Thursday, July 4, 2013

Milk. Cheese. Yogurt. A Great Way to Start Your Day!

Many Daily Dose of Dairy subscribers are vacationing this week, as I do receive your automated out-of-office email notification. But the above industry average open and click-thru analytics remain consistent, which suggests that like the cows who work 24-7, many of us in the dairy industry do the same. Thanks for being a loyal reader.

I, too, am vacationing (while working), and am currently with my family in a remote area of Florida. Prior to the R&R portion, I had the opportunity to speak on dairy product trends at the Florida Dairy Farmer’s summer board meeting in Sarasota last week. I was thrilled and honored to be able to start my vacation with a group of folks dedicated to the dairy industry.

Many thanks to this organization and a special kudos to them for their inspirational “Back to Breakfast” campaign that encourages consumption of milk, cheese and yogurt at the morning meal. Foodservice establishments in the state take it seriously. The breakfast buffet at my resort in paradise includes many options of all three. (See photos.)

During the past week, a number of new products debuted in all three categories. Check these out:









This is number-four (of five) for the special limited-edition flavored milks for Shatto Milk Company to commemorate its 10th anniversary of providing world-class milk to the Kansas City region. Each flavor is presented in a unique half-liter bottle featuring a fun word or story associated with the flavor. However, based on the success and rate of these flavors rolling out, I would not be surprised if there are a few extra surprises around the winter holidays.
 
The fourth wildly anticipated flavor—Apple Pie Milk-- made its debut for the Independence Day holiday. Only 4,000 “INDIE” bottles were created. Fans of the limited-edition flavor need to act quickly as the Apple Pie Milk in these limited-edition bottles are “as supplies last!” Once the limited bottles are gone, the Apple Pie Milk will be offered until mid to late July in the normal pint bottles.

To read more about the three flavors that debuted earlier this year, click on their name: SMOOCHLUCKY and THANKS.


Cheese can now be part of a breakfast-on-the-go with Old Fashioned Cheese’s convenient Snack Packs. Three varieties are available, all of which combine the great taste of cheddar cheese cubes with a healthy side, including dried cranberries, raisins or almonds. Each package contains three single-serve packs of 0.65 ounces of cheese and 0.5 ounces of nuts or fruit.

The folks at Chobani deserve a vacation after this rollout. The company is adding 14 trendsetting flavors to its Greek yogurt product portfolio, including 6-ounce cups of Chobani Greek Yogurt, Chobani Flip Greek Yogurt, Chobani Bite Greek Yogurt and Chobani Champions Greek Yogurt Tubes and Cups. The new flavors were developed based on a combination of fan requests and an exploration of new exotic ingredients.

To celebrate the spectrum of new flavors, Chobani will encourage fans to tune into social channels for a Month of Flavor. Consumers can check Facebook, Twitter and Instagram every day in July to guess #WTFlavor will be featured next. The first consumers to correctly guess the flavor of the day on Instagram and Twitter will be rewarded with a free case of the new assortment.

“Our new products are designed to surprise and delight consumers--welcoming some to Greek yogurt for the first time through a familiar format like our blended yogurt, challenging the taste buds of others with exotic and trending ingredients like chia seeds and ginger, and servicing new occasions like snacking and mindful treats in order to help expand the category,” says John Heath, senior vice president of innovation at Chobani. “We know that the yogurt market in America is just beginning; European consumers eat up to seven and a half times more yogurt per capita. So this launch, and every launch, for Chobani is about giving people new and exciting ways of experiencing our Greek yogurt.”

Chobani Flip Greek Yogurt: A dynamic pairing of authentic strained Greek yogurt complemented by the finest mix-ins nature has to offer, the newest flavors of Chobani Flip are inspired directly from the unique yogurt creations served at Chobani SoHo, the brand’s innovative retail store in New York City. Using ingredients such as chia seeds, hemp seeds and pistachios, the four new varieties push the boundaries of yogurt creativity. They are:

Blueberry Power--Blueberry nonfat Greek yogurt with chia seeds, hemp seeds and walnuts (a combination inspired by Chobani founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya’s daily breakfast)

Nutty for Nana--Banana low-fat Greek yogurt with honey roasted salted almonds and dark chocolate

Peachy Pistachio--Peach low-fat Greek yogurt with pistachio and dark chocolate

Tropical Escape--Pineapple coconut low-fat Greek yogurt with toasted coconut, hazelnut and granola

Chobani Bite Greek Yogurt: Two new crave-worthy flavors turn snacking into a mindful indulgence. Featuring elevated flavor combinations of Honey with Ginger and Mint with Dark Chocolate Chips, each convenient 3.5-ounce cup of Chobani Bite contains 100 calories and 8 grams of protein for a satisfying, sink-your-teeth-into snack any time of day.

Chobani Champions Greek Yogurt: This line of Greek yogurt for kids is made with only natural ingredients and real fruit, and offers a good source of vitamin D and protein. The new offerings are:

Chobani Champions Flyin’ Dragon Fruit Greek Yogurt Tubes are a grab-and-go way to feed the imagination and explore new ingredients with kids. The exotic fruit from the cactus family tastes like a refreshing blend of kiwi, pear, watermelon and mango with a decidedly tropical twist.

In addition, two popular Chobani Champions Tube flavors--Blueberry and Strawberry--are now available in 3.5-ounce cups, giving kids access to a nutritious snack with or without a spoon.

Chobani Greek Yogurt 6-ounce Cups: Fans inspired the newest additions, which are:

Fruit-on-the-bottom--Low-fat Apricot and nonfat Blackberry
Blended--Low-fat Coconut, low-fat Key Lime and low-fat Orange Vanilla
  
In closing, I would like to share one thought and a comment I recently received via a LinkedIn connection.

The latter goes first. In response to a query early this year of “Do you work in the dairy industry because it’s a job or do you believe it is your job to work in the dairy industry?” this executive responded, “I’ve had the privilege of managing the best workforce in the world. As a group, dairy workers are focused and motivated on consumer food safety…workers that work when the cows work, 24/7-365. Believe me, I’ve managed other companies in the food and beverage industry, and the team work in dairy is without comparison.”

With that said, I leave you with this final thought as you celebrate this summer holiday weekend: Milk is the only food that can be converted to many varied foods through the use of minimal processing and a few simple ingredients. Think cheese, yogurt, butter and ice cream.

Happy Summer!



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