Probiotic Yogurt Cheese Introduced

News EditorCheese, Health, Industry News, Yogurt

Applegate Farms, has introduced Yogurt Cheese with probiotics. The product is a pre-sliced cheese that contains probiotics, beneficial microorganisms in the form of live active cultures.

Applegate Farms new yogurt cheese is made from yogurt that is certified with “live and active cultures,” having at least 100 million bacteria per gram at the time of manufacture. There are three main probiotic strains found in Applegate Farms Yogurt Cheese: Lactobacillus acidophilus; Bifidobacterium bifidus and Lactobacillus casei. Because these active cultures are not heated after fermentation, they retain their integrity throughout the cheese-making process.

“More and more studies are suggesting that digestive wellbeing will trump heart health as the number one health concern. The consumer is becoming increasingly aware of the decline in nutritional health and is constantly seeking easy and sensible ways to incorporate better foods and more nutrients in their diet, “said Steve McDonnell, Founder/CEO, Applegate Farms.

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms in the form of live active cultures. They are friendly bacteria that live in the digestive system and are believed to have a number of health benefits while making it difficult for harmful pathogens to survive.

Rockin' Refuel Developed by Shamrock

News EditorIndustry News, Milk

Shamrock Farms is excited to introduce what may be the first chocolate-milk based sports beverage. The beverage was developed after the release of a 2006 report by the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism reported released a study that indicated chocolate milk may work as well as sports drinks for recovering from strenuous exercise.

Rockin’ Refuel has 20 grams of protein and other ingredients the company says help repair and rebuild muscles after exercise.

Shamrock Farms marketing director Sandy Kelly said focus groups that have tried its chocolate-milk drink have had an “overwhelmingly positive” reaction.

“The concept of protein to rebuild muscles isn’t new. But to have an option as . . . desirable as chocolate milk is something consumers sparked to,” she said.

Weekly CWT Export Update

News Editorcwt, Export

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has announced their updated export bids for the past week.

Nine bids were accepted from Dairy Farmers of America of Kansas City, Mo., eight of them for the following AMF exports: 54 metric tons (119,050 lbs.) of to Panama, another 54 metric tons (119,050 lbs.) of to Panama, 18 metric tons (39,683 lbs.) to Panama, 72 metric tons (158,733 lbs.) to Mexico, 54 metric tons (119,050 lbs.) to Mexico, 36 metric tons (79,366 lbs.) to Mexico, 18 metric tons (39,683 lbs.) to Mexico, and 19 metric tons (41,888 lbs.) to Saudi Arabia. In addition, a ninth bid from DFA was accepted to export 40 metric tons (88,185 lbs.) of butter to Saudi Arabia.

Four bids were accepted from Darigold of Seattle, Wash., for the following butter exports:
400 metric tons (881,849 lbs.) and 200 metric tons (440,925 lbs.) to Egypt; 200 metric tons (440,925 lbs.) to Morocco; and 13 metric tons (28,660 lbs.) to Hong Kong.

Finally, one bid was accepted from United Dairymen of Arizona of Tempe, Ariz., for the export of 70.125 metric tons (154,599 lbs.) of butter to Egypt.

CWT will pay an export bonus to the bidders, only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.

With these accepted bids, CWT’s total 2008 export obligations are: butter, 19,437 metric tons (43 million lbs.); cheese, 1,351 metric tons (2.9 million lbs.); whole milk powder, 170 metric tons (374,000 lbs.); and anhydrous milkfat, 5,197 metric tons (11.5 million lbs.). The milk equivalent total of these products is 1.29 billion pounds.

Dairyline Markets in Review

Chuck ZimmermanDairyline, Markets

DairylineDairy Markets Week in Review
Cash block cheese continues to creep toward the $2 mark again but stopped short at $1.94, down 1 1/2-cents on the week but four cents above that week a year ago. Barrel closed at $1.9525, up two cents on the week and 10 1/4-cents above a year ago. Eight Cars of block traded hands on the week and none of barrel. The NASS-surveyed U.S. average block price hit $1.7686, up 5.1 cents. Barrel averaged $1.7702, up 6.1 cents.

Cash butter closed Friday at $1.7475, up 2 1/4-cents on the week and 43 1/4-cents above a year ago. Three Cars were sold. NASS butter averaged $1.6391, up 2.5 cents.

Cash Grade A and Extra Grade nonfat dry milk closed Friday at $1.10, down three cents on the week. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged $1.1597, down 5.4 cents, and dry whey averaged 21.54 cents, down 0.6 cent

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.

Subscribe To World Dairy Diary on Twitter

Chuck ZimmermanCompany Announcement

TwitterBesides subscribing to the RSS feed of World Dairy Diary we’ve now got another option for you. World Dairy Diary has its own Twitter feed.

If you’re not familiar with Twitter then you can learn more here. Basically, the news feed from World Dairy Diary will post updates to the Twitter feed. Additionally, we’ll use the Twitter feed for custom special text posts when we have breaking information or are on-location at an event.

So here’s the links for each way to subscribe:

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Two New Area Reps for Jersey

News EditorIndustry News

Congratulations to Patty Holbert, Magnolia, Ky. and Justin Edwards, Starkville, Miss. who have both has been named Area Representative for the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc. The USJersey field service team now has 11 full-time staff, just as the association is anticipating another record year for registrations and performance program enrollments.

Holbert joined the Jersey appraisal staff in February of 2004. She is a lifelong dairy producer, becoming owner of McDowell Farm after working with her grandfather and father for many years in operating the Registered Guernsey dairy. The farm now produces dairy replacement heifers and also beef cattle managed by her son Andy.

Patty was co-chair of the ninth World Guernsey Conference, held in March of 1998 in Louisville, Ky. She is currently a member of the dairy advisory committee for the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE), and previously served on the national show committee for the American Guernsey Association.

Her educational background includes coursework in accounting and dairy product manufacturing. She worked as a professional tax preparer with H&R Block, and most recently also operated a catering business.

Edwards holds a Bachelor of Science degree in animal and dairy science from Mississippi State University, with completion of his Masters degree anticipated shortly.

For the past five years, Edwards has worked on the university’s Bearden Dairy Research Center, becoming assistant herdsman in June 2005. In that position, he was responsible for day-to-day management of the 150-cow Holstein and Jersey herd, as well as training and supervising student employees. In addition to facilitating research trials using the dairy herd, Edwards conducted undergraduate lab classes and was teaching assistant for the basic course in reproduction and breeding.

As an undergraduate he was a member of the MSU team competing in Academic Quadrathlon, an event that tests students’ knowledge in management, nutrition and genetics in production animal agriculture, across all species.

A native of Forest, Mississippi, Edwards grew up on his family’s beef cattle stocker operation, with responsibility for herd health care and farm equipment maintenance.

Why China Matters to the U.S. Dairy Industry

News EditorExport, Industry News, Milk

The recent China milk scandal in China has put that country at the top of the news filter. But there is some positive news regarding China for the dairy industry – as told by Tom Quaife at Dairy Herd Management – simple put, China matters to the future of the U.S. dairy industry.

Song Kun Gang proposes a Chinese version of the 3-A-Day program: milk for breakfast, cheese for lunch and yogurt as a bedtime snack.

The affable chairman of the China Dairy Industry Association would like to see people consume more dairy. And, he certainly understands the need. He was 35 years old before he took his first drink of milk ― not because he resisted milk all those years, but because it wasn’t available. He grew up in an era where milk was rationed out to children, the sick and the elderly, mainly in urban areas. Chairman Song grew up in a rural area on a diet consisting of steamed bread and vegetables. All the while, he was aware that milk was available to a privileged few, so it must have outstanding nutritional benefits.

Today, milk is much more available in China. And, annual dairy consumption has risen to 53 to 56 pounds per person in the urban areas. Although that is less than one-tenth of U.S. consumption, the growth curve is quite high. Chairman Song predicts that dairy consumption in China will rise 15 to 17 percent annually over the next several years.

This should matter to you.

Unlimited potential

OK, you say, the domestic market here in the United States still carries the lion’s share of demand. But did you know that exports now account for about 11 percent of total U.S. dairy production on a total solids basis? That can make an important difference to your milk check.

Read More

Dannon Joins Children's Initiative

News EditorDairy Business, Media, Nutrition

Dannon has become the 15th major food and beverage company to join the Council of Better Business Bureau’s Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative.

The Initiative was launched in November 2006 by the Council of Better Business Bureaus to provide companies that advertise foods and beverages to children with a transparent and accountable advertising self-regulation mechanism. The Initiative is aimed at shifting the mix of advertising messaging directed to children under 12 to encourage healthier dietary choices and healthy lifestyles. The guidelines are based on a variety of sources including the FDA and World Health Organization.

This means 100% of TV and other advertising will be for foods with restricted fat content, caps on sodium and added sugars and minimum calcium requirements. The last shouldn’t be hard to meet, since Dannon makes yogurt and other dairy products.

Per initiative guidelines, the company will also restrict the use of licensed characters, agree not to advertise in schools, agree not to do any product placement in media targeted to kids under 12 and limit depictions of food in online gaming to those that meet nutritional criteria.

Childhood obesity and its related diseases — heart disease, diabetes, joint problems — are the top health threat facing the nation’s children, according to the Surgeon General, and could mean a shorter average life span for children than for their parents.

New Paper Questions Organic Superiority

News EditorOrganic, Research

Joseph D. Rosen, Ph.D., emeritus professor of Food Toxicology at Rutgers University and a scientific advisor to the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) has released a new paper that he claims has debunked attempts by organic agriculture to prove that organically grown crops are nutritionally superior to conventional ones. His research can be found here.

Dr. Rosen analyzed a pro-organic report by Charles Benbrook and colleagues at the Organic Trade Association’s Organic Center and found the data had been selectively chosen and presented to “prove” the desired point. Dr. Rosen’s report, Claims of Organic Food’s Nutritional Superiority: A Critical Review, was published today by ACSH.

In the original pro-organic paper, Benbrook and colleagues had stated that organic produce is 25% “more nutritious” than that produced by conventional agricultural practices. But when Dr. Rosen actually recalculated some of their data, correcting several inaccuracies, he concluded that the conventional products were actually 2% more nutritious than the organic varieties:

The Benbrook paper had claimed that organically grown vegetables had much more quercetrin (a precursor of the antioxidant quercetin) than conventional varieties. But the organic vegetables studied had been sprayed with an organic pesticide that greatly increases plants’ production of quercetrin — so of course they beat the conventional plants on that measure.

Dr. Rosen also points out that the organic proponents included data of dubious validity in their review. They used data from articles that were not peer-reviewed, and in one case included nutrient content from an analysis of whole kiwi fruits — both the inedible skin and the edible pulp, though this is not what the consumer would eat.

Dr. Rosen’s analysis demonstrates how organic proponents have, once again, used misleading and inappropriately-evaluated data to support their agenda. More details on Rosen’s own methods and conclusions may be found here.