Guest Columns

Perspective:
Dairy Innovation

Expo West put dairy in innovation spotlight

Marla Buerk

Marla Buerk is executive vice president of innovation at Dairy Management Inc., Rosemont, Illinois. She contributes this column exclusively for Cheese Market News®.

After spending a busy four days at Natural Products Expo West, my takeaway is this: Dairy has never been more ripe for innovation, and this is the type of event where our industry needs to continue being heard from.

There is nothing like Expo West. It is the country’s leading trade show for the natural, organic and healthy products industry with more than 65,000 attendees in a high-energy setting. Everywhere you looked, you saw food industry professionals, investors, entrepreneurs and leaders from consumer-packaged goods and major retail companies making their way around exhibits and educational sessions.

Yet, for too many years, dairy has not had a strong presence at this event, but a shift has been happening when last year our Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) team hosted a booth and educational session at Expo West for the first time. The positive reception we received and the opening of doors to dairy innovation possibilities made it an easy decision to return for this year’s event in Anaheim, California, March 4-7.

And just as it was last year, people came to see what the dairy buzz is all about. Our objective is to help inspire and prove to global food and beverage brands — as well as dairy companies — that real dairy can be a hero in a multitude of products using our ingredients and the products themselves. Not only does dairy deliver on taste and value, but it provides health and wellness benefits and clean labels that consumers are looking for.

DMI combined efforts with the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) for a collective “Innovate with U.S. Dairy” approach that showcased dairy’s potential through new products, including some already in the marketplace.

We highlighted our successful partnership with General Mills with samples of YoBark, a refrigerated snack that blends yogurt with Nature Valley granola in a stand-up pouch. We also invited Alise Sjostrom, a Minnesota dairy farmer and CEO of Redhead Creamery, who brought samples of artisanal cheeses, and we had representatives from a company that makes low-carb, high-protein cheesecakes. CMAB generated more attention with samples of milk-based energy shots, cheeses, kefir and gelato.

What makes Expo West unique is that this is where many food trends emerge and eventually take root. It was reassuring to speak with people who already recognize the value of trendy dairy ingredients such as whey protein, thanks to its rich protein content and appealing taste. So many conversations focused on consumers’ rising interest in protein, another opportunity that dairy, including cheese, is well poised to meet. Cheese is undermarketed from a health and wellness perspective, and many consumers don’t understand its benefits, including products that are fermented and cultured.

• Addressing women’s health

Beyond our booth, our educational session was one of the most rewarding aspects of Expo West. Our session, titled “What Women Really Want: Cracking the Code for Food and Beverages,” offered insights on how dairy can meet women’s health and wellness expectations.

This presentation is rooted in an extensive DMI-led survey with more than 12,000 consumers, which led to a surprising discovery: Over 50% of participants are dissatisfied with their food and beverage choices when it comes to delivering health and wellness benefits.

As our checkoff team took a deeper dive into the research, we recognized the distinct differences men and women have when it comes to their health. Obviously, there are physiological, biological, psychological and even social differences between men and women. But the research shined a light on how women historically have not been as open about their health as they should be.

Topics — especially weight management — were only discussed in whispers, and some women even opted not to share their concerns with doctors.

Thankfully, we’re seeing a shift in the conversation where women are more open about their health and the stigmas are fading, and empowerment and strength are emerging. Our message at Expo West was to showcase how dairy is positioned to be a solution in areas we know matter to women: sleep, weight management, bone health, skin health and muscle development, thanks to decades of checkoff-led research through National Dairy Council.

The opportunities are there for dairy, and it was great to see that the checkoff was far from the only dairy presence at Expo West.

It was reassuring to see other companies and entrepreneurs sharing the same message — dairy is more than a staple in the fridge; it has emerged as an innovation solution in the health and wellness conversation.

CMN

The views expressed by CMN’s guest columnists are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Cheese Market News®.

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