feel free to email the details to suzanne@bellpublishing.com.

In order to keep up with industry events, don’t forget to take a look at our Supplier Profiles issue, out this week online and in print. In it, suppliers of ingredients and equipment to the dairy industry offer their latest innovations.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch – Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

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The manager, however, worries about the foodservice sector. This has been a growth area in recent years, with major customers such as hotels and restaurants as well as canteens and schools being supplied. “Due to the pandemic came restrictions, there was virtually no demand overnight. We felt this drastically in sales and earnings,” the CEO said.

Orders in the fresh produce division, which has around 10,000 products in its range, were cut by 50% at the height of the crisis in March and April. In terms of revenues, the decline was as much as 60%. “Something like this is not easy to make up for,” said Berz-List, referring to Schwälbchen’s half-year figures and the outlook for the year as a whole.

In order to save costs, for example a third of the truck fleet has been deregistered at the Mainz sites and in Ilsfeld in Baden-Württemberg.

The dairy business had an increase in sales of around 2% to around €45 million in the first half of the year. Milk processing has also increased by 1.2% to 58 million kilograms of milk.

In the fresh produce division, however, the revenues dropped by around one-third to €34 million. Overall, sales in the group declined in the first six months by 14 % to €80 million compared to the same period last year. According to preliminary figures, the CEO anticipates a negative consolidated result for both the half-year and the year as a whole.

By comparison, the Schwälbchen Group had sales in 2019 of around €184 million and a profit after taxes of €3 million. Much will depend on how the business develops over the next few months, how the out-of-home market will develop for Schwälbchen’s cold drinks and whether there will be a second wave of coronavirus infections with new restrictions after the holiday season.

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Experts across the company and external providers are using remote assistance tools to connect with people at factories and other facilities around the globe. Nestlé reports that this has raised efficiency across operations and allowed experts to support multiple projects at the same time.

Using tools such as remote desktop, smart glasses, 360 degree cameras and 3D software, specialists can advise on complex tasks without needing to travel to the site.

The technology has been used in projects such as the set-up or redesign of factory lines, vital maintenance work and checking equipment with suppliers.

David Findlay, global head of Manufacturing at Nestlé, said: “Protecting our people is a top priority for Nestlé, something that has been clearly demonstrated time and time again during the Covid-19 crisis. The remote support approach isn’t just a response to Covid-19 though. Going forward, remote assistance will become a new way of working. It will increase speed and efficiency in facilities and reduce travel to Nestlé sites, helping us reduce CO2 emissions across our operations. I am extremely proud that our teams have been able to expand our use of remote assistance technology so quickly to ensure we were able to continue to provide technical support. That has kept our factories running smoothly and delivered new investment projects on time.”

According to the company, there are many examples of remote support across Nestlé’s factories and R&D facilities. For example, R&D teams in Switzerland helped to remotely renew existing and install new production lines and technologies for a dairy ready-to-drink (RTD) factory in Navanakorn, Thailand. The factory was completed ahead of schedule.

Thomas Hauser, head of Nestlé Product & Technology Development, said: “To ensure business continuity, we accelerated the use of remote assistance and augmented reality technologies across our global R&D organisation. These innovative technologies enabled our experts to provide support to our factories worldwide for critical activities such as the new set-up of production lines, as well as new equipment start-up, helping us to ensure that new product launches were delivered on time to consumers.”

Nestlé engineers say they are continuously scouting for and prototyping emerging technologies. They had already established virtual reality capabilities, and remote guidance had been used with limited scope on several projects.

With restrictions on travel, quarantine measures and the need to maintain distancing on-site with the spread of Covid-19, the need for this innovative approach increased.

“While we were able to quickly activate augmented reality remote support as part of our global Covid-19 IT response, this was not an overnight fix. It is based on our disciplined, forward-looking approach to innovation throughout our operations,” said Filippo Catalano, Nestlé Group CIO.

Nestlé is transforming its operations by further digitalising its supply chains and manufacturing. The company’s goal is to create a competitive edge through data, artificial intelligence, automation and predictive analytics.

To watch Nestlé’s video on remote factory assistance, click here.

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Additionally, there will be a national campaign to encourage people to eat more healthily and lose weight. GPs will also be encouraged to prescribe exercise and will be offered incentives to provide help for people who are obese.

I did see this and think, so what’s new then? Successive governments have launched campaigns against obesity, but since Boris Johnson’s brush with death, perhaps he is thinking on this again. But is there anything new in this idea?

Not really. This most recent version has been on the cards since 2015 and PM Theresa May installed a sugar levy. But this ban on advertising seems to have little effect, according to the Advertising Association: “Children’s exposure to high fat, salt, and sugar adverts on TV has fallen by 70% over the last 15 years or so, but there’s been no change to obesity, so we don’t think these measures are going to work,” Sue Eustace of the organisation told the BBC.

The health secretary Matt Hancock says that the virus has given the government a wakeup call and this may be true. However, the issue becomes one of money and access to healthy food. The British government has been busy cutting public health budgets at councils through decreased overall funding over the past decade. And, if you’re unemployed, your priority is probably be going to filling your stomachs, never mind with what you can fill it with.

We have also seen the ham-handed efforts of government guidelines, where fruited yogurts and flavoured milkshakes have been lumped in with sweets and fizzy drinks, when the former two offer far more nutrition at low cost than the latter items. The idea of reducing sugar on the face of it seems like a good idea, but the law of unforeseen consequences kicks in, and the baby is thrown out with the bathwater.

So, while I applaud the news, I approach it with the caution of having seen this show before and knowing that we will be here again. I only hope dairy will be shown as the healthy, useful part of the diet that it is, when the inevitable recommendations are published.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

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Ornua reported a satisfactory trading performance with turnover up by 10% reaching £354 million, corresponding to a sales volume increase of 10%. This, according to the business, reflected its commitment to following a clear and consistent strategy to deliver stability in what continues to be a highly challenging and volatile market environment. Business strategy focused on driving continuous improvement, delivering best in class category expertise and support to customers, building a strong own-label and branded product portfolio and optimising experience in dairy commodities.

The results for the company show a pre-tax profit of £4.1 million (2018: £6.8 million). 2019 saw investment in a significant business transformation programme, which led to a reduction in profit for the year but which the company says will be instrumental in driving future efficiencies and economies of scale. 2019 also saw reduced returns from traded commodities, which were largely offset by a strong underlying performance in the core business. The latter reportedly being driven by a better customer mix, branded sales and an ongoing focus on rigorous cost control and efficiencies. The full year effect of several new business wins in 2019 and the capital investment programmes undertaken is expected to be reflected in future years.

The company has net assets of £35.7 million, up 12.3% at the balance sheet date.

During 2019, the company continued to make a strong level of investment in capital expenditure and marketing. Capital expenditure included further investment in industry leading cheese cutting and packing technology and a strategic investment in a significant systems upgrade. In addition, the business continued to invest heavily in multi-channel marketing campaigns for both its Pilgrims Choice and Kerrygold brands. A new creative execution of Pilgrims Choice’s ‘The Cheese of Your Dreams’ TV and online advertising campaign was successfully undertaken during the year. This reportedly generated a high level of consumer engagement and helped reinforce Pilgrim Choice’s position as the clear No.2 Cheddar brand in the UK.

Commenting on the 2019 results, Bill Hunter, managing director of Ornua Foods UK, said: “The 2019 financial results reflect a strong underlying performance in our core business. This was driven by a better customer mix, branded sales and an ongoing focus on rigorous cost control and efficiencies. While the full year effect of several new business wins secured in 2019 and the major investment made during the year in a business transformation programme will be reflected in future years.

“Looking forward, we believe that our ongoing investment in both our state-of-the-art packing facility in Leek and our Pilgrims Choice and Kerrygold brands will continue to give the company a competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

Post the year end, the new financial year has witnessed the Covid-19 pandemic which is having a major impact on both public health and the wider economy. Ornua says that its number one priority is doing everything it can to ensure the health and wellbeing of its staff while at the same time, ensuring as much resilience as possible in its business and supply chain to mitigate against potential disruption.

Operationally, Ornua says its biggest challenge is to keep its supply chain operating to ensure markets remain open to serve its customers at a time of great uncertainty. The demand for core retail customer cheese and butter lines has been strong and, despite the significant challenges that Covid-19 has presented to all in the supply chain, the business reports that it has been able to maintain its service and quality levels.

Commenting on post year-end trading and the impact of Covid-19, Hunter added: “In the light of Covid-19 our key focus has been to do everything we can to ensure the health and wellbeing of our staff. At the same time, we have taken steps to build as much resilience as possible into our business operations and supply chain. To date, demand for our core retail cheese and butter lines has been strong. I’m also pleased to be able to report that, thanks to the hard work and commitment of our staff, allied with the close collaboration and support of our customers and supply partners, we have been able to maintain our service and quality levels.”

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The Austrian dairies handled over 289,435 tons of raw milk from suppliers in May.

Milk deliveries were 1.1% below the same month last year. Since August 2019 it has been observed that the monthly milk delivery was always slightly above the comparable period of the previous year, this trend was interrupted with the May delivery.

Company-specific programmes and calls from processors to cut back on milk deliveries are now being seen in the supply chain. Production at the Austrian dairies adapts to the changed demand due to the coronavirus crisis. Simultaneously with increasingly strict coronavirus measures and the subsequent lock-down, the Austrian milk supply reached its peak (in May) due to the season. Dairies and cheese factories appealed to their suppliers to cut milk deliveries in March.

The catering sector and wholesale trade, as important buyers of dairy products, have completely disappeared with the lockdown and exports have also partially come to a standstill. By shifting production in response to changing demand, the local dairies were able to process the milk into non-perishable products.

The production adjustment is evident in the drinking milk area. The big winner in the drinking milk segment is UHT milk (long-life milk). In March an increase of 49% was recorded compared to the same month in the previous year; production rose 39% in April and 11% in May. This was due to stock purchases due to the Covid-19 spread.

The production of fresh milk developed in completely the opposite direction, since the accumulated household supplies of UHT milk and other products bought in stock also had to be used up again. As early as March, the volume of fresh milk sold around 8% less than in the same month of the previous year. In April the production of fresh milk was reduced again (-12%) and in May, production was down by 17% compared to the previous year. In May 2020, it was around 4.3 million kg.

Sour cream and soft cheese showed growth in production in all three spring months compared to the same period in the previous year. Sour cream production rose particularly sharply in March by 25%) and May (+ 20%).

The largest production plus for soft cheese was recorded in March (+ 19%). It was not only fresh milk that was negatively affected by the redistribution, sweet cream and hard cheese were also among the losers.

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I felt the same when I read about how the cost of travel insurance is going up, as now that when British people are travelling to the Continent, we’re no longer in the EU and so will need extra medical coverage. And when I see the US coronavirus numbers keep soaring (one of my siblings lives in Florida and has been taking proper precautions forever, while trying to avoid those who aren’t – they cycle a lot), despite months of dealing with this. No visits back to the homeland anytime soon for us. The result is that we’re staying home in London this summer.

Which might be the best place for us as we all struggle to put ourselves back into the world after the very big event, while still remaining safe. My big outing these days is either to the docks for open water swimming, or to the local lido, which just opened up. And we’re all getting haircuts. It feels like a scary adventure now, rather than a chore.

It seems I am not alone in feeling like this, as the EDA Dairy Flash reports that national measures by EU countries have been increasing during the pandemic, including “name and blame” websites for dairy imports in Poland, and the Bulgarian law obliging the retail sector to source 90% of all dairy products at national level. Not to mention the French call for food patriotism and milk origin labelling decree.

On the face of it, very noble ideas, but not exactly tying in with the EU single market principle, as one European Parliament Member pointed out recently. Then again, what do you do with your national dairy industry, when a large chunk of its revenue disappears overnight because of the shutdown in catering, restaurants, hospitality and aviation? How do you keep farmers and processors in business and still provide products for people to eat using a completely domestic market?

These are a just a few of the things people are dealing with, while trying to square the circle that is the post-pandemic world. And unfortunately, I have no answers for this one. Have a good week.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

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Table courtesy of Hochwald

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As part of the £1 million joint-funded dairy marketing campaign, the new advert features personalities from past TV adverts as early back as the ’60s, alongside some new faces in a final ‘cheers’ to celebrate the journey we have all been on and look to the future.

The new advert aids to highlight how dairy has a key part to play in how the UK has connected over the decades and in current times – whether that’s been through a cup of tea with a friend, giving a pint of milk to a neighbour or a virtual pizza party to stay in touch with loved ones during the lockdown.

The advert aired on Wednesday 1 July, with spots on shows such as Emmerdale, Saturday Morning with James Martin and Sunday Brunch Bake Off: The Professionals, and forms part of the 12-week Milk Your Moments campaign launched by AHDB, Dairy UK, Defra, Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to deal with the impact of coronavirus.

AHDB strategy director for Dairy, Paul Flanagan, said: “We are delighted to be part of the dairy industry’s first TV advert in 20 years. Our farmers have really got behind the campaign across social media and they are now counting down the days to seeing us back on TV.

“These last few months have been really challenging for the dairy sector and the £1m dairy marketing campaign has played a big role in helping to promote the sector and reminding consumers of the important role dairy plays in our lives.”

Dairy UK chief executive, Dr Judith Bryans, commented: “The iconic dairy ads of the past have given us some pretty big shoes to fill, but this is the perfect time for us to be back reminding our consumers that we have always been and will continue to be a part of their special moments of connection, even in these uncertain times.

“Circumstances notwithstanding, it’s great to be back on live TV again and to have the chance to reach out to so many people with our messages, and to let them know we’re still here providing them with the great tasting, nutritious products they love.”

The Milk Your Moments campaign was led by the dairy industry in partnership with UK Government to support Mind, the mental health charity who launched an emergency appeal to ensure that no one has to face a mental health crisis alone during this unprecedented time.

On social media, consumers are prompted to share their own moments of connection, and to visit milkyourmoments.co.uk where visitors can receive an inspirational moment of connection to make a real-world connection while being physically apart.

The new TV advert will air for 14 days and can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/vCVZb_OcRK4.

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The most important growth driver in the past financial year was the ingredients division with an increase of 24.7%, mainly driven by the sale of organic lactose and whey derivatives, especially to manufacturers of baby food (organic products and derivatives increased in sales by 21.4% to 23,800 tons (organic lactose even increased by 58%) and a flourishing international business. The division’s export quota is now 67.2%.

The whey powder business was dampened in the second half of the year by the slump in demand from China due to swine fever.
With an increase in sales of 3%, the fresh produce area developed satisfactorily overall. Due to the drop in prices, especially for butter, cream and low-fat curd cheese, sales in this division were 2.7% below the previous year.

The completion of the new 35,000 tons hard cheese production dairy in Jessen and other construction measures on site proved to be challenges. Among other things, the delayed commissioning of the hard cheese factory and the high-bay warehouse had caused considerable additional costs, which had a negative impact on the 2019 result.

Efficiency increases and financing at the expense of liquidity cushioned the additional costs in Jessen to such an extent that they did not have an impact on the balance sheet.

The target output of 100 tons/day in Jessen has been reliably achieved since April, so that the location now has an annual throughput of 500 million kg.

As a dairy with a strong share of sales and exports in out-of-home consumption, BMI’s business suffers from the coronavirus pandemic: for a time, a large part of sales of fresh products and cheese came to a complete standstill; prices plummeted and several plants hardly had any orders left. This situation could only be partially compensated for by the significantly increased demand in the food retail sector.

The two freshness and cheese divisions have been recovering rapidly since mid-May. Despite all the uncertainties, the BMI anticipates an increase in sales of around €700 million for the full year.

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According to the Emmentaler AOP variety organisation, the corona crisis in Italy increasingly led to more grocery shopping, while sales in gastronomy suffered. At Emmentaler AOP, the decrease in April was 9.5% compared to the same month last year.

The Gruyère AOP export cheese was down by 16.2% in April. However, due to the good sales from January to March, both types of cheese are still up over the previous year.

For Appenzeller, there was a 25% drop in April compared to the previous year and a drop of 2.6% over the first four months.

Tilsiter, Raclette, Vacherin fribourgeois AOP and Sbrinz AOP also lost quantities in April, as did the segment of “other semi-hard cheeses with over 45% fat in the dry matter” and “other semi-hard cheeses with full fat”, each with a drop 21.6% and a decrease of 31% .

Only the large hole cheese Switzerland Swiss was able to increase by 50.8% in April, and it was up by 6.8% over the first four months.

In processed cheese, export growth was 37.2% in April and 12.3% in the first four months.

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But as in many other cases, online events are taking over from the real events and on 17 June, Bechtel Dairy in Germany is taking in the online version of Parentum 2020. The dairy’s online crew looks forward to seeing young people of professional age and their parents online. For four hours, they can talk to dairy personnel in a video chat and find out more about the dairy’s training opportunities.

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