Dairy
Dairy Insights
Our experts discuss emerging trends shaping the dairy space.
Allison Leibovich
Business Development Manager, Dairy Alternatives
Health is a key theme. While protein fortification is the top ask in plant-based; in conventional dairy, the focus is on added sugars.
Christine Addington
Enterprise Customer Technical Lead
Protein remains the big gap. Most plant-based alternatives have just a gram or two, well below the 8 grams in conventional milk.
Jana Mauck
Category Marketing Manager, Snacks & Cereal
The other concern in plant-based is saturated fat. Our FATitudes™ research finds “no saturated fat” is a top claim that consumers seek.
Allison Leibovich
Business Development Manager, Dairy Alternatives
There’s space in these categories for over-the-top indulgence, and major brands continue to launch premium products catering to that demand.
Formulation Tips
Sugar Reduction
Christine Addington
Enterprise Customer Technical Lead
Flavored milks may have 25 added sugar grams per serving – half the FDA’s recommended daily intake. Many plant-based products face the same challenge.
Regina Draper
Principal Food Scientist
Our Gerkens® Sweety cocoa powders are low in bitterness, with strong, well-balanced chocolatey flavors and a sweet perception – so less sugar is needed.
Christine Addington
Enterprise Customer Technical Lead
Sugar reduction is a big consideration. Our EverSweet® stevia sweetener + ClearFlo™ natural flavor delivers the most sugar-like flavor profile yet, with minimal linger.
Dairy Alternatives
Christine Addington
Enterprise Customer Technical Lead
Historically, solubility and flavor kept plant-protein in single digits. PURIS® Pea Protein 2.0 enables brands to go much higher and deliver on sensory expectations.
Jana Mauck
Category Marketing Manager, Snacks & Cereal
We’ve made significant advances with Go!Drop® smart fat solution. It more closely mimics animal-based fats, with an improved nutritional profile.
Christine Addington
Enterprise Customer Technical Lead
EverSweet® + ClearFlo™ brings flavor-modifying properties that help mask off-notes from other ingredients in the formula, as well as indulgent, creamy mouthfeel.
Specialty Ingredients
Mark Fahlin
Category Marketing Manager, Health & Nutrition/Dairy
SimPure™ soluble rice flour is an ingredient you’ll only find from Cargill, and it’s the only one-to-one, label-friendly alternative to maltodextrin.
Christine Addington
Enterprise Customer Technical Lead
Salt is important for flavor and sweet/salty balance. Brands are choosing sea salt or Pink Himalayan salt, leveraging favorable perceptions to signal a more-premium product.
Regina Draper
Principal Food Scientist
We’ve worked to optimize cocoa powders for specific plant-based beverages. For almond bases, it’s Gerkens® Floret; for oat-based beverages, it’s Gerkens® Russet.
The Future of Dairy
Christine Addington
Enterprise Customer Technical Lead
Plant-based milk alternatives are the gateway to other categories. Ingredients like Go!Drop and PURIS® Pea Protein 2.0 support the next round of innovation.
Mark Fahlin
Category Marketing Manager, Health & Nutrition/Dairy
Producing whey and casein proteins through precision fermentation might be the holy grail. These ingredients have potential anywhere whey protein is currently used.
Christine Addington
Enterprise Customer Technical Lead
The FDA’s willingness to look at standards of identity (SOI) for foods where salt is permitted may allow sodium reduction with ingredients like potassium salt.
Jana Mauck
Category Marketing Manager, Snacks & Cereal
Taste is always first, but nutrition – and increasingly, sustainability – factor into consumer decisions. The dynamic dairy space remain one to watch.
Download the 2024 report, What’s Hot in Dairy & Dairy Alternatives, for more details.
Delightful Dairy Prototypes
Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
The ultimate in permissible indulgence. PURIS® pea protein and Go!Drop smart fat solution lay the groundwork for a rich, creamy treat, while EverSweet® stevia sweetener and Zerose® erythritol keep sugars in check. Our oat-based, chocolate-flavored confectionery coating and Pink Himalayan salt add the finishing touch.
Vegan Cheese Alternative Sauce
Customers give this great-tasting, cheese alternative sauce high marks. Label-friendly formulation includes just nine familiar ingredients, including Clear Valley® high oleic sunflower oil and PURIS® pea protein.
Coffee-Creamer Bomb
A delicious, multi-sensory indulgence, with a white-chocolate-flavored confectionery shell and foaming excitement. Stevia-sweetened treat has only 45 calories and 4 grams of added sugar.