Mark Schneider, CEO, has decided to relinquish his roles as CEO and member of the board of directors. Over his eight years with the company, he has actively shaped the company’s portfolio, in line with Nestlé’s strategy and with a focus on high-growth categories like coffee, pet care and nutritional health products, according to the company.

Freixe joined Nestlé in France in 1986. Since then, he has continuously progressed within the company, assuming various positions of increasing responsibility across different businesses, markets and sones. He successfully managed Zone Europe during the financial and economic crisis, from 2008 until 2014. He then took over as CEO of Zone Americas, where he accelerated growth. Following the creation of Nestlé’s new Zone structure in 2022, Laurent Freixe was named CEO Zone Latin America, where he has been successfully leading through challenging conditions.

Freixe has been a member of the executive board for 16 years and, as such, has played an important role in strengthening the strategic direction of the company and its portfolio. With his profound understanding of Nestlé’s culture and values, he has led several global corporate initiatives to improve productivity, increase operational efficiency, simplify processes and drive innovation. Additionally, Freixe has been active  in the Nestlé leadership and training programmes as well as the Nestlé Needs YOUth initiative, which promotes youth employment.

Paul Bulcke, chairman of the doard of directors, says, “I have known Laurent for a long time and highly regard him as a talented leader with strategic acumen, extensive in-market experience and expertise as well as a deep understanding of markets and consumers. He has demonstrated his ability to deliver results in challenging market conditions. Laurent’s curiosity fuels his passion for innovation and positive change. Laurent is the perfect fit for Nestlé at this time. Under his leadership, Nestlé will further strengthen its position as a dependable, reliable company through consistent and sustainable value creation.”

Bulcke continues, “I would also like to express our gratitude to Mark for his significant contributions to Nestlé and for his outstanding, steady leadership in turbulent times. Mark has been instrumental in the great progress we have made on our sustainability agenda. We extend our best wishes to him in all his professional and personal endeavours.”

Freixe says, “I am privileged to have been given the opportunity to continue building and strengthening Nestlé, and I am excited to take on this responsibility. There will always be challenges, but we have unparalleled strengths, such as iconic brands and products, an unmatched global presence, leading innovation and execution capabilities, and above all, exceptional people and teams. We can strategically position Nestlé to lead and win everywhere we operate.”

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Checkoff organisations Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), National Dairy Council (NDC), Innovation Center for US Dairy, US Dairy Export Council, Newtrient, GENYOUth and the 16-team state and regional network are joined by MilkPEP to collectively elevate awareness and understanding of dairy’s contributions to the 1,000-day period.

“We identified a topic that’s of pressing concern and interest among thought leader audiences and consumers and has very strong dairy science behind it,” says Heather Oldani, head of marketing communications and affairs for DMI. “This is a collective effort that has different avenues for individual organizations within the dairy community to participate. Everyone will add a drop into the bucket and those drops will create an ocean effect for a bigger awareness and impact in the marketplace.”

The strategies include media partnerships, where national magazine Good Housekeeping and the USA Today newspaper will each publish two articles in September, introducing readers to the science-backed importance of the first 1,000 days. Follow-up articles will discuss key nutrients needed during pregnancy that are found in dairy. This campaign through October, includes print ads and social media promotions through Good Housekeeping and USA Today’s channels.

Another area is social media, where the checkoff and MilkPEP will engage social media influencers to share relevant content with their followers. These influencers, including young parents, will discuss the role of dairy in their experiences, post recipes featuring dairy, and offer tips for incorporating more milk, cheese and yogurt into family meals. Additionally, NDC Ambassador Marina Chaparro, a paediatric dietitian, will promote dairy’s role in brain health through her channels and bilingual Nutrachicos site, which includes a free course on feeding toddlers. Ryann Kipping, a notable prenatal nutritionist on Instagram and TikTok, also will highlight dairy’s importance during the first 1,000 days. MilkPEP will also work with three credentialed experts to share the message with the media and consumers in August.

Further, NDC has launched a multi-year initiative with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to develop a nutrition education programme for paediatricians and paediatric trainees. NDC is also collaborating with WIC to help educate about dairy’s role as a key component of maternal health and early childhood wellness. NDC will continue to engage health organisations such as the National Medical Association and will be at AAP’s annual meeting in October, which expects 6,000 paediatricians in attendance. Additionally, through the checkoff’s Mayo Clinic collaboration, dairy-focused nutrition content is featured on Mayo Clinic Press’ website as well as on a dedicated Parenting Hub, including information specific to the first 1,000 days.

Another area for the checkoff is via its Undeniably Dairy channels. Stories at USDairy.com such as Dairy Foods for Infant Brain Development and Cognition and Top Benefits of Dairy For Cognitive Development in Infancy will be shared via Facebook, X and Instagram. Video content also will be posted on TikTok in an “edu-tainment” style to address questions about what foods to eat during pregnancy and after birth.

Megan Maisano, director of nutrition and regulatory affairs for NDC, is confident this collective strategy will resonate with health professionals and consumers given its solid scientific foundation. She notes an AAP statement identifying 14 essential nutrients for early brain development, with dairy providing seven of them.

“At the end of the day, every parent and care provider just wants their child to reach their full potential and do better than the generation before,” Maisano says. “Good nutrition during pregnancy, lactation and early childhood plays a foundational role in enabling a child to grow, learn and thrive. Dairy is an affordable, accessible food group that contributes really important nutrients, especially in those early years.”

For information about the dairy checkoff, visit www.usdairy.com/for-farmers.

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In a market where consumers are highly focused on value, health concerns remain a powerful purchase driver. In the US, 51% of cheese consumers are attracted to products with on-pack health claims, while 38% of those in Spain and Italy say they would buy a product that offers a nutritional benefit.¹

With 42% of consumers globally saying that protein is the most important ingredient², boosting its content in cheese is one of the best strategies to improve nutritional status and allow health claims.

Now Arla Foods Ingredients has launched two new recipe concepts that showcase how its solutions can meet both these needs. Based on high-quality dairy ingredients, they allow manufacturers to swap out milk fat in favour of healthy milk proteins, as well as increasing calcium content.

A new cream cheese concept offers creamy texture and taste despite containing 50% less fat than standard recipes. Rich in high-quality whey proteins thanks to the inclusion of Nutrilac^® QU-7650 and CH-4560, it delivers all the essential amino acids.

Meanwhile, a low-fat solution for individually wrapped cheese slices uses the fat-mimicking proteins in Nutrilac^® FO-7065 to reduce the need for skimmed milk cheese. Also containing milk mineral concentrate Capolac^®, a single 20g slice contains as much calcium as a large glass of milk. 

Claus Bukbjerg Andersen, senior category manager, cheese at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “Cheese consumers are highly focused on nutritional value, in particular protein content. At the same time, they still want indulgent taste and texture. While this has posed challenges for manufacturers, it has also opened up new opportunities. As our new concepts demonstrate, the right ingredients can give a cheese product a major nutrition boost, creating opportunities for health claims without sacrificing on taste or texture.”

The new concepts are showcased in five new Arla Foods Ingredients videos, available at https://webinar.arlafoodsingredients.com/dairy

¹ Mintel ‘The Future of Cheese’, 2023

² Innova ‘Top Ten Trends Opportunities for 2024’

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National Dairy Council (NDC) and Chartwells K12, which serves more than 2 million meals daily at 700 U.S. school districts, have launched the Hot Chocolate Milk programme in 58 schools. The pilot, which will run through the end of the school year, features chocolate milk – with toppings such as cinnamon and peppermint – served hot during breakfast and lunch. 

NDC began working with Chartwells K12 last year on a dairy-based smoothie programme, which is available to all Chartwells schools following a successful pilot. 

Lisa Hatch, vice president of business development for NDC’s school channel, said the smoothie programme’s success led to a “what’s the next big thing?” discussion between the partners. They focused on hot chocolate, which had a global market size valued at $3.8 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow to $5.77 billion by 2030. Additionally, chocolate is the second most popular beverage flavour on TikTok with more than 10.1 million views related to #ChocolateDrink. 

Hatch said some state and regional checkoff teams already have successful hot chocolate strategies in place. She said those programmes on average experienced 14% increases of milk sales and an 11% jump in breakfast participation. 

“We’re always investigating opportunities to enhance the school milk experience, which is where the smoothie pilot came from,” Hatch said. “That led us to looking at trends and hot chocolate surfaced the same way smoothies did. And looking at the state and regional hot chocolate programmes, the results were very impressive.” 

Chartwells K12 is optimistic hot chocolate milk will be popular among students and can help increase overall meal participation in schools. 

“The popularity of specialty beverages is on the rise, and we’re bringing a healthy option to meet that demand in school cafeterias,” said Lindsey Palmer, a registered dietitian who serves as vice president of nutrition and industry relations for Chartwells K12. “With our new Hot Chocolate Milk concept, students can enjoy a fun, warm beverage that is packed with essential nutrients, making it a delicious and healthy treat to help kids power through their day.” 

Katie Bambacht, vice president of nutrition affairs for NDC, said research shows chocolate milk is the most popular milk choice in schools and leads to higher total milk consumption and better overall diet quality. Flavoured milk offers the same 13 essential nutrients as white milk and she feels this partnership will provide a much-needed boost to schools, which struggle to get students to eat breakfast. 

“School feeding programs are faced with numerous priorities, and dairy innovation isn’t always top of mind,” Bambacht said. “If we’re not doing it, I don’t think anyone would. We play a critical role in bringing these best practices and case studies to help assure that milk appeals to students as part of school menus. 

“Schools are only reaching half of the kids at breakfast that they’re reaching at lunch, so there is a big gap in participation and these programmes have been shown to drive participation. Anything we can do to provide simple options such as heating up chocolate milk may help increase participation and milk consumption.” 

Schools participating in the pilot programme received a Hot Chocolate Milk kit provided by NDC through Hubert, a foodservice equipment manufacturer. The kit includes a transport cart with branded panels, an insulated beverage dispenser, a digital thermometer and more. 

To learn more about the dairy checkoff, www.usdairy.com.

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The surge in sales in the US in 2023 of cottage cheese, for example, shows how success can come from breathing new life into a traditional food. Brands focused on few and simple ingredients, new snackable formats, creative and interesting tastes, kept the simple promise of protein at the centre of the offering and marketed creatively through social media – the medium that is now the mainstream media for consumers under the age of 40.

As a result, cottage cheese sales in the US in 2023 were up 16.6%, measured in dollars, to a total of $1.3 billion, and grew 4.7% by volume. This remarkable achievement was against the backdrop of hefty price rises that left most categories in the supermarket with flat or falling volumes. And in case you are wondering, no plant-based dairy alternative category came anywhere close to this level performance. In fact, most plant-based categories experienced volumes flat or down, with sales in the tiny plant-based cheese niche (it accounts for 1% of the US market) falling for the second year in a row.

If you look at the progress of the kefir category in the UK you can see similar lessons at work. In 2023 Biotiful, the market leader with a 50% share, increased sales of its drinkable kefir by 21%, to €40 million, achieving this even while sales of most dairy drinks were flat and even plant milk sales dipped. The brand has few and simple ingredients, a strong authenticity and puts digestive wellness (along with protein one of consumers most-sought benefits) at the centre of its proposition. Taste is excellent and marketing is creative. And by the way, privately-owned Biotiful is profitable, and has been since 2015, it has received only modest investment and retains its high market share despite being in competition with dairy giant Arla. It’s the disciplined focus on re-making a traditional product that gives the results.

It’s the same story that you find with the rise of Greek yogurt, skyr and many other dairy foods, where creative brands have taken a traditional style of food and reinvented it for a modern consumer, without losing the integrity of the original product. It’s what the dairy industry does better than any other.

Here is a five-point checklist for a successful traditional dairy foods reinvented strategy:

1. Taste, texture – the mild taste of cottage cheese and its soft texture make it acceptable to most people. It can be matched with anything, sweet or savoury. It can be a snack in its own right, it can be put it on bread, with pasta, with fruit, spices or herbs and be used as an ingredient in a wide range of dishes. Greek yogurt, when it debuted in the US 15 years ago, provided a step-change in the consumer’s experience of taste and texture and that simple fact was one of the rapid drivers of success for the category.
2. Versatility, convenience – good taste and texture make cottage cheese a versatile food. But brands have also worked hard to snackify it, moving from mostly selling large family-size tubs to single-serve products with a range of flavours.
3. Health trend connections – consumers have a continuing and unshakeable interest in protein. If you can offer something that is also low in sugar that makes it interesting for people who want to manage their weight or reduce it. Cottage cheese is also low in fat and has lower calorie credentials. Kefir has digestive wellness credentials, which health forward consumers can learn about from social media, such that no health claim is needed. Dairy products – Greek, skyr, cottage cheese, kefir – at their best also have short ingredient lists that aligns with the “Naturally Functional” mega-trend. What most people want, more than anything else, is for their foods to be naturally functional – to provide a benefit that’s intrinsic to the food. Given the choice they will always select a product that they believe is naturally functional over one with an added, science-based, science-sounding ingredient.
4. New and credible benefits – in the US, the Good Culture cottage cheese brand not only scores on all of the points above, it has brought a new benefit to the category which is both a) credible to the consumer in a dairy product and b) aligned with the most important key trends. Good Culture also offers the benefits of probiotics, with their strong association with digestive wellness. This means that consumers can get their digestive benefits from a new category (and not just yogurt) and one which, because its fresh dairy, is a credible place to find that ingredient and benefit. Good Culture was rewarded with the biggest growth rate of any cottage cheese brand in 2023, with sales up 57% by value to and 31.2% by volume.
5. Affordability – most dairy products are affordable for most consumers, something that is particularly important now and will be for the next three to five years as consumer budgets tighten.

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There’s no doubt that it has been another tumultuous year on the world stage – and consumers are feeling the burden. But people are taking positive action, turning to nutrition as a source of comfort and control – opening up a wealth of opportunities for brands to empower consumers to make healthier decisions in challenging times.  

The five key trends shaping consumer habits in the specialised adult nutrition sector are: 

1. Securing the future, sustainably. In 2024, the nutrition landscape is shaped by a growing demand for sustainability – 48% of consumers have made changes to their diets and lifestyles in the last 12 months to behave in a more sustainable manner, according to FMCG Gurus research. But scepticism looms – 47% of consumers doubt brands’ environmental claims and 49% fear greenwashing, Euromonitor notes. With so many nuances and potential pitfalls, manufacturers need to do everything they can to ensure the sustainability claims they make are backed up by robust, tangible data to ensure long-term business success.
2. Nutrition for all. Our nutritional needs are shaped by our age, sex, genetics, lifestyle and so much more. In 2024, consumers will increasingly understand their unique nutritional needs – and seek tailored solutions to meet them. With 25% of global consumers saying there is a lack of available products that meet their nutritional requirements, according to FMCG Gurus, there’s huge opportunity for brands to develop tailored nutritional applications that meet consumers’ specific, and currently unmet, needs.
3. Alt proteins go global. Plant-based is no longer the new kid on the block. In 2024, more and more consumers are seeking out meat and dairy alternatives as part of their increasingly flexitarian diets, FMCG notes. It’s a promising avenue for innovation, but plant-based products need to be as good as their dairy counterparts, both in taste and nutritional quality. Alternative proteins, like those created through precision fermentation, also have the potential to shake up the market, but there is work to be done to dispel myths and inform consumers.
4. Going beyond via the gut. By now, the links between physical and mental health are undeniable in the minds of most consumers. Not only do 41% define good mental well-being as feeling active and energetic, analysts Mintel state, a whopping 80% of consumers say they work out to support their emotional health. Today’s consumers increasingly recognise how the gut affects more than just digestion; it’s a prime area for improving immune, brain and muscle health. Brands can capitalise on this by taking a holistic, full mind and body approach to their gut health solutions.
5. Ageing and recovering well. In 2024, people are taking a more proactive approach to their health, and this statement rings especially true for older populations, who are increasingly looking to age healthily to keep doing what they love for longer. Older consumers are focusing on how their diets can provide them with the support they need to live healthier and be active for longer. But nutrition isn’t always proactive and sometimes, we need high-quality nutrients, like protein, to support muscle maintenance and help us recover from illness. Recent innovations in medical nutrition are leveraging muscle-boosting ingredients typically associated with sports and active nutrition, to support those who need it the most.

“Our world is an uncertain one right now – but amid the confusion, consumers are increasingly looking to manage something they can control: their nutrition,” says Vicky Davies, global marketing director, performance, active and medical nutrition. “People are taking positive action on what matters most to them, whether that’s the environmental impact of their food and nutrition choices, getting a better night’s sleep or setting a new personal best at the gym. There is so much opportunity to provide consumers with the nutrition they need to live as well as possible.” 

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Maintaining muscle mass is crucial for patient recovery, but with 1 in 4 people admitted to hospital suffering from disease-related malnutrition, this can present a challenge for healthcare providers. Improving patient adherence to medical nutrition programs is another focus for healthcare providers and one where medical nutrition companies are ideally placed to support, leading to positive patient outcomes.

Tackling the whey challenge 

Liquid oral nutritional supplements have traditionally been developed with casein proteins as these high-quality proteins naturally tolerate high-heat treatments. However, whey protein is higher in leucine and is more quickly digested than casein, resulting in faster and higher levels of blood plasma leucine and other essential amino acids.

Formulating medical nutritional supplements with whey protein has historically been challenging as most whey proteins are irreversibly denatured and polymerized into aggregates or gels when heated to high temperatures – a process which is required for creating stable oral nutritional supplements. FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ Nutri Whey ProHeat solves this challenge by leveraging a patent-pending microparticulation process. Microparticulation is achieved by thermal treatment forming small aggregates, ensuring the whey proteins’ stability under high heat treatment conditions. This means end products formulated with Nutri Whey ProHeat benefit from superior sensory properties such as a low viscosity and neutral pH alongside a clean taste from high-quality Dutch whey, which can support patient adherence, while also giving patients access to the additional nutritional benefits of whey protein.

Nutri Whey ProHeat supports formulations with up to 15% protein from whey and casein protein in a 2 kcal/ml solution. Thanks to this advanced ingredient, brands around the globe can leverage the nutritional power of whey to enhance patient recovery with appealing oral nutritional supplements.

Vicky Davies, global senior marketing director, Performance, Active & Medical Nutrition at FrieslandCampina Ingredients comments, “At FrieslandCampina Ingredients, we’re driven by our mission to help people get the most out of life, always. This means helping people recover faster from illness or surgery so they can get back to doing what they love. Our latest ingredient innovation presents a big leap forward for medical nutrition and will enable manufacturers to provide patients with the unrivalled nutritional benefits of whey protein in an appealing, drinkable format. By using our unparalleled technological and applications expertise, we’ve been able to create a highly nutritious ingredient that will unlock new innovations in medical nutrition.”

To learn more about Nutri Whey ProHeat and FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ protein application expertise, visit the FrieslandCampina Ingredients website. To discover the company’s Nutri Whey ProHeat Complete Nutrition Drink application, click here.

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Commenced on 20 November 2023, the pilot initiative will provide fortified flavoured milk for 10,000 children in Yemen once a day on school days, seeking to improve the nutritional intake and the health of pupils whilst incentivising school attendance. The pilot will target an estimated 20 schools in the Taiz governorate.

Under the scope of the initiative:

• HSA Group is producing UHT milk in local facilities which is fortified with micronutrients and vitamins based on local nutritional deficiencies.
• Tetra Pak is supplying Tetra Brik Aseptic® 125 packaging, ensuring that the product remains fresh for up to 12 months and thus maximising the distribution time window. As a result, the impact of transport challenges, which are common in Yemen due to damaged infrastructure, will be reduced.
• HSA Group’s Humanitarian Development Program (HDP) will manage the distribution of milk to schools and coordinate with relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Education and the United Nations’ nutrition cluster, administered by UNICEF and the WFP.
• HDP will also liaise with schools on storage needs and food safety, engage communities through awareness campaigns, and oversee the monitoring and evaluation of the project.
• Schools are also using this initiative to raise awareness about the importance of recycling. Children will be taught about the impact of waste on the environment and how waste can be managed sustainably.
• The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is conducting an impact assessment study to understand the impact of the initiative on the educational and health outcomes of children.

HSA Group and Tetra Pak have been partners for over 20 years and share a passionate commitment to the wellbeing of the Yemeni people. The initiative will be Tetra Pak’s first school milk initiative in Yemen.

Looking ahead, HSA Group and Tetra Pak will continue to ensure access to safe nutrition for Yemeni children as well as improve the food value chain in Yemen by increasing opportunities for small-holder farmers to develop their businesses, earn income and improve their livelihoods. Phase two of this initiative will involve innovating to create affordable nutritious, dairy and cereal-based beverage formulations for school feeding programmes across Yemen.

By leveraging their combined product development and manufacturing capabilities, HSA Group and Tetra Pak are driving forward the production of new affordable and nutritious products for schoolchildren in need.

Hisham Ali Mohamed Saeed, deputy managing director for the FMCG Strategic Business Unit at HSA Yemen said: “Yemen’s young people are disproportionately affected by the ongoing food security crisis in the country, with more than 2.2 million Yemeni children currently suffering from acute malnutrition.

“We are proud to support this transformative project which aims to alleviate the burden of these challenges on young people, supporting them as they grow both physically and intellectually. This initiative also has the potential to improve the income and livelihoods of small-scale dairy farmers, including local producers in the supply chain while alleviating malnutrition for vulnerable populations.

It is our hope that, in partnership with Tetra Pak, we can support the health and wellbeing of Yemen’s young and ambitious population, nurturing talent and unlocking potential.”

Niels Hougaard, managing director at Tetra Pak Arabia, said: “We are honoured to partner with HSA Group on this initiative, which has the potential to make a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of Yemeni children. At Tetra Pak, we believe in the power of collaboration to build resilient food systems, and this school milk program is a prime example of what can be achieved when stakeholders work together towards a common goal.”

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Advanced Nutrition Manufacturing – Arla Foods Ingredients’ manufacturing division – is well known as a third party provider of infant nutrition products. However, it also has the capacity to produce formulated milk powders for adults on a private label basis.

Between 2018 and 2022, China accounted for 85% of new nutrition product launches with a senior positioning, the vast majority of which were formulated milk powders.¹ This reflects the fact that there are over a quarter of a billion people in China over the age of 60², as well as growing awareness of the importance of nutrition for healthy ageing.³

Now Arla Foods Ingredients has launched three new formulated powder recipes to demonstrate how its expertise as a private label partner can help manufacturers meet the need for convenient sources of natural dairy nutrients.

Specially formulated to comply with Chinese regulations, they feature added vitamins, minerals and probiotics, as well as high-quality milk and whey protein. Their calcium content is boosted by Capolac^®, a natural milk mineral concentrate, while Lacprodan^® DI-8090, a whey protein concentrate, provides high-quality protein content:

• ‘Healthy Ageing Balanced Nutrition’ delivers high-quality protein, milk minerals and probiotics
• ‘Healthy Ageing Digestive Focus’ is based on partially hydrolysed lactose and a synbiotic blend of probiotics and prebiotics 
• ‘Healthy Ageing Low Fat’ is a low fat option 

The recipes can also be customised by introducing other premium ingredients such as organic milk and specialty whey ingredients like milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). Flavours and sweeteners can also be added. Alternatively, Arla Foods Ingredients can produce brand owners’ own recipes in its state-of-the-art facilities in Denmark.

Steen Lyck, director, Advanced Nutrition Manufacturing at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “Tens of millions of senior consumers in China are looking for nutrition solutions that can help them stay active for longer. For manufacturers seeking to meet this growing need, private label is often the most convenient, least resource-intensive way to bring new products to market. Our manufacturing division is well known for its infant nutrition expertise but, as these new recipes demonstrate, it also has fantastic capabilities in the healthy ageing space. Arla Foods Ingredients’ partners benefit not just from the highest quality milk ingredients, but also our strong supply chain, and years of expertise in formulating for both powder and liquid formats.”

Arla Foods Ingredients’ Advanced Nutrition Manufacturing Division offers a flexible supply chain set-up that can deliver bulk base powders, bulk finished goods or packed finished goods according to manufacturer requirements.

^[1] Innova Market Insights
​^[2] Ouyang Y, et al, Nutrients. 2021
​^[3] Health Focus International, 2020

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As my 81-year old friend reminded me, we get old when we stop connecting with people. I waved her off very early this morning to the next leg of her journey, which is to Denmark. You have been warned, Europe. She is a force of nature.

It’s a good combination of genes, consistent activity and eating well, for her. And she is not alone. By 2050, the global population is set to be made up of one in six people over the age of 65, while right now it is one in 11, according to the United Nations. That will amount to 1.5 billion people, up from 703 million. If you get to 65, in countries with more older citizens, you are likely to live 25 per cent of your life expectancy beyond that age.

These numbers mean that there will be more people with complex issues, and the challenge is to make sure they have happy, healthy lives. Dairy can often provide easily digestible nutrition for folks whose appetites may have lessened. Dairy UK’s Stronger for Longer event last year, examined the research done in using dairy to slow bone loss, preserve muscle mass and add nutrition to the diet of the oldsters among us. Adding 3.5 servings of dairy per day to a diet showed benefits for most older people.

My friend ate a fair bit of dairy while she was visiting, I am happy to report. Let’s face it, the cheese stands out here. Always room for a bit of Stilton.

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Dairy’s nutritional properties have long been understood, including its high-quality proteins and wide range of micronutrients crucial for both physical and cognitive development. However, no previous study has demonstrated, at the global level, the potential for growth in dairy consumption to reduce national stunting rates in line with Sustainable Development Goal 2.

This study addresses this gap by analysing a large cross-country panel of 91 countries. The researchers find that a 10% increase in per capita milk consumption predicts a 0.7 percentage point reduction in stunting prevalence. “The relationship between milk consumption and stunting reduction is a really strong one,” says Derek Headey, senior research fellow with the International Food Policy Research Institute, “and suggests we should really ramp up investments in dairy if we’re serious about reducing stunting.”

The researchers acknowledge longstanding concerns about dairy products. Cow’s milk is a complement to breastmilk, not a substitute, and they argue that nutrition education campaigns should promote exclusive breastfeeding in the first five months after birth, and then an appropriate mix of breastfeeding and complementary feeding – including dairy – from six months onwards.

“As for climate change impacts, the dairy sector actually produces a lot of high-quality protein relative to its greenhouse gas emissions,” says Beliyou Haile, former IFPRI research fellow, “so while there is a climate cost, there’s also a large nutritional benefit to dairy production.” The authors note emissions from dairy are much lower than beef, despite the two sectors often being lumped together in climate change discussions. Moreover, efficiency improvements in dairy production could simultaneously reduce emissions and make dairy products more affordable for the poor.

Lactose intolerance is another barrier they discuss, though it primarily only affects adult populations in countries with no history of dairy consumption, rather than young children. “Vietnam has no dairy traditions at all, but has been able to rapidly increase consumption of dairy products among young children, and reduce stunting,” notes Headey, “going from zero to hero in just a few decades.”

The study’s findings provide compelling arguments for policymakers, public health officials, and nutrition experts to prioritize context-specific dairy development strategies that rely on the right mix of local dairy sector interventions and more consumer-oriented trade policies. By doing so, countries can make significant progress in redressing stunting and improving the diets of malnourished populations worldwide.

For more information, here is the research article link: Haile, Beliyou and Headey, Derek. “Impact of National-Level Increases in Milk Consumption on Childhood Stunting: A Cross-Country Analysis of Low- and Middle-Income Countries.” Food Policy, Volume 118, July 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2023.102485

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A group of researchers from Virginia Tech’s School of Animal Sciences is working to understand the trade-offs of this kind of transformation. Their new study in the Journal of Dairy Science, published by FASS Inc. and Elsevier, sets out to understand the dairy industry’s holistic impact, quantifying the contribution of dairy milk to human nutrition, along with associations with agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and water use.

The study’s lead investigator, Robin R. White, PhD, explained, “Global-scale assessments of the trade-offs associated with dairy production are required to better grasp the role of dairy in feeding the globe.”

White’s team noticed that previous investigations of the environmental footprint of dairy systems have incompletely reported on dairy’s contribution of critical vitamins and minerals to human health and have often presented outputs in terms of milk weight or energy/protein content only. 

White continued, “We were interested in using network analysis methods to better understand the trade-offs between nutrition and environmental impact in the existing food systems, globally.”

White and co-author Claire B. Gleason, PhD, started with data collected by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, which allowed them to evaluate data at country and continent levels, and to quantify global supplies of different foods as well as the environmental impacts of these systems. All of the data sets used in the analysis are available in the open-access Virginia Tech Data Repository (http://doi.org/10.7294/6y9v-gg39). 

The data were then leveraged to better consider global-scale contributions of fluid milk to human nutrition (especially calcium) and the environmental impacts of food production, specifically emissions and water use. Foods were considered in their preprocessed forms only, and fluid milk from each dairy species was included. Total food supply was calculated using a simplified definition accounting for loss, waste, trade, and animal feed. These figures were then used as a reference supply of food that could be consumed by humans, factoring in nutrient requirements based on age and gender. 

To understand how milk and meat products are associated with agricultural environmental impacts, supplies were also correlated with greenhouse emissions and blue water withdrawal for watering crops and livestock, using individual country data. 

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Andrew Rzepa, Partner at Gallup said, “The Global Diet Quality Project was conceived to bring visibility, accountability and understanding of what the world eats. With this latest launch of publicly available data, we now have coverage for over 55 countries representing almost three-quarters of the world’s population. We call upon researchers and policymakers to use this trove of data to support interventions and policies that lead to good nutrition, improved public health and wellbeing.”

The Global Diet Quality Project’s innovative data collection tool, the Diet Quality Questionnaire (DQQ), enables countries to analyse both adequacy of diets and consumption patterns related to non-communicable diseases. The DQQ is adapted for more than 100 countries, both for adults and for infants and young children. It is translated into multiple national languages, to reduce barriers to data collection. 

Anna Herforth, principal investigator of the Global Diet Quality Project at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said, “The tools housed on the website are a game-changer because they enable diet quality monitoring, which has not been done in most countries until now. The DQQ only takes five minutes to complete, and the indicators are simple to calculate, providing timely information for addressing a major cause of malnutrition in all its forms.”

The website presents the first database on minimum dietary diversity for women, an indicator of micronutrient adequacy for women aged 15-49 years. It complements this data with new indicators of dietary factors related to non-communicable diseases, that can be disaggregated by urban-rural status and gender. The website also features a user-friendly indicator calculator that can be used to quickly calculate indicators of diet quality based on data collected using the DQQ.

Gina Kennedy, senior technical specialist, GAIN, said, “Dietquality.org is a knowledge-packed website with rich resources to enable primary data collection on diet as well as demonstration of country-level diet quality results. The website is a one-stop platform for learning more about diet quality around the world. The DQQ is a user-friendly tool. You don’t have to be a nutrition expert to use the questionnaire in your own surveys.”

The data from 56 countries and DQQs for over 100 countries are available on dietquality.org. Diet quality results from more countries and additional DQQs will be uploaded over the coming months, as they become available. This makes dietquality.org an exciting website for freely available resources on diet quality data around the world.

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With specific additional benefits tailored to customer needs, such as increased protein content, functional ingredients or ingredients that promote well-being, the Hochdorf team shared the first product concepts at a recent trade show. Hochdorf supplies ingredients based on Swiss milk or plant-based substitute products plus recommendations for additional functional ingredients from partners.

The Hochdorf ingredients are professionally dried, mixed and packaged at locations in Hochdorf and Sulgen, Switzerland. Consulting services such as export/import licenses, certificates or other go-to-market requirements complete the Hochdorf service package.

At the same time, Hochdorf is also developing its own B2C brands for the specialised nutrition area, in the company’s own development laboratory. These in-house developments support the development, marketing and sales team in understanding customer and production needs even better and at the same time offer an opportunity to present a future-oriented product portfolio in the company’s own range.

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The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Germany says milk will no longer be considered food in the future, but only “a drink.” The new rating is scheduled to come into effect by the end of the year. Around 700 companies with more than 1,000 brands have already registered to use the Nutri-Score in the German marketing area.

Until the end of 2025, there will be a transitional period for registered companies to change the labelling so that they do not have to destroy goods or packaging that have already been produced. While previously, low-fat milk could also be sorted into level A, in future the dark green A will be reserved solely for water.

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Whey is an essential source of protein with a wide range of applications and, as a side stream of cheese production, it makes great use of existing materials. However, more can be done to ensure whey is produced as sustainably as possible. Meanwhile, the rising cost of fuel, global supply chain issues and reduced production volumes have all had a significant knock-on effect to the whey industry.

Using insights provided by key whey sector experts, the white paper presents its findings on the basis of an impact-uncertainty axis. It considers economic, environmental, political, regulatory, social and technological factors that impact the whey industry. The report also delves into the impact that global consumer trends and evolving attitudes towards animal-based proteins will have. In examining the industry from every possible angle, the white paper reveals four potential future outcomes for the whey market. These can be summarised as:

• Whey for all – Food security becomes the top global priority for policymakers, the current decline in dairy herds eases and farm costs are relieved. There is no limitation on the whey available.
• New horizons – Reducing emissions becomes the top global priority for policymakers. This leads to a reduction in dairy herds and a resultant increase in farming costs. Global whey output reduces, as does meat consumption, leading to reduced demand from the feed industry. Whey protein becomes an increasingly specialised ingredient.
• Wheyvolution – Environmental restrictions increase while global conflicts and geopolitical tensions also mount, limiting free trade. Food security becomes a high global priority so whey output increases. Consumers continue to use whey alongside alternative proteins in their diets.
• Indispensable whey – Slowing climate change becomes the top global priority and this speeds the decline in dairy herds, resulting in significantly reduced whey output. Demand for protein continues to grow, however supply limitations force formulators to use alternative proteins, with whey only being used where it cannot be substituted.

“Whey proteins are an important source of nutrition for a broad range of consumers including infants, athletes and our ageing population,” says Benno van Mersbergen, director of product strategy and marketing at FrieslandCampina Ingredients. “By highlighting the importance of a collaborative industry approach, we hope these insights will help whey manufacturers identify opportunities for innovation to make sure we’re getting the best quality proteins to those who need them as efficiently as possible.”

“The whey industry is intrinsically connected to and affected by global market forces. It’s important for policymakers to take a wide view of the potential impact on the whey sector when setting legislative priorities. Through the publication of this in-depth report, our aim is to deepen the conversation about the future of the whey industry and its likely trajectory over the coming years,” Luis Cubel, EWPA president, summarises. “By examining the current state of play and the potential outcomes of external influences affecting the whey sector, we can better prepare ourselves and our members for what the future might hold.”

To read the EWPA Whey Protein Paper Outlook 2030, visit this link:

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The dairy sector shows no sign of slowing down, with consumers seeking better eating experience with products that offer the best combination of taste, texture, and nutrition. In addition, the plant-based alternatives are still rising, with consumers having a high level of expectations in terms of taste, texture, and sensory experience.

However, formulating appealing dairy and plant-based products with good taste, desirable and indulgent texture, and a stable shelf-life gets more challenging due to the highly functional sugar, fat and protein properties. Naltive offers three types of hydrocolloids with locust bean gum being its flagship ingredient, as well as tara gum and guar specialties.

Using only natural and physical processes, the large Naltive locust bean gum range is best-in-class, according to Neixira, as it provides specific technical benefits and multi-sensory experience in various challenging applications. The locust bean gum line is a completely new range of six references. Combining customers’ technical feedback with market research on consumers’ expectations was the starting point. The new line has been designed to fit manufacturers’ industrial needs and to fulfill consumer expectations for sensory experiences, clean-label, and organic plant-based foods and beverages. It has the solution to add roundness, creaminess and mouthfeel for alt-dairy drinks, ice-cream and spreadable cheese formulated with dairy or plant-based.

With a series of webinars in progress, Nexira shares its expertise in dairy applications to spread the word on this amazing ingredient and to customise its technical support for demanding customers.

Neixira encourage visitors at FIE, Booth #4.C80 to taste its own recipe of frozen yogurt formulated with locust bean gum.

Our range also includes Naltive guar gum, with three guar specialties offering high viscosity and taste neutrality, and five premium guar, partially depolymerised, and offering specific advantages such as the syneresis prevention.

Naltive tara gum includes two references and offers the benefit of efficiency for cold and hot processes and syneresis control.

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Dr Sarah Bath from the University of Surrey discussed the often-forgotten importance of iodine during pregnancy and the food sources – such as dairy – which can help us meet our iodine intakes. Dr Bath outlined how even mild iodine deficiency can have a detrimental impact on babies, with deficiency in pregnancy leading to adversely impacted brain development, and children showing lower scores relating to cognition, verbal IQ, working memory, accuracy and comprehension, spelling and writing, language and motor skills.

Dr Bath focused on research studies showing that women who don’t consume dairy, meat, fish or eggs are particularly at risk of iodine deficiency, with milk and dairy products providing more iodine to the UK diet than any other food group. Just three portions a day, particularly milk and yogurt, can help adults meet their recommended daily amount and can provide 85% of a pregnant woman’s recommended daily intake. She also highlighted that only 6% of plant-based drinks on the market are fortified with iodine and so those swapping dairy for a plant-based drink could also be at risk of iodine deficiency.

Dr Mary Flynn from the Food Standards Agency Ireland (FSAI) explained FSAI’s latest modelling work in developing food-based dietary guidelines for 1- to 5-year-olds. This work showed how some young children could be at risk of not getting enough iron, vitamins D and E, essential fatty acids – DHA & EPA, zinc, and iodine from their diet. Milk and dairy products are the main food sources of calcium, zinc, and iodine for infants and toddlers in Ireland and are important vehicles for delivering these nutrients.

Finally, Laura Matthews, a registered nutritionist and early years nutrition expert, provided some practical advice on how and when to introduce dairy foods into infants’ diets, some helpful recipe ideas for those advising parents, and debunked some of the common myths many parents hear around dairy and weaning.

Commenting on the webinar, Erica Hocking – senior nutrition scientist at Dairy UK said: “We know how beneficial dairy nutrients are for babies, toddlers and pregnant women but the webinar was a great opportunity to remind healthcare professionals how vital good nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life really is.

“Good nutrition, including the valuable nutrients in dairy, are crucial for supporting rapid growth, brain and immune system development of infants. Milk and dairy foods play such an important role in providing protein, calcium, iodine, and B vitamins to help meet those demands for growth and development.”

Watch the webinar here.

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Probiotics are bacteria that provide health benefits when consumed. Ingested bacteria that are related to human and animal health benefits are referred to as probiotics. Probiotic drinks are typically dairy-based beverages with a milky texture. They are consumed to aid digestion. Addition of probiotics to whey improves its characteristics and benefits significantly. Inclusion of flavours improves sensory properties of drinks while also increasing its shelf life. These factors drive demand for probiotic drinks in the market.

The probiotic drinks market has witnessed significant growth, owing to increase in number of health-conscious consumers increasingly focusing on intestine health and overall immunity. Furthermore, key players in the market are trying to consolidate their position by introducing high-quality products and establishing partnerships with well-known local nutraceutical brands, which is expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period.

Probiotics are necessary for gut health. Probiotic beverages are a delicious way to keep stomach in good shape. Dairy-based probiotics are available in a variety of forms. Non-dairy supplements are required for lactose intolerance, vegetarianism, and excessive cholesterol. Probiotics have recently 0created from a number of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are high in vital nutrients, making them an ideal matrix for making probiotic drinks with maximum health advantages.

Consumers have now become more aware of the product and comprehending its value for gut health. Furthermore, rise in health awareness among customers, particularly among young consumers, have led to global demand for the product. As well as this, availability of ready-to-drink items for use on-the-go has led to the market expansion.

Probiotic drinks aid in maintenance of a healthy stomach bacterial balance, which has a range of health benefits, including improved digestion, immunological function, and weight loss. These drinks promote bowel movement and nutrient absorption when consumed on a regular basis. Furthermore, these beverages boost mental health as various studies have shown that gut health is linked to mood and mental health. As a result, the substance aids in reduction of depression, anxiety, OCD, and autism. The products may also help to strengthen the immune system by encouraging creation of natural antibodies in the human body.

During the recent outbreak of COVID-19, owing to mandatory closures and restrictions by relevant regulatory agencies, operations in many industries were suspended or operated with a minimum of employees. However, probiotics have multiple intestinal health benefits and promote immunity. As a result, the demand for probiotic drinks has increased during the spread of COVID 19 to maintain healthy immune system. It has a significant positive impact on the industry’s revenue growth. In addition, health benefits associated with overall health is also expected to fuel the global revenue growth of the market.

The probiotic drinks market is segmented on the basis of type, flavour, sales channel, and region. On the basis of type, the market is categorized into dairy-based probiotic drinks and plant-based probiotic drinks. By flavour, it is segregated into regular, berry, tropical, and others. Depending on sales channel, it is fragmented into hypermarkets/supermarkets, convenience stores, online retail, and others. Region wise, it is analysed across North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, the Netherlands, and rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, India, and rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Brazil, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the UAE, and rest of LAMEA).

Asia-Pacific has been dominating the global probiotic drinks market, and is expected to sustain its dominance during the forecast period. This is mainly attributed to the fact that probiotic drink was first invented in Japan in 1930, and it has gained huge popularity among Asian consumers. Both online and offline demand for probiotic drinks is growing, which has also promoted growth of the regional market. The most promising growth rate in this course is expected to come from Asia-Pacific. The strong growth of the regional market is attributed to rapid development of the health and wellness industry in the region.

Key players operating in the global probiotic drinks market have adopted various developmental strategies to expand their market share, increase profitability, and remain competitive in the market. Key players profiled in this report include GCMMF (AMUL), Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Denone SA, Bio-K+, Lifeway Foods, Inc., Chobani, LLC, NextFoods, Inc., PepsiCo Inc, and Harmless Harvest.

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The new business-to-business brand is targeted at both the multi-billion-dollar medical and everyday wellbeing nutrition markets.

Fonterra’s chief innovation and brand officer, Komal Mistry-Mehta, says the creation of the new brand brings to life concepts that help customers tailor their products to meet consumers’ evolving wellbeing nutrition needs.

“Our health and wellbeing customers are facing growing pressure to accelerate their innovation pipeline to respond to these dynamic consumer demands, yet they face common challenges during new product development and are looking for partners to fill their capability gaps.

“Nutiani answers this need by providing a suite of solutions which help customers tackle the pain points associated with each step of the innovation journey – from identifying the opportunity to validating the final product.”

Nutiani will offer end-to-end solutions to customers through a combination of wellbeing nutrition products, concepts and services that leverage the Co-op’s intellectual property and investments in research.

“We see a clear opportunity to win in critical segments of the global wellbeing nutrition space. Fonterra’s deep expertise in nutrition science gives us an incredible advantage here.

“We will use Fonterra’s existing expertise in nutrition science to develop targeted solutions, while opening up opportunities for strategic partnerships to deliver access to new markets and consumers,” says Mistry-Mehta.

The opportunity for the Co-op is significant. The global markets for physical, mental and inner wellbeing nutrition are growing at 6% per year and worth US$66 billion today, while medical nutrition is valued at US$50 billion and growing 5% annually.

“There’s no doubt that people are paying more attention to wellbeing and managing it through diet. Research shows 96% of consumers actively manage their wellbeing, with more than half of these consciously managing their diet to improve their wellbeing,” says Mistry-Mehta.

“To create a greater impact in the health and wellbeing space, we must not only capture the opportunities we see today but also look to the future, helping our customers stay ahead of the curve.”

The numbers:

• The global markets for physical, mental and inner wellbeing nutrition are growing at 6.1%
  per year and worth US$66 billion.
• Medical nutrition is valued at US$50 billion and growing 5% annually.
• 90% of global consumers believe that being healthy involves looking after all aspects of
  wellbeing, including physical and mental. (Source: Nutiani Wellbeing Research)
• 96% of consumers actively take steps to manage their wellbeing, including maintaining a
  healthy and balanced diet. (Source: Nutiani Wellbeing Research)
• 56% of consumers manage their health via their diet. (Source: IPSOS Nutiani, Consumer
  Wellness Research (August 2021))

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