Holiday Meal Planning Increases Demand For Specialized Dairy Products

(December 5, 2007) With milk production across the U.S. up significantly from a year ago, processors are constantly working to increase milk consumption through new and innovative dairy products, according to the International Dairy Foods Association’s Ruth Saunders. Speaking in Wednesday’s DairyLine broadcast, Saunders said that, in the holiday season we see this more than ever.

Holiday meal planning increases the demand for specialized dairy products and dairy foods of all kinds, she said, from staples like sour cream and butter to more specialized products like eggnog and holiday flavored ice creams.

Research shows that eggnog sales actually surpass flavored milk sales during the holiday season, according to Saunders, who reported that processors have successfully captured this consumer interest by introducing wider varieties of eggnogs and making them available earlier in the year.

Processors offer seasonal products such as pumpkin spice and chocolate mint milks in addition to eggnog, according to Saunders, and, in the frozen food aisle, ice cream flavors such as peppermint stick and gingerbread are holiday favorites.

“This tremendous growth and popularity of seasonal dairy products is the result of on-going consumer research, product development, and marketing by dairy processors across the country,” Saunders said, and “As the U.S. milk supply continues to grow, these innovative efforts to offer seasonal dairy products to consumers is important to keep demand for farm milk strong.”

The future of U.S. milk production and the issues and trends surrounding the dairy industry here and abroad will be the central themes in IDFA's upcoming 2008 Dairy Forum. This meeting will be held January 20-23 in La Quinta , California and attract dairy producers, processors, and cooperative leaders.

The meeting consists of three days of general sessions and panel discussions covering topics such as the 2008 elections, global dairy markets, federal order reform, and the new Farm Bill. This year's program will also feature discussions on global business prospects and trends with the Chairmen and CEOs of international companies, such as Fonterra, Arla, and Campina.

Program highlights also include sessions on the future of the federal order system with Agriculture Department dairy market administrators. For more information and to register, log on to www.idfa.org.

Differences over potential added amentment have been keeping the Senate from passing a new farm bill but the logjam may be broken this week. National Milk's, Chris Galen, has an update for us on tomorrow's DairyLine broadcast and Select Sires has its weekly "Reproductive Moment" in our second half.