The best way to succeed in any industry is to fully understand your product. Cheese is no different. In comparison to other segments of the food industry, cheese is a difficult product to produce, combining highly evolved science, including microbiology, chemistry, enzymology and biochemistry, with skilled “art”. To be successful, the microbiology aspect includes having a solid understanding of beneficial starter culture bacteria as well as non-beneficial spoilage type bacteria, yeast, molds and disease-causing pathogenic …

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A growing preference for natural, authentic cheeses and continued demand for convenience are reshaping the cheese industry. In recent years, marketer positioning of cheese as a natural and protein-packed alternative to processed snacks in the shelf-stable aisles has made cheese a growing contender for the snacking dollar. Brands have been capitalizing on this opportunity by packaging their cheese in more convenient forms for on-the-go snacking for adults and children.

The evolution of cheese into a …

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Marketers are aggressively trying to spur and meet demand for what many consumers look for in cheese: dairy goodness, indulgence, and new flavor experiences. Flavors continue to be bolder, more diverse (both sweet and savory), and more artisanal. The range of specialty products keeps expanding, and consumers seek out authenticity as a sign of higher quality. At the same time, consumers continue to demand convenience, so cheese manufacturers are introducing products and packaging that are …

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Imagine cheese carefully handcrafted by someone trained in a top artisanal cheesemaking course in Wisconsin. The individual is so passionate about cheeses that each vat of curd is stirred by hand, and the product is closely monitored throughout the entire cheesemaking process.

Their mission is to preserve the working landscape of their small hometown through flavors and traditional processes. It is an art. And this story makes the cheese that much more enjoyable to the …

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FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb says the FDA is “actively” exploring whether consumers are being misled by the use of terms such as “milk” or “yogurt” to describe plant-based nondairy products. But reports from April 23 point out the FDA’s silence on this issue in recent years may make it trickier to take action without new data.

Gottlieb told a Senate panel on April 24 that federal standards define milk as a product sourced from animals, …

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For many of us, milk and dairy foods were the cornerstone of healthy eating while growing up. When I was a child, a glass of cold milk was a staple around my family dinner table, and I passed along the tradition to my own children. But a significant number of kids and families don’t have the same access to milk and other dairy foods, which means they are missing out on essential nutrients and many …

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