2022 DAIRY TRENDS
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FOR 2022 E-Commerce Remains Strong But Not for Dairy
Spread It Around
The trend towards both clean label and sustainable products continues to increase, and consumers are taking these factors into consideration when making purchasing decisions. To this end, Anchor, the consumer brand of New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra, recently introduced New Zealand Organic Butter, which is certified carbon zero. New Zealand has one of the lowest on-farm carbon footprints in the world, making Anchor uniquely qualified to offer consumers a butter option that helps reduce their environmental impact.
Milk for Cats … and Dogs?
The Natural Pet Food Group recently rolled out K9 Natural and Feline Natural Pet Milk, a milk that comes from free-range, grass-fed New Zealand cows and is treated with lactase so pets can easily digest it. It is boosted with taurine to aid the heart, eye health and immune function, as well as flaxseed oil to help maintain a shiny, itch-free coat. The product is the first of its kind in the North American pet milk category, according to Laela Johnson, brand manager. “Our passion is pet health and making sure healthy habits, like staying hydrated, are extended to the furry members of our family,” she said. 32 • Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc.
According to research firm IRI, consumers, many of whom started shopping for food online during the height of the pandemic, continue to keep e-commerce going strong at the grocery store. However, shoppers are reluctant to let in-store shoppers select their produce and date-sensitive items like dairy products. Stay tuned to see if this changes, as companies work to further improve the e-commerce shopping experience.
What’s Clean Label? It’s Not That Simple
The term “clean label” has become more common in the dairy industry, as consumers are prioritizing the health of both the planet and themselves. Clean label products are defined as food products that have a limited number of ingredients – and those ingredients are simple, not highly processed, and derived from natural sources. They do not contain additives or preservatives. In simpler terms, they are ingredients that consumers can understand and recognize – for example, “cream” versus “microparticulated whey protein concentrate.” Other definitions of clean label refer to products that are certified organic and/or contain non-GMO ingredients. Clean label is part of a movement that is associated with foods being more natural. However, there is no specific regulations or legal definition to classify the term, so it can mean different things to different people.
