Dairy demand hinges on consumer preferences.
Fluid milk production in the United States has dropped steadily for the past 70 years, with the most dramatic decline (more than 20%) in approximately the last decade. Fortunately for the dairy industry, other products like cheese and yogurt have grown in popularity to offset that demand shift at least partially.
To address consumers’ desires for convenience, novelty, quality, and nutrition, seven unique new dairy products are hitting the U.S. marketplace:
Clover the Rainbow® Milk by Clover Sonoma – While standard white fluid milk consumption has been on the decline, demand for flavored and lactose-free milks has been rising. California-based Clover Sonoma is responding with flavored, lactose-free “Clover the Rainbow Milk with a Splash of Flavor” in chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, developed to appeal to kids.
Good Culture® Probiotic Milk – This first-in-its-class “functional” product provides live probiotics similar to those found in kefir and kombucha, but in a fluid milk formulation. The lactose-free milk has an extended, 60-day shelf life.
Kemp’s® Smooth Cottage Cheese – Also developed with the kid consumer in mind, this novel product formulation packs the protein of cottage cheese with the smooth texture, fruity flavor, and convenient packaging of yogurt.
Plugra® Spreadable Butter -- Plugra, a Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) brand specializing in European-style dairy processing, has developed a spreadable butter product that rivals margarine in its spreadability and convenient, tub-style packaging, but is 100% American-sourced, real dairy butter.
Cheeseboard Snacking Bar – The creaminess of California cheese is paired with fruits, nuts, and spices in a convenient package. Cheeseboard Snacking Bars provide a charcuterie-style experience to consumers on the go with flavors like apricot pistachio mozzarella and cranberry walnut mozzarella.
True Scoops® DIY ice cream mixes – This first-of-its-kind powdered ice cream mix provides an at-home ice-cream-making experience in a few simple steps. By just adding a single ingredient (half-and-half), blending and chilling, consumers can make their own tasty ice cream in vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate flavors. The product line also includes at-home mixes for hot fudge and salted butterscotch sauce. It has become popular in corporate gifting, subscription boxes, and gift boxes, because it offers a convenient, shelf-stable means to gift ice cream.
Spylt caffeinated chocolate milk – Chocolate milk meets the energy drink market with Spylt, a caffeinated chocolate milk product packaged in an energy-drink-style aluminum can. The shelf-stable drink provides a caffeine boost and 20 grams of protein, with just 1 gram of sugar and 90 calories, in each 11-oz. can.
Many of these new products are available on a regional basis only, but all of the manufacturers hope to expand their scale and reach with growing consumer demand.
