France occupies a select place in world dairy, as a large producer of cow milk and its products, but also other small ruminant milks such as goats and sheep. It accounts for 16 per cent of total cow milk intake, but also 14 per cent of the total intake for sheep milk, and 30 per cent for goat milk, according to the report. The last number makes it the top EU country for goat milk production. While overall milk production has dropped for cow milk, both the sheep and goat milk production went up in 2023, according to the IDF.

PDO milk supply

The amount of PDO products shows its importance to the industry there, with 51 different dairy PDOs, including 46 cheeses, according to Benoît Rouyer, economic outlook director at CNIEL, the French Dairy Inter-branch organisation. It is also home to five mountain areas which amount to 13 million hectares of farming. Additionally, five large processors – Lactalis, Danone, Savencia, Sodiaal and Bel – have products that are known globally and operate in many countries.

In a way, President Macron, who last month noted that the young chefs of France should be heading out to the world to upgrade and move French cuisine forward (having been outdone by Denmark lately), perhaps should look at all the dairy giants that quietly and persistently spread their products globally.

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

The post The French in focus appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Then, one goes to that BBC standard, Antiques Roadshow, complete with television newsreader and presenter, Fiona Bruce. There, it is all about the straw hats (very similar to Wimbledon unless it’s raining in that respect). I wore a baseball cap instead, but still managed to get a couple of items valued despite my breaking with the unofficial dress code.

We also discovered there is a trick to this event, too. It’s about bringing items that not many people have interest in, or no longer have a lot of lying about. For me, it was about my books and a little clock my mother gave me. Any other items (jewellery, china) had long queues, and the one called “miscellaneous” had the longest of all.

My husband was happy to hear that a book gift he gave me a couple of decades ago is now worth somewhat more, and the novelty clock will continue to grace my bookshelf. The experts also cheerfully gave you advice on what it’s about and the time period, which is interesting. It’s also fascinating to see how the show operates and the staff are always scurrying about. The magic of television.

Afterwards, we skipped having the one silver item valued and went for an ice cream instead, at the Fluffy Puffin cart. There is always room for ice cream. And no dress code for that.

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

The post Treasures of British life appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Ben Kinsey, technical account manager at Novonesis (formerly Chr Hansen), was first up, looking at “Maximising productivity in yogurt manufacture with natural biosolutions.” He noted that there are new combined cultures for yogurt production, in satisfying what consumers are looking for in yogurt. The combination of Chr Hansen’s 150 years of microbial expertise and Novozymes’ 80 years in enzymes, means more opportunity for the processor on the microbes front.

“Consumer surveys show what people are looking for in yogurt. Flavour and price are the most important in Scandinavia, while natural is a crucial theme for the UK buyers. Overall, preservatives are disappearing from the yogurt market,” Kinsey says.

Typical dairy cost pressures include the milk and powder prices, climate regulation, raw materials costs and availability, energy costs, retail margin pressure, labour costs and availability, he observes. “A key aspect for us in texturising cultures, is making the raw materials go further. We offer YoFlex Premium texturising cultures and FreshQ bioprotective cultures – both enable longer shelf life and lower contamination, with less scrappage.”

Overall yogurt texture depends on three factors: starter culture, milk composition and the manufacturing process. YoFlex Premium 11 is the most recent culture in the company’s range, with the highest texture development and robust post-acidification control. “It offers improved texture, increased mouth thickness and gel firmness, a mild flavour profile, and this flavour helps reduce the need to add sweetness. It also has reduced post acidification, which increases filling temperatures,” Kinsey notes.

It is also quite advanced, as many producers are still using texturising cultures that are lower than the company’s earlier versions, he says. “Premium 11 offers less processing time, fewer complications and reduced recipe costs.”

The new format also addresses the changes in pH from the point of packing to the end of life. “Traditional yogurt cultures often have an acid development. The post-acidification profile of Premium 11 is more stable over its shelf life versus Premium 1.0, and this is more important with the requirements for longer shelf life in yogurts,” Kinsey states.

Another new item is FreshQ Premium, which combines one-pouch cultures with biofermentation. “A product based on Premium 11, with added FreshQ12, reduces the need for expensive skim milk powder in the yogurt recipe. A yogurt with a protein content of four per cent with Premium 1.0, delivers same texture with less powder in FreshQ Premium 11. When we drop protein content down to 3.8 per cent, we still get the same results and same mouthfeel,” he adds.

He observes that bioprotective cultures inhibit yeast and mould, through the control of manganese, which is essential for both starter cultures and yeast and mould. “Certain lactic acid and bacteria strains can absorb manganese through a transporter. FreshQ mops up the spare manganese to reduce the availability of the nutrient to yeasts and moulds, and it still available when consumed,” Kinsey points out.

“We have done a lot of work on protective cultures, with a lot of challenge testing, to demonstrate the performance of FreshQ on the products. We are quite proud of our yeast and mould collection,” he chuckles.

“A look at the typical yogurt shelf across global markets underscores the fact that there is no normal shelf life. In UK, there is a fairly short shelf life of 25 days. In other markets, for example, the US, it is up to 55-75 days – some countries have longer transport links. For Turkey it is 21 to 52 days, while in Brazil, it is 50-55 days. A significant extension of shelf life is possible. It’s about stability of the yogurt, and a longer life can expose other things in yogurt. This shows you what is possible and how producers can be maximising shelf life,” Kinsey says.

When looking at yogurt, and its packaging in one to two-kilogram buckets, the contaminants can show themselves very quickly, he observes. “It’s all about reducing the risk of contamination, so consumers are not throwing away the yogurt and continue to use it,” Kinsey concludes.

Impact for fermented creams

Kirsten Lauridsen, principal designer for IFF in Braband, Denmark, discussed “Opportunities within starter cultures for fermented creams impacting flavour formation, fermentation time, texture creation and extending shelf life.”

She stated the role of the starter culture is to control acidification, provide texture creation, flavour production, gas formation (optional) and taste stability. “Milk is a very good base for fermentation, and by converting lactose into lactic acid, it turn liquids into something we will be eating with a spoon,” Lauridsen notes.

There are fairly big temperature variation around fermented creams, from 20-34ºC, she said, depending on what type it is – kefir, buttermilk, etc. All have different optimal temperatures. Acidification conditions are also critical for flavour. Flavour and gas production in the product depends on minor differences in temperatures.

Depending on the product, what is the optimal temperature? For a firm/thick texture – increase fermentation temperature, and for a glossy appearance and velvety texture, decrease fermentation texture. For fermented creams, the taste stability can also be short compared to yogurt. The taste profile changes over two to three weeks’ time, she observes.

Hybrid alternatives

Emer Mackle of Salutivia and Maor Dahan of ChickP, were speaking on plant powered hybrid yogurt and fermented cream trends and innovation. Mackle observes that while the dairy alternative market is expected to reach $4.08 billion in 2029, consumers aren’t necessarily willing to eliminate dairy from their diets, and plant-based products’ taste and texture don’t meet their expectations. Thus, dairy hybrids, with plant proteins blended into dairy products, may be the answer. Hybrids combine familiar textures and health benefits, plus taste, and may be an emerging market opportunity, Mackle stated.

Dahan explains what ChickP was, a 90 per cent chickpea protein isolate, suitable for dairy and dairy alternative products such as yogurt, barista milk, cheese and cream cheese. Unlike other plant proteins such as soy and pea, the chickpea product is very mild, with an easy to mask taste. Its base colour is white, and it needs less water and fertiliser than other crops. The company is testing 50/50 products currently with as little preservative as possible.

Equipment

Carin Cronström, line solutions manager for chilled and fermented dairy applications at Tetra Pak, discussed, “Future proofing yogurt production – reducing your costs and environmental footprint.”

She notes that while she spends most of her days thinking about the amazing world of yogurt, most consumers know very little about the effort it takes to make these products. “There are so many process steps from intake to fermenting to add flavours to send off to the supermarket,” she states. “There is an innovative spirit for new products on the market, but not much innovation on the processing side. However, there is a window of opportunity to do something differently. Consumers and governments are asking us to put a more sustainable food system in place. For the average family, the top priority is economic, but the want good products, good quality and a wide variety.”

Tetra Pak offers a way to run a plant in the most optimal way, PlantMaster.

“If we want to make a big difference, we also must make some big changes. For example, OneStep technology is a new way of preparing yogurt milk,” she says.

“It’s quite different from how you’re doing yogurt today.” She notes it comes with a 40 per cent lower investment cost, 30 per cent lower running costs, 50 per cent lower water consumption, and 25 per cent lower emissions.

Conventionally, milk comes into the dairy, is heat treated and put into silos. It is then sent to the mixing station, where ingredients are added. Tetra Pak looked at every step and asked, is it really necessary to do every step for high quality yogurt?

It thus integrated a separator, mixer and standing unit into the yogurt milk pasteuriser. Dry ingredients are prepared in batches and continuously added to skim milk at the high shear mixer. The raw milk goes to pasteuriser, and then is aerated, homogenised and heat treated in yogurt fermentation tank.

“When taking away the mixing station and tanks, and having continuous mixing, the system needs to be on target every time, integrated into one unit,” she states. It is more complicated and needs to have a very clever control system. The Tetra Pak Pasteuriser D flows, levels, controls, concept from raw milk to yogurt milk in one step. It can be applied to all kinds of yogurt products and is patent pending.

Harry Flannery and David Cole, of Watson-Marlow Fluid Handling Technology Solutions

detailed how two out of five consumers are interested in yogurts to replace traditional desserts. With yogurt manufacturers, viscosity is the biggest aspect to maintain through the process, and better process equipment can reduce costs, and the need for additions to make up for process losses. By using a Certa pump, there is a 20 per cent loss of viscosity versus a 30 per cent loss with traditional pumps. The pump itself is very gentle, prevents aeration and foaming and can handle up to 255,000 litres per hour, eight million cP and 15 bar, with up to 50 per cent less power consumption versus other pumps.

John Kirwin, sales and marketing director at Penmann, detailed the benefits of rapid cooling on yogurt and fermented creams. In 1995, the company was approached by Muller to design an inline palletised cooling system. Now, it has installed Arla cream cooling tunnels, along with static coolers for smaller dairies. Its Clauger rapid cooling cell has seen 150 installations, with 3,500 units globally.

Simon Gregory of Food Works SW took a few minutes to explain the venue. It opened in April 2020 to support businesses. North Somerset Council built it as a food and drink forum, and a not-for-profit arena for technical food support, such as product development, easy access to information events, workshops, seminars on packaging, meet the buyer, food safety, shelf life, etc. It offers 12 purpose-built premises, which are all occupied at the moment, including a gelato, vegan cheese, and ready meals maker. The setup is opening a trial and pilot dairy as well, with more homogenisers coming in, to handle everything from pilot launches to scaling up of production.

Vincent Corden, general manager at CEM UK, examined the “Rapid component analysis of yogurt and fermented cream.” He states the firm provides tech for testing, and instrumentation for protein fat analysis. “It’s about making standard lab processes safer and easier,” he says.

Discussing the company’s offerings, its Sprint machine is for protein. It manages this is in under four minutes, and tags only the amino acids found in proteins, and ignores all sources of non-protein nitrogen. It provides the advantage of speed and accuracy of just looking at protein. The other instrument, the Oracle, is a rapid fat analysis instrument. It is radio frequency pulsed for total fat results and the entire sample is measured the company has a dairy specific report for Oracle’s accuracy and is operating in over 10,00 sites globally.

Quality is for everyone     

Chris Edwards, OBE, head of quality at Müller Yogurt & Desserts and former president of the SDT), was up last and looked at “Operationalising quality in yogurt for tomorrow.”

He observes, “People are often concentrating on where value is added but it’s on the line where it is actually added. It is interesting as when you visit a plant, there is the same laboratory you saw 20 years ago. In healthcare labs, it’s a different world, and the level of digitisation and automation there is phenomenal,” he points out.

In quality, it’s about the difference in speed. Everyone in a plant is in in the area of quality control and getting the right stuff out the door. Without the right information, you won’t get to the actual solution for a quality issue in a plant,” Edwards says. He stated that there is a lack of skilled people, for laboratory analysis work. “The food industry is bigger than the football leagues, but we don’t attract people to it.”

On the traditional testing front, there is a 48-hour gap from production line to release to the distribution network. “It is quite staggering how much it costs us if we don’t get the supply on the shelf,” he notes. This includes shelf-life testing, micro and pH taste panels, and other incubation. With spoilage issues, if it is caught but there is a supply chain disruption, it means frustration and additional work.

There has been a change, with accelerated shelf-life testing, which means 27 hours versus 48 hours, and release after 27 hours. In the end, it is about getting the pots out the door, and how well and safely it gets done. “We need the confidence in our lines, with people at the top of the list. Yes, we need standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs), but still need people to think about the product,” he points out.

There are several questions for operators to ask themselves: “How is that operationalised? Are we capability focused? Are all our efforts focused on that line?” It is about embracing technological advancements, and implementing robust SOPs, staff training and skill development. “We need tech to support us in advancing improvements. It’s about staff training for the future, not just looking at data and writing it down. Do they know what the problem means, and what the numbers are saying? It’s about regular audits and inspections by people on the line, to make sure they know their lines. We need to look at supplier collaboration and ingredient control as part of a continuous improvement culture.

“Digitisation is about converting data into digital formats, while digitalisation is about converting the manufacturing processes into a more digital format. Digital transformation is converting all the aspects of the business and connecting these aspects together to improve the productivity of the firm continuously,” he notes.

“It depends on where that data comes from. I want it to come from the line, not the lab. Data is really important, so make sure you have a lab that supports the operations. It’s about embracing tech advancements, because if we don’t do this, we will forever be behind, and the cost of quality will always be seen as a cost.”

Nick Edwards, the president of the Society, ended by stating, “We need operators who understand their process and make changes as production goes along.”

The post The culture of yogurt appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Ben Kinsey, technical account manager at Novonesis (formerly Chr Hansen), was first up, looking at “Maximising productivity in yogurt manufacture with natural biosolutions.” He noted that there are new combined cultures for yogurt production, in satisfying what consumers are looking for in yogurt. The combination of Chr Hansen’s 150 years of microbial expertise and Novozymes’ 80 years in enzymes, means more opportunity for the processor on the microbes front.

“Consumer surveys show what people are looking for in yogurt. Flavour and price are the most important in Scandinavia, while natural is a crucial theme for the UK buyers. Overall, preservatives are disappearing from the yogurt market,” Kinsey says.

Typical dairy cost pressures include the milk and powder prices, climate regulation, raw materials costs and availability, energy costs, retail margin pressure, labour costs and availability, he observes. “A key aspect for us in texturising cultures, is making the raw materials go further. We offer YoFlex Premium texturising cultures and FreshQ bioprotective cultures – both enable longer shelf life and lower contamination, with less scrappage.”

Overall yogurt texture depends on three factors: starter culture, milk composition and the manufacturing process. YoFlex Premium 11 is the most recent culture in the company’s range, with the highest texture development and robust post-acidification control. “It offers improved texture, increased mouth thickness and gel firmness, a mild flavour profile, and this flavour helps reduce the need to add sweetness. It also has reduced post acidification, which increases filling temperatures,” Kinsey notes.

It is also quite advanced, as many producers are still using texturising cultures that are lower than the company’s earlier versions, he says. “Premium 11 offers less processing time, fewer complications and reduced recipe costs.”

The new format also addresses the changes in pH from the point of packing to the end of life. “Traditional yogurt cultures often have an acid development. The post-acidification profile of Premium 11 is more stable over its shelf life versus Premium 1.0, and this is more important with the requirements for longer shelf life in yogurts,” Kinsey states.

Another new item is FreshQ Premium, which combines one-pouch cultures with biofermentation. “A product based on Premium 11, with added FreshQ12, reduces the need for expensive skim milk powder in the yogurt recipe. A yogurt with a protein content of four per cent with Premium 1.0, delivers same texture with less powder in FreshQ Premium 11. When we drop protein content down to 3.8 per cent, we still get the same results and same mouthfeel,” he adds.

He observes that bioprotective cultures inhibit yeast and mould, through the control of manganese, which is essential for both starter cultures and yeast and mould. “Certain lactic acid and bacteria strains can absorb manganese through a transporter. FreshQ mops up the spare manganese to reduce the availability of the nutrient to yeasts and moulds, and it still available when consumed,” Kinsey points out.

“We have done a lot of work on protective cultures, with a lot of challenge testing, to demonstrate the performance of FreshQ on the products. We are quite proud of our yeast and mould collection,” he chuckles.

“A look at the typical yogurt shelf across global markets underscores the fact that there is no normal shelf life. In UK, there is a fairly short shelf life of 25 days. In other markets, for example, the US, it is up to 55-75 days – some countries have longer transport links. For Turkey it is 21 to 52 days, while in Brazil, it is 50-55 days. A significant extension of shelf life is possible. It’s about stability of the yogurt, and a longer life can expose other things in yogurt. This shows you what is possible and how producers can be maximising shelf life,” Kinsey says.

When looking at yogurt, and its packaging in one to two-kilogram buckets, the contaminants can show themselves very quickly, he observes. “It’s all about reducing the risk of contamination, so consumers are not throwing away the yogurt and continue to use it,” Kinsey concludes.

Impact for fermented creams

Kirsten Lauridsen, principal designer for IFF in Braband, Denmark, discussed “Opportunities within starter cultures for fermented creams impacting flavour formation, fermentation time, texture creation and extending shelf life.”

She stated the role of the starter culture is to control acidification, provide texture creation, flavour production, gas formation (optional) and taste stability. “Milk is a very good base for fermentation, and by converting lactose into lactic acid, it turn liquids into something we will be eating with a spoon,” Lauridsen notes.

There are fairly big temperature variation around fermented creams, from 20-34ºC, she said, depending on what type it is – kefir, buttermilk, etc. All have different optimal temperatures. Acidification conditions are also critical for flavour. Flavour and gas production in the product depends on minor differences in temperatures.

Depending on the product, what is the optimal temperature? For a firm/thick texture – increase fermentation temperature, and for a glossy appearance and velvety texture, decrease fermentation texture. For fermented creams, the taste stability can also be short compared to yogurt. The taste profile changes over two to three weeks’ time, she observes.

Hybrid alternatives

Emer Mackle of Salutivia and Maor Dahan of ChickP, were speaking on plant powered hybrid yogurt and fermented cream trends and innovation. Mackle observes that while the dairy alternative market is expected to reach $4.08 billion in 2029, consumers aren’t necessarily willing to eliminate dairy from their diets, and plant-based products’ taste and texture don’t meet their expectations. Thus, dairy hybrids, with plant proteins blended into dairy products, may be the answer. Hybrids combine familiar textures and health benefits, plus taste, and may be an emerging market opportunity, Mackle stated.

Dahan explains what ChickP was, a 90 per cent chickpea protein isolate, suitable for dairy and dairy alternative products such as yogurt, barista milk, cheese and cream cheese. Unlike other plant proteins such as soy and pea, the chickpea product is very mild, with an easy to mask taste. Its base colour is white, and it needs less water and fertiliser than other crops. The company is testing 50/50 products currently with as little preservative as possible.

Equipment

Carin Cronström, line solutions manager for chilled and fermented dairy applications at Tetra Pak, discussed, “Future proofing yogurt production – reducing your costs and environmental footprint.”

She notes that while she spends most of her days thinking about the amazing world of yogurt, most consumers know very little about the effort it takes to make these products. “There are so many process steps from intake to fermenting to add flavours to send off to the supermarket,” she states. “There is an innovative spirit for new products on the market, but not much innovation on the processing side. However, there is a window of opportunity to do something differently. Consumers and governments are asking us to put a more sustainable food system in place. For the average family, the top priority is economic, but the want good products, good quality and a wide variety.”

Tetra Pak offers a way to run a plant in the most optimal way, PlantMaster.

“If we want to make a big difference, we also must make some big changes. For example, OneStep technology is a new way of preparing yogurt milk,” she says.

“It’s quite different from how you’re doing yogurt today.” She notes it comes with a

40 per cent lower investment cost, 30 per cent lower running costs, 50 per cent lower water consumption, and 25 per cent lower emissions.

Conventionally, milk comes into the dairy, is heat treated and put into silos. It is then sent to the mixing station, where ingredients are added. Tetra Pak looked at every step and asked, is it really necessary to do every step for high quality yogurt?

It thus integrated a separator, mixer and standing unit into the yogurt milk pasteuriser. Dry ingredients are prepared in batches and continuously added to skim milk at the high shear mixer. The raw milk goes to pasteuriser, and then is aerated, homogenised and heat treated in yogurt fermentation tank.

“When taking away the mixing station and tanks, and having continuous mixing, the system needs to be on target every time, integrated into one unit,” she states. It is more complicated and needs to have a very clever control system. The Tetra Pak Pasteuriser D flows, levels, controls, concept from raw milk to yogurt milk in one step. It can be applied to all kinds of yogurt products and is patent pending.

Harry Flannery and David Cole, of Watson-Marlow Fluid Handling Technology Solutions

detailed how two out of five consumers are interested in yogurts to replace traditional desserts. With yogurt manufacturers, viscosity is the biggest aspect to maintain through the process, and better process equipment can reduce costs, and the need for additions to make up for process losses. By using a Certa pump, there is a 20 per cent loss of viscosity versus a 30 per cent loss with traditional pumps. The pump itself is very gentle, prevents aeration and foaming and can handle up to 255,000 litres per hour, eight million cP and 15 bar, with up to 50 per cent less power consumption versus other pumps.

John Kirwin, sales and marketing director at Penmann, detailed the benefits of rapid cooling on yogurt and fermented creams. In 1995, the company was approached by Muller to design an inline palletised cooling system. Now, it has installed Arla cream cooling tunnels, along with static coolers for smaller dairies. Its Clauger rapid cooling cell has seen 150 installations, with 3,500 units globally.

Simon Gregory of Food Works SW took a few minutes to explain the venue. It opened in April 2020 to support businesses. North Somerset Council built it as a food and drink forum, and a not-for-profit arena for technical food support, such as product development, easy access to information events, workshops, seminars on packaging, meet the buyer, food safety, shelf life, etc. It offers 12 purpose-built premises, which are all occupied at the moment, including a gelato, vegan cheese, and ready meals maker. The setup is opening a trial and pilot dairy as well, with more homogenisers coming in, to handle everything from pilot launches to scaling up of production.

Vincent Corden, general manager at CEM UK, examined the “Rapid component analysis of yogurt and fermented cream.” He states the firm provides tech for testing, and instrumentation for protein fat analysis. “It’s about making standard lab processes safer and easier,” he says.

Discussing the company’s offerings, its Sprint machine is for protein. It manages this is in under four minutes, and tags only the amino acids found in proteins, and ignores all sources of non-protein nitrogen. It provides the advantage of speed and accuracy of just looking at protein. The other instrument, the Oracle, is a rapid fat analysis instrument. It is radio frequency pulsed for total fat results and the entire sample is measured.

the company has a dairy specific report for Oracle’s accuracy and is operating in over 10,00 sites globally.

Quality is for everyone    

Chris Edwards, OBE, head of quality at Müller Yogurt & Desserts and former president of the SDT), was up last and looked at “Operationalising quality in yogurt for tomorrow.”

He observes, “People are often concentrating on where value is added but it’s on the line where it is actually added. It is interesting as when you visit a plant, there is the same laboratory you saw 20 years ago. In healthcare labs, it’s a different world, and the level of digitisation and automation there is phenomenal,” he points out.

In quality, it’s about the difference in speed. Everyone in a plant is in in the area of quality control and getting the right stuff out the door. Without the right information, you won’t get to the actual solution for a quality issue in a plant,” Edwards says. He stated that there is a lack of skilled people, for laboratory analysis work. “The food industry is bigger than the football leagues, but we don’t attract people to it.”

On the traditional testing front, there is a 48-hour gap from production line to release to the distribution network. “It is quite staggering how much it costs us if we don’t get the supply on the shelf,” he notes. This includes shelf-life testing, micro and pH taste panels, and other incubation. With spoilage issues, if it is caught but there is a supply chain disruption, it means frustration and additional work.

There has been a change, with accelerated shelf-life testing, which means 27 hours versus 48 hours, and release after 27 hours. In the end, it is about getting the pots out the door, and how well and safely it gets done. “We need the confidence in our lines, with people at the top of the list. Yes, we need standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs), but still need people to think about the product,” he points out.

There are several questions for operators to ask themselves: “How is that operationalised? Are we capability focused? Are all our efforts focused on that line?” It is about embracing technological advancements, and implementing robust SOPs, staff training and skill development. “We need tech to support us in advancing improvements. It’s about staff training for the future, not just looking at data and writing it down. Do they know what the problem means, and what the numbers are saying? It’s about regular audits and inspections by people on the line, to make sure they know their lines. We need to look at supplier collaboration and ingredient control as part of a continuous improvement culture.

“Digitisation is about converting data into digital formats, while digitalisation is about converting the manufacturing processes into a more digital format. Digital transformation is converting all the aspects of the business and connecting these aspects together to improve the productivity of the firm continuously,” he notes.

“It depends on where that data comes from. I want it to come from the line, not the lab. Data is really important, so make sure you have a lab that supports the operations. It’s about embracing tech advancements, because if we don’t do this, we will forever be behind, and the cost of quality will always be seen as a cost.”

Nick Edwards, the president of the Society, ended by stating, “We need operators who understand their process and make changes as production goes along.”

The post The culture of yogurt appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

These ranged from opportunities within starter cultures for fermented creams, to looking at plant-dairy hybrid possibilities, to handling fluids, rapid cooling and component analysis of fermented products. 

Plus, we got an opportunity to network and chat with some our favourite people in the industry, those dairy technologists, and the suppliers who help get the products made. It is always a good session out with you all.  

Chris Edwards OBE, the former president of the Society of Dairy Technology and the head of quality at Müller Yogurts & Desserts, was the last speaker and it was a very interesting  way to end the day – it gave the assembled a lot to think about. 

I think his points about how some of the things one sees in a plant are the way they were 20 years ago, and what they are doing to shorten the time span between production and distribution now, while still maintaining quality, are very relevant. He is right on the front lines of yogurt processing in his job. 

Which is really why we are pulling things together as an industry, and the Society, for its part, is driving to get the information and education to the sector. We will have a smaller footprint than ever, use the data more efficiently, in order to use our ingredients and to provide better products for consumers, all the while keeping the food chain safe and secure. In a way, it is an exciting time to be working in the industry, as we saw at the SDT Spring Conference. An ancient product, yogurt, being made for the modern age.  

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

The post The science of yogurt appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

As an industry, we are working hard to ensure that coal and oil and other fossil fuels are reduced in use, rather than being burned as fuel that heats the planet. This is done by reducing our carbon footprint, via sustainable energy supply such as solar, biofuels and wind energy. And it’s about reducing the gases emitted by animals.

The Global Dairy Platform, as part of the Pathways to Dairy Net Zero, will offer on 17 January the first quarterly webinar of 2024, which will focus on the potential of animal nutrition to lower dairy’s environmental footprint. The agenda will cover past achievements in animal nutrition and the future of animal nutrition on the pathway to dairy net zero. For all of us in dairy, the cow is the source of our industry and the key to its future.

Here at Dairy Industries International, we will also be looking at the future, at the International Cheese and Dairy Expo, set for 27 June in Stafford, UK. Along with the Society of Dairy Technology Symposium and Dinner on 26 June and the ICDA Awards and networking lunch, it promises to be a solid two days of all things dairy in the UK. Don’t miss it! Please contact Samantha Bull for more ways to get involved: sam@bellpublishing.com.

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

The post Trending in 2024 appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

For this year, GDP growth in the US is projected at 2.4 per cent in 2023, before slowing to 1.5 per cent in 2024, and then picking up slightly to 1.7 per cent in 2025 as monetary policy is expected to ease. In the euro area, which had been relatively hard hit by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the energy price shock, GDP growth is projected at 0.6 per cent in 2023, before rising to 0.9 per cent in 2024 and 1.5 per cent in 2025. China is expected to grow at a 5.2 per cent rate this year, before growth drops to 4.7 per cent in 2024 and 4.2 per cent in 2025 on the back of ongoing stresses in the real estate sector and continued high household saving rates.

“The global economy continues to confront the challenges of both low growth and elevated inflation, with a mild slowdown next year, mainly as a result of the necessary monetary policy tightening over the past two years. Inflation has declined from last year’s peaks. We expect that inflation will be back at central bank targets by 2025 in most economies,” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said. “To secure stronger growth, we need to boost competition, investment and skills and improve multilateral co-operation to tackle common challenges, like reinvigorating global trade flows and delivering transformative action on climate change.”

With this in mind, the year 2024 also promises to be quite an election year, with many countries off to the ballot box. I hope the voters choose politicians who will do the longer-term thinking that is required now, both for their countries and for the planet.

• 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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Coveney further stated that Ireland as a country has a responsibility for getting its dairy digital future and the issues of accountability and sustainability right, as it has “a big obligation, as close to 90 per cent of our dairy consumers are outside Ireland.” That being said, he further said, “I’m pretty excited about the challenges and I’m confident the dairy industry will rise to them.”

Gary Andrews, the group skills development manager at Dale Farms in Northern Ireland, eyed Coveney somewhat wistfully and remarked a commonly held belief it was “refreshing to see such passion and interest on the part of politicians for our industry south of the border. It’s not something we see at home.”

The Society, for its part, continues to expand beyond its British borders, and the overall feeling at the meeting was one of ambition and expansion, both on the processing floor and in the future. Students submitted their presentations, and the speakers ranged from giving the audience a firm look at digital twinning and what it means, to how the process analytical technology works in dairy settings. I for one am excited and looking forward to continuing our work with the Society in 2024, which will involve the International Cheese & Dairy Expo.

For further information, please see our January issue for full coverage of the event. Please also visit www.internationalcheesedairyexpo.com or email sam@bellpublishing.com for more information.

• 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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It was interesting to see how the locals complained about the high street, while on the whole it seemed pretty busy, in between the empty shopfronts and the talented busker. We took the opportunity to buy new coats for the menfolk, and I did notice the breakfast/lunch spot, which offered a fairly clever take on brunch, was doing roaring business.

There was a queue when we got there and when we left. It had a breakfast that included both smashed avocado on toast, along with bacon and halloumi. It was pretty tasty (risebrunch.co.uk) and we appreciated the service too. Not the cheapest but definitely a weekend treat. Plus they did a take on a whipped hot chocolate that was right out of Instagram.

Further, the offspring went to the Games Workshop, which sells Warhammer miniatures for painting, and spent a lot of his birthday money. We did go into the larger shops, but exited M&S when we realised there was not much of interest to buy.

I can’t help thinking that what people are now looking for on the main street of cities and towns, is specialism. This is where the cheesemonger and the butcher can take aim at the consumer wallet. The youth of today want an experience, and food vendors can provide this. Plus, they have disposable income and want to buy locally sourced food and drink, and maybe a trinket or three.

Please note:

Dairy Industries Expo has a big announcement coming next week…watch this space!

Email sam@bellpublishing.com for more information.

• 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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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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There, more than 1,240 dairy leaders from 55 countries celebrated the International Dairy Federation’s 120th anniversary, with Piercristiano Brazzale, the IDF president, called the World Dairy Summit, “an unmatched opportunity to collaborate on the most promising opportunities and most important challenges in the dairy sector. The hard work and dedication of everyone in the dairy sector produces delicious, nutritious, and simply irreplaceable food that feeds more than six billion consumers and sustains one billion livelihoods globally.”

A number of dairy innovation awards were also given out at the four-day event, including innovation in sustainable processing for Hochschule Hanover, which has developed a RO-NF-UF membrane cascade to concentrate skim milk to a dry matter of less than 48 per cent. Dairy Farmers of Canada received an award for its “We’re in” campaign, in the innovation in marketing and communication initiative building dairy category. New product development with a focus on food safety and consumer nutrition’s gong went to Unison Process Solutions for its heist system, and to Yili Group for the ambient cheese lollipop. Yili also collected for its sustainable packaging, with its SATINE environmentally sustainable packaging with no ink or printing.

Congratulations are also to be given to Shreeja Milk, for its win in the women empowerment in the dairy sector, and to Lactanet and Semex in Canada for its innovation in climate action.

No matter what happens, dairy keeps going to provide nutrition and drive innovation in the sector in so many areas. We pull together and make things work, while making dairy a sustainable, low-carbon, empowering segment of the larger food industry. It’s a good feeling.

• 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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However, let’s face it, a collection of microbes in milk makes the cheese segment one about taste. In a way, cheese is an art form as much as a product, in a way that plain milks are not. It takes a skill set to transform milk into delicious, demandable cheese, along with some time and a bit of luck in conditions being appropriate.

Further, the joy one has in going into a cheesemonger cannot be replicated in a laboratory, I’m afraid. When we went to London a couple of weekends ago, we wandered into Neal’s Yard Dairy near Covent Garden and enjoyed a session of nibbling cheese and then buying some. A cheese-based feast was that night’s meal. For plant-based items, we had apples, some damson jam, walnuts and a bit of chutney to accompany the glorious spread with fresh baguettes and oatcakes (more plant-based items).

Cheese is one of the food products that people enjoy globally. While plant-based foods are lovely in accompaniment with the cheese, the dairy products take a well-deserved top billing. Also, keeping the fruit as fruit and nuts as nuts, is a better use of their natural flavours then trying to transform them through a lot of processing, into an inferior, plant-based “cheese.”

Are you media planning right now or looking at your media budgets for 2024? Dairy Industries International 2024 media kit is NOW READY to be considered into these. You can check out our monthly editorial calendar, or view advertising opportunities across either our print or digital platforms. To receive a detailed Spooktacular package, email sam@bellpublishing.com directly for the best prices!

• 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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So, we’ll be doing this next year. The date and venue are to be determined, but I wrote so much copy it will keep me in articles for months. My apologies for any exhibitor who I didn’t chat with extensively. I ran the seminars in conjunction with the very helpful Harrogate Convention Centre folks, and the time just flew by. Thanks to all the people who provided me with squeezy cows to distribute to the hard working staff. I’m looking at you, J&E Hall and Kersia. We also have already employed the baseball caps provided by Kersia, and the mini Maglite has been purloined by the offspring, Urschel. We ate Cuddon‘s freeze dried ice cream. What a treat.

The keynote speakers were all interesting. I was impressed that people interacted with the seminar speakers. I’d turn around at the end and there would be people watching and listening, and then getting their questions ready. They’d follow them to the stands to chat more. This is a result. Part of the idea of this exhibition and seminar was to bring together everyone in dairy, so they could have a dialogue.

In a way, it reminded me of my long ago wedding. So much time and effort spent, and it was all over in under 48 hours. I hoped to talk with more people, but I ran out of time to talk to them. Like my wedding, except my drink did not keep disappearing this time.

We will be planning. I will aim to carve out some time for walking the floors more. We will think about keynote speakers for next year. This event worked, so let’s do it again. Come join us.

• 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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I have spent a lot of time this last week attending exhibitions and conferences, both in-person and online. PPMA was held in Birmingham (26-28 September), with several of our exhibitors also there with their fabulous stands. See photo. It was busy with attendees from all over, and I suspect ours will be similarly busy. 

Online, the IFCN held its annual Supporters Conference on 27 October, which was also held in-person in Chester, UK (25-28 September). During the sessions, the audience was warned about the long-term prospects of cheese making in the UK. 

“Currently, UK cheese makers would generally rather sell abroad than in the UK. Time and investment to develop these export markets is already invested by some players. Once these markets have been created, they will start to take priority. However, retailers who have understanding and empathy, and who are prepared to work with their supplier, will find they will go the extra mile for them,” said Erik Elgersma, of Strategic Analysis Services, one of the authors of the Kite Consulting report on the matter. Our November issue will provide a feature covering this online conference, on the concerns consumers such as Generation Z have.  

We will also be covering our own seminars, being held at the Dairy Industries Expo. These will range from cheese making issues, to getting one’s human-machine interfaces right. Not to mention flooring, sampling, cooling, freeze drying, packaging and turnkey systems. However, there is no substitute for seeing things in person, so I encourage everyone who can to attend. See you there!  

• 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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There will be a fine collection of exhibitors and seminars to examine and listen to at the show, ranging from J&E Hall‘s ammonia-based refrigeration systems (M405) to QualiTru‘s sampling systems presentation at 14:30 on 5 October. Analytics, shredding, cooling, flooring, sealing, packaging, turnkey automation and the Society of Dairy Technology‘s annual general meeting will all be part of the event, and much more.

I’m a bit stymied myself, as there will be so much to see and do, I wonder if I’ll be able to take it all in two days. However. I have my comfortable new shoes and if you see me and the rest of the Dairy Industries International team galloping about, you’ll understand why, as I’ll be getting all the information from the seminars, and the exhibitors, and walking around from place to place. I will be definitely getting my 10,000 steps in on both days.

We really hope to see you there and if you haven’t registered yet, please note that it is free to attend. Our stand is M200 and we will be happy to see you. Harrogate in the autumn is a beautiful part of the world, and well worth the visit. See you at the show!

Register now

Show opening times

Day 1 – 4 October

• Show open: 10:00
• Show close: 16:30

Day 2 – 5 October

• Show open: 10:00
• Show close: 16:00

Getting there

The Harrogate Convention Centre is easily accessible by car, air and rail. Dairy Industries Expo is at Entrance 4 off Ripon Road. Registration will still be open on the day at the event.

• 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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The Rt Hon Mark Spencer, Minister of State for Food, Farming & Fisheries, began by noting the strong leadership of the dairy industry over the past few years during Covid-19 and now through the economic issues, has meant that the industry has continued to supply the highest quality to consumers while progressing towards sustainability goals. “We have faced a wide range of challenges, including a rise in input costs, but the industry is adaptable and resilient, and for the government, tackling inflation is our number one priority.”

He observed that Sainsbury’s has just offered dairy farmers £6 million in support, and noted the British government is offering several avenues of funding for the sector as well: a package of targeted measures for the farming sector, and the buy British campaign, which is signposting customers to buy British products. “We have to remember that around 60 per cent of the UK’s food is produced at home, and food production remains the primary purpose of farming,” he noted.

He mentioned the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which is in its 2023 incarnation. It is to offer farmers more flexibility, with actions where farmers can choose what combination of standalone ‘pick and mix’ actions they want to do and which area of land to do each action on. There is also an innovation programme to enhance productivity while reducing emissions. “There is a further £15 million for solar power, and another £15 million for robotics, and those grants open later this year,” he stated.

Looking at exports, the UK sends around £24 billion (€28bn) in food and drink products as exports abroad, and there is huge potential for dairy products, Spencer said. British products have a high reputation around the world for quality, he added.

At the recent UK Farm to Fork Summit, there were new opportunities for producers, on a range of areas. “The UK Farm to Fork Summit is the next step in growing a thriving British food and drink sector, which will put more British produce on supermarket shelves in the UK and around the world. This will also help us to deliver our clear ambition in the strategy to maintain production at current levels, where we produce domestically 60 per cent by value of all the food we need.

“The government is offering £1 million for small and medium enterprises for dairy export support, and there are now 11 attaches at embassies around the world, which are targeting the highest potential for exports and generating further demand. This includes places such as China, the US, Brazil, Northern and Southern Europe, Africa, New Zealand and South Korea. We will increase by five posts the number of agricultural attaches to reach new markets,” Spencer stated.

In other government news, it has been using its new powers through the Agriculture Act 2020 to support the sector and has made great progress in the reviews of the pig and dairy supply chains. “The dairy sector regulations will be laid in Parliament this year and, having committed to taking similar action in the pig sector, we are starting work on developing these regulations,” he stated. “There is also a review of supply chain fairness and transparency in contracts, with the regulations to ensure that farmers are treated fairly. There has been positive feedback on the collaborative approach with the participants.”

Finally, he concluded by noting, “We also have to celebrate our part in reducing the amount of greenhouse gases produced by dairy, which is down 22 per cent. We have ambitions and opportunities for this sector, and resilience. This industry is skilled at working together to feed the nation.”

The chairman

Paul Vernon, of Leprino Foods and now chairman of Dairy UK asked the assembled to look at the facts. “It’s been another challenging year for the sector. We’ve seen markets weaken from the historic highs that they reached only 12 months ago, input costs remain high, and demand has decreased due to the inflationary pressures felt by consumers – all of this generating a great deal of uncertainty.

“Against that backdrop, dairy businesses are prioritising building resilience measures into their supply chains, implementing cost reduction and efficiency initiatives, and driving the environmental sustainability agenda forward.

“The fact is, as an industry we fully recognise that we must continuously earn our licence to operate and in the last year dairy companies and farmers have made even greater strides towards an environmentally sustainable future under the umbrella of the UK Dairy Roadmap.

“Dairy UK, alongside our fellow Dairy Roadmap steering group partners at the NFU and AHDB, dairy companies, dairy farmers, and a number of key stakeholders across the dairy supply chain, have come together to try to remove or reduce the barriers which could otherwise slow progress on sustainability.

“For example, earlier this year, the UK Dairy Roadmap, through its Carbon Footprint Working Group, announced its plans to push forward

with a new project to standardise carbon footprint tools across the industry.

“It has reviewed the current carbon calculators available to dairy farmers and is working to create standardisation across the market, ensuring reliability and consistency in reporting for the UK dairy industry. The group plans to standardise emissions reporting, then investigate the calculation of carbon sequestration and its value to the dairy sector.

“The chair of the Carbon Footprinting Group, David Cotton, has been known to say that, while many dairy farmers are pressing ahead with carbon footprinting on farm, others may be put off due to the inconsistency of the final reports. The Carbon Footprinting Group under his chairmanship wants to change that so that farmers can trust the data. He’s also been known to say that farms with a low footprint are generally more profitable. Having good information and benchmarking across the sector will help to both reduce emissions and improve profitability in farming.

“Recognising that data is key, the Roadmap is also developing a database of farm data, is working on a set of ambitious targets for farmers and processors, developing advice and best practice resources to support both farmers and processors to achieve those targets, and is developing a national biodiversity plan.

“At present Dairy UK, AHDB and the NFU are working with Chirrup to measure biodiversity through birdsong on a number of farms around the UK as a three- year pilot project in a wider biodiversity agenda. We are looking forward to seeing the data shortly for year one of the project.

“Projects like this are important in providing data for the industry and to the industry and that’s why we’re doing this. But it would be remiss of me not to point out that this is something that could also be very engaging for our consumers – for showing them behind the scenes of dairying in a new and surprising way with real data.

“Being able to talk to the people who love our products is important. We know from research we’ve conducted that, whatever their age and economic status, the environment is high on their agenda. Contrary to what you might read in the nationals at times, they are still consuming and very much enjoying the taste of dairy. What they are looking for from us is reassurance that we are on the same sustainability journey as them. They aren’t looking for perfection, they are looking for shared values and an understanding that we are moving forward. And we are.

“We also know from our research that, although our consumers buy both dairy and plant-based products and use them for different meal occasion. They are far more sceptical about plant-based claims around naturalness and sustainability than in the past.

“Before anyone panics, I’m not standing here knocking plant-based, but I am standing here saying that all products should be playing with a straight bat when it comes to representing what they are and what they aren’t. At present, many manufacturers of plant-based trade under dairy names and using dairy values to sell products that have very little in common with dairy at all.

“As we enter a phase of divergence from EU law, I would like to highlight to our political and regulatory colleagues in the room how important it is that GB retains those regulations that are most important to domestic consumers and industry. We believe that the legal protection of dairy terms offers much needed consumer protection. It also allows companies to describe their products in a way which is transparent, helpful to consumers, and which ensures fair conditions of competition.”

Vernon also addressed contracts, saying, ” Minister, you talked about regulation of raw milk contracts in your speech earlier. We understand that there is still work ongoing in developing the statutory instrument and we’ll be most interested to see the final version. Contracts need to be very practical in their operation and it will be important that everyone is interpreting them in the same way and that there is a level playing field across the UK that also does not make us uncompetitive versus our competition from outside the UK.

“It is also important to note that contracts will not eliminate the volatility that is inherent in a globally traded marketplace where the laws of supply and demand determine the cost to consumers and ultimately the returns to both processors and farmers as we have seen over the last 12 months. Dairy UK would certainly welcome the opportunity to work closely with Defra as it develops the guidelines that will help inform those who need to write new contracts. They will also be important for farmers signing new contracts. In fact, we see clear guidelines as key to avoiding uncertainty, ambiguity and potentially unnecessary legal cost, so we welcome your engagement.

He also addressed other Dairy UK projects, such as the Dairy Transport Assurance Scheme (DTAS), which provides assurance to milk purchasers that the transport of raw milk and milk fractions meets food safety requirements, recognised industry good practice and specific

customer needs. “This year the scheme upgraded its standards, and these are now based on a modular format. Each member’s annual certificate, and their website listing, will display which modules they have been audited against, making it clear to potential customers exactly which operations each depot is certified for.

“The Assured Integrated Milk Supplier (AIMS) Scheme is a new initiative, launched at Dairy Tech on 1 February and is now in its pilot year before going live on 1 January 2024.

“The scheme, which is the intellectual property of Dairy UK, creates an assured milk supply pool and ensures that any milk received by dairies from an AIMS Assured Supplier will be of a comparable standard, whether traded through direct purchases, integrated haulage arrangements, swaps between parties or through a broker, thereby allowing free and open trading between companies in full confidence.

“Despite this being a new scheme, interest has been strong, with over 75 per cent of the GB milk pool already represented by the current members. If you’re one of the 25 per cent not covered by the scheme, then Ian Wakeling from the Dairy UK team is the man with all the information.”

Some lesser known Dairy UK work was also highlighted by Vernon. “In the last 12 months, our Asset Protection Team returned over 30,000 metal milk trolleys to their owners. You might wonder at the significance of that so I’ll tell you – had the scheme members had to replace those metal milk trolleys by buying new ones, it would have cost them an eye-watering £3.5 million (€4m).

“Our Due Diligence Scheme is a key scheme in keeping the industry on the front foot when it comes to the integrity of our supply chain.”

He wound up by saying, “I think we can all agree that, although none of us here has a crystal ball, we wouldn’t be surprised to see an upcoming election on the horizon. So let me take a minute to repeat something Dairy UK has said time and again to our political friends here tonight. Dairy UK and its members are ambitious for the future of the dairy sector.

“We want dairy to be recognised for the important role it plays in food security and nutrition, in livelihoods and economies and in sustainable food systems.

“We recognise that there is no perfect sector. But what we want you to recognise is that our dairy sector: works hard to find solutions to its issues, works hard to implement those solutions, and is committed to continuous improvement. We have common goals in many areas so, if you want to work in partnership with us, our door is very much open.”

He then offered a toast to former Dairy UK chairman, Ash Amirahmadi, thanking him for his chairmanship of Dairy UK and the UK Dairy Roadmap in recent years as well as for his long standing dedication to the dairy sector.

Hugh Dennis, the British actor and comedian, entertained the audience with his history of the Old War Office and growing up in Chichester. He then presented Minette Batters, the National Farmers Union president, was with the Dairy UK award for her good work in promoting the industry.

The post Moving forward with British dairy appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

It did highlight the good work Dairy UK has been doing throughout the year, from the Dairy Roadmap to standardising carbon footprint tools throughout the industry, to raw milk contracts, to ensuring that whoever is in government, they recognise that dairy needs to play on a level playing field. As Paul Vernon, Dairy UK chair said, “We want dairy to be recognised for the important role it plays: in food security and nutrition, in livelihoods and economies, and in sustainable food systems.|

One example of the good work done is the Dairy Transport Assurance Scheme (DTAS), which provides assurance to milk purchasers that the transport of raw milk and milk fractions meets food safety requirements, recognised industry good practice and specific customer needs. This year, the scheme upgraded its standards, and these are now based on a modular format. Each member’s annual certificate, and their website listing, will display which modules they have been audited against, making it clear to potential customers exactly which operations each depot is certified for.

Sometimes it feels like a lot of dairy processing is paperwork, but getting the papers right (and digitising these papers) is a key focus for the sector, and one where Dairy UK is helping through its fieldwork, again and again. It’s not the easiest, but feeding the world with good, healthy products, is important.

Next stop Harrogate! Only a few weeks until our inaugural Dairy Industries Expo and Society of Dairy Technology annual general meeting. Don’t forget to register for both: www.dairyindustriesexpo.com and www.sdt.org or email execdirector@sdt.org

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

The post The joy of dairy appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

For Society members and other visitors, it will be a chance to both network and browse the exhibition, as well as attend the informative free seminars, which are running both 4 and 5 October. For the AGM, the annual report and accounts are available for Society members and will be available for reference during the meeting. A list of Council members will be available as well.

At the end of the meeting, you will be given the opportunity to ask any questions or contribute suggestions you may like to put forward. If possible, please can you email any questions/suggestions to Marian Pusey, executive director, at execdirector@sdt.org prior to the meeting. Unfortunately, online attendance will not be possible for the AGM (Annual General Meeting).

As a reminder of the importance of showing up, a quorum is of five per cent of members is necessary to ensure the minimum number requirements are met. If you are attending the Dairy Industries Expo, you should plan on attending the AGM, while you are enjoying your visit.

If as a Society member, you could confirm your anticipated attendance at the AGM by registering on this MS Forms link it would be appreciated. For more information about the Dairy Industries Expo and the link to register please click here. Both events are free, which means you can spend more money at Betty’s Tea Room in Harrogate, or at the local cheese shop.

We are only three weeks away from this show, and I for one can’t wait to see you all up north, with our wonderful exhibitors and their wares.

• 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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One forgets, like children, how busy kittens are. I came down to a collective of kitten wreckage – pillows on floors, all food consumed, something I thought was tucked securely away, out on the floor and unravelled. 

They have ignored the sumptuous cat bed I purchased for them, in favour of sleeping on the cushioned chairs tucked under the table. This is like every other cat we have had. Back to vacuuming the chairs regularly so as to not have hairy bottoms. We also understand that to the cats, we are the staff. But pets have many rewards and these are small prices to pay.  

Meanwhile, it’s September and we are all gearing up for the big event in October, Dairy Industries Expo. Lots of scurrying around behind the scenes, for the opening of our inaugural event. So much to do and prepare, but like the cats, well worth the effort. In some ways, we discover that anything worth doing is not always the easiest thing to do, but the results will pay off, in seeing everyone in glorious Harrogate networking, showcasing their equipment and services solely for the dairy industry. Not to forget the interesting seminars that will occur over the two days. There will be many things discussed that pertain to dairy processes and products, and all the steps involved, from conception to production to retail. It promises to be a cracking two days in October, and this time next month, we will be right in the middle of it all. Too exciting! Make sure you don’t miss out on this event and see you there.  

dairyindustriesexpo.com 

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

The post New cats September appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

For example, let’s have a look at the Kingshay Dairy Costings Focus Report for the England and Wales. At the end of 2022 milk prices had reached an average of 50.89 pence per litre (€0.59/litre), but since then, prices have fallen, “losing more in the first half of 2023 than they gained in the last half of 2022.”

I’m always amazed too that despite the almost inconceivable amount of barriers thrown into dairy farmers’ ways, from input costs (feed, fuel, veterinary fees, etc), weather, Russian invasions, vegans campaigning against them, people trying to steal equipment, ramblers coming onto the land and scaring the cows, and a lot of other things that come up on a daily basis, production continues to stay fairly steady. It is a testament to the good work of the dairy farmer, without which this industry would not survive, either in the UK or globally. When I drink my glass of milk I often raise it to the very hard work and energy that it took to provide me with it here in my house.

In other news, we are hard at work getting ready for the big Dairy Industries Expo 4-5 October in Harrogate, UK. We have speakers ranging from the Society of Dairy Technology‘s Nick Edwards, to Yorkshire Dama cheese maker Razan Alsous and Anna Bigalke of QualiTru Sampling Systems. It promises to be an informative, entertaining two days in one of the most beautiful places in Yorkshire. Don’t miss it and don’t forget to register for free online: www.dairyindustriesexpo.com. Also, if you’re coming to the AGM for the Society, please register for that too via email: execdirector@sdt.org.

• 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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