Chobani is expanding its Idaho yogurt facility. The national fluid milk promotion board gets some new appointees. Cooperatives Working Together assists with export sales. ‘Acres and Avenues’ launches a second year. New FDA labels may not be too sweet for dairy. This and other U.S. dairy industry news can be found here.
Chobani feeds southern Idaho's manufacturing industry
Chobani’s $100 million expansion at the world’s largest yogurt manufacturing facility in Twin Falls, Idaho is helping fuel southern Idaho’s growing manufacturing industry, according to the Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization (SIEDO).
Chobani’s most recent expansion in production lines and product development brings its total investment in Twin Falls to nearly $750 million.
That has served as a draw for other manufacturing companies like Fabri-Kal, which recently invested $50 million in a new 100,000-square-foot facility in Burley to provide yogurt cups to Chobani. Additionally, Clif Bar & Company will open its first 275,000-square-foot Clif Bar Baking Company in Twin Falls this summer, a $90 million investment.
These three businesses have created nearly 6,000 direct and indirect jobs and have an annual $1.8 billion economic impact on the southern Idaho region, according to SIEDO.
Other food-related manufacturers investing in southern Idaho include Glanbia Foods, McCain Foods, Davisco and Calva/Brewster.
The region’s strength in food manufacturing has been recognized at the federal level. In 2015, southern Idaho was one of four regions in the country to receive a national stamp of approval by the U.S. Department of Commerce with a Manufacturing Community Designation in the food category. The recognition puts Southern Idaho’s economic dominance in food production, processing and science into the global and national spotlight.
Six named to fluid milk promotion board
USDA secretary Tom Vilsack appointed six members to the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board. Their three-year terms begin July 1.
Newly appointed members are: Stephen Jones, Chicago, Illinois (Region 4); and Paul Corney, Dallas, Texas (at-large, processor).
Reappointed were: James Walsh, Lynnfield, Massachusetts (Region 1); Alan J. Bernon, Kansas City, Missouri (Region 7); Jeffrey M. Springer, Dallas, Texas (Region 10); and Brian DeFelice, Orrville, Ohio (at-large, processor).
The 20-member board develops and administers a coordinated program of advertising and promotion to increase the demand for fluid milk products. Programs are funded by a mandatory $0.20 per hundredweight assessment on all fluid milk processed and marketed commercially in consumer-type packages in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia. Processors who commercially process and market 3 million pounds or less per month, excluding those fluid milk products delivered to the residence of a consumer, are exempt from assessments.
Cooperatives Working Together aids dairy product exports
In its final two announcements for May, Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) accepted 14 requests for export assistance to sell about 3.04 million pounds of cheddar, gouda and Monterey Jack cheese; 813,500 pounds of butter and 88,185 pounds of whole milk powder (WMP) to customers in Asia, the Middle East, Oceania and South America.
Bids were accepted from Foremost Farms, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Association, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) and Tillamook County Creamery Association.
Year-to-date, CWT-assisted sales are equivalent of 541.1 million pounds of milk (milkfat basis).
Dairy checkoff’s ‘Acres and Avenues’ video series launches second season
The dairy checkoff’s “Acres and Avenues” online video series, designed to help people reconnect with dairy farmers, launched its second season on June 1.
"Acres and Avenues" chronicles the unique cultural exchange and job shadow experience between dairy farmers and millennials. Two episodes were created last year.
In the new season, Episode 3, titled “Urban Tattoos Meets Modern Farm Technology,” features Virginia dairy farmers Laura and Scott Flory and California tattoo artist and hair stylist Christine Barnum. Barnum learns about the farm’s use of technology, including robotic milkers, and the Flory’s overall approach to sustaining a seventh-generation family farm.
Later in June, Episode 4 (“Dairy Family Legacy Puts Social Famer to Work”) pairs Florida dairy farmer Sutton Rucks and his daughter Lindsey with Flula Borg, a comedian/actor with a significant social media following. Borg visits the Rucks’ farm and learns about the work ethic and values required to operate a third-generation dairy, highlighted by Lindsey’s commitment to rearing calves and the dairy sharing its story through farm tours.
Created by Dairy Management Inc., you can see the episodes at www.acresandavenues.org.
Will new FDA label make sweetened dairy products villains?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released its nutrition facts side panel for all packaged foods and beverages. A new requirement of the redesigned panel is the labeling of “added sugars” in both grams and as a percent of suggested daily value intake. Although it is still too early to tell exactly how the added sugar label on sweetened dairy products will be perceived by consumers, industry leaders are concerned consumers will only focus on the added sugar component and not on the nutrient-rich value of dairy foods.
The most common sweetened dairy products are flavored milks, eggnog, yogurts and ice cream, according to Cary Frye, International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) vice president for regulatory and scientific affairs.
The Nutrition Facts label will go into effect July 26, 2018 for food and beverage manufacturers with sales greater than $10 million. Companies with sales lower than $10 million will have an additional year to comply with the new rules.
Read the full Progressive Dairyman article.
Cheese chemistry detects ‘authentic’ Parmesan
A research group in Italy said it has devised a chemical test to help determine the authenticity of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The researchers' results are published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
According to the report, cyclopropane fatty acid (CPFA) is not produced by bacteria inside cows fed diets enforced by European cheese laws. However, CPFAs are produced by cows fed ensiled feed. Thus, detecting CPFA in cheese serves as a telltale fingerprint that it is not authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano, the research group said.
Companies and products
News concerning dairy processors and products:
• Prairie Farms is launching its own line of organic milk, sourced from farms certified organic by the USDA National Organic Program, and by Validus, a leading independent animal welfare auditor. Prairie Farms Organic Milk is offered in three varieties: whole, reduced-fat and fat-free in gallon and half-gallon paper cartons. They and can be found in retail outlets throughout the Midwest.
• Missouri-based Hiland Dairy released new summer flavored milks for use in iced coffees, smoothies and homemade ice cream. New flavors include Sea Salt Caramel, Chocolate Truffle and Honey Cookie. Founded in 1938, the company operates processing facilities in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
• Walmart will get real estate and equipment tax breaks of about $10.7 million over 10 years on its new $165 million fluid milk processing plant near Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Allen County Council approved the tax abatements on the 250,000-square-foot facility first announced in March, according to the News Sentinel.
• Colorado-based Horizon, a brand of WhiteWave Foods, released two new certified-organic milk products, chocolate Protein Plus and lactose-free Vitamin-D milk. A 10-ounce container of Protein Plus contains 15 grams of protein, about 50 percent more than regular milk, with a suggested retail price of $2.99.
• Vietnam-based Vinamilk will acquire the remaining 30 percent stake in California’s Driftwood Dairy for $3 million. Vinamilk initially acquired a 70 percent share of the company, located in El Monte, California, in December 2014.
• A $100 million Kraft Heinz investment in a Minnesota cheese plant will get a $450,000 loan from the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The loan will be be forgiven if the company meets hiring and investment goals. Construction includes the addition of four production lines, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. The expansion will accommodate production of Velveeta processed cheese to the plant, a production line that ended at the plant in 2012.
• Wisconsin-based Sargento Foods Inc. promoted William (Bill) Bartnik to vice president of manufacturing in the operations division. He has been with the company for 16 years, including serving as Plymouth plant manager for the past 11 years.
• The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) named Kari Skibbie as new manager of dairy company communications. A licensed Wisconsin cheesemaker, Skibble will work with the state’s dairy and cheese companies to integrate marketing campaigns and provide targeted support. PD
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Dave Natzke
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