U.S. Dairy Ingredient Innovations Play to Global Consumer Interests at IFT 2012

Vegas Action to Center on Flavorful, Nutritious Ideas Highlighted by the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Visitors to booth 1458 will discover the nutritional and functional payoff dairy ingredients provide to solve many of today’s formulation challenges.

11 Apr 2012 — Demand for U.S. dairy continues to climb worldwide as food and beverage formulators discover the many ways dairy ingredients can help innovate products. Hot trends range from consumer interest in protein, sodium reduction and simple ingredient labels to products supporting healthy aging. At the upcoming 2012 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo, June 25 to 28 in Las Vegas, the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) will highlight the numerous advantages of incorporating U.S. dairy ingredients in food and beverage applications.

Visitors to booth 1458 will discover the nutritional and functional payoff dairy ingredients provide to solve many of today’s formulation challenges. Through dairy producer checkoff funded activities and affiliated organizations, USDEC connects industry with valuable resources such as the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, Dairy Research Institute, Dairy Management Inc. and the National Dairy Council. Representatives from these organizations, with expertise in dairy nutrition, product and application research, will be on hand to share technical insights on best ways to add value or improve products using dairy ingredients.

On-trend prototypes developed for this year’s show include:

•             Snacking with protein – Spacing out higher protein intakes can provide optimal nutritional benefits. Dairy proteins are ideally suited for novel snacks – highlighted by prototypes including a savory Greek yogurt and a dairy “chew”

•             Sodium reduction – Whether it is baked goods or beverages, a dairy ingredient naturally derived from milk, known as permeate, provides salty flavor characteristics while helping to keep sodium content down – demonstrated through a cracker and rehydration beverage prototype

•             Simple labels – Dairy ingredients can not only offer a nutritional punch, but can also provide recognizable labels for increasingly discerning consumers – prototypes keeping it simple include a dairy dip and savory Greek yogurt

•             Healthy aging – Emerging research suggests that higher protein intakes may help preserve muscle in older adults – a frozen dairy novelty prototype or convenient dairy chew can serve up high quality dairy protein

Highlighting dairy-related presentations at IFT

A number of presentations at IFT 2012 feature dairy research and opportunities:

•             Life Cycle Assessment: From Farm to Table (June 27, 10:30 a.m., Room N114) — Life cycle assessments (LCAs) are increasingly being developed to measure the environmental impact of many types of products. This session includes a review of LCA research in dairy from “farm to table”— with examples of benefits and challenges that are relevant across the food industry including application to processing and packaging technologies, the role of the nutritive value of foods in the sustainability framework and future LCA and related research needs

•             Emerging New Dairy Ingredient Applications (June 27, 1:30 p.m. Room N114) — Researchers supported by the Dairy Research Institute have continued to develop new dairy ingredients with various benefits that can help deliver higher protein, better antimicrobials, and increased functionality. This symposium highlights these new dairy ingredients and showcases their benefits in various food and beverage applications

•             The “Real, Fresh, Natural Foods” Trend: How to Win With Consumers (June 28, Noon, 2012 IFT Food Expo Special Events Pavilion) — New research by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy provides insights into the growing consumer movement toward real, fresh and natural foods. Learn about the consumer segments driving this trend, their attitudes and motivations, what product, packaging and placement cues work for this audience, and how dairy products and dairy ingredients can help deliver what they’re looking for

•             Breakfast in the 21st Century (June 28, 1:15 p.m., Room N111) — Current patterns of foods consumed at breakfast and their contributions to energy, nutrient intakes and implications to diet quality in children and adults will be discussed as well as emerging research on the role of high-protein breakfasts on satiety and appetite. Consumer insights on attitudes and behaviors regarding breakfast consumption in and away from home will be highlighted as will ways to improve the healthfulness of breakfast choices