Innovation Plays A Key Role For The Dairy Checkoff

The dairy checkoff continues to work to build trust and drive sales, all while being powered by innovation.  Staying relevant means reimagining what milk can be. Anne Marie Splitstone, an Executive Vice President of Partnerships at Dairy Management, Inc., shares how the dairy checkoff team got started working on milk innovation and why this work matters to farmers.

“Back in 2015 there was a lot of discussion about, what should we be doing to really revitalize fluid milk and really focus on slowing the declines that we were seeing? So the main goal of pulling together a group of farmers and experts on revitalizing the category was really kind of twofold: how to drive milk as milk, and then how to drive milk as an ingredient in a value-added sort of way," she said.  "One of the ways was starting a number of partnerships and understanding the power of brands to really drive the category. And that’s where a lot of our partnerships in the fluid milk arena started.”

Milk 50

Silvia Robles,  Vice President of Partnerships at Dairy Management Inc., shares more about a checkoff partnership with Dairy Farmers of America that resulted in the recent launch of Milk 50.

“DMI and DFA have had a long-standing ten-year partnership," Robles noted.  "And as part of the partnership in 2022, we tested some initial new product concepts, and then Milk 50 emerged as a nugget of an idea. Milk 50 was two years in the making. We needed to land what was the right combination of protein and carbs that would be compelling to consumers and still get to that 50-calorie concept. Stay tuned as we continue to track the launch and see how it’s doing in the market.”

Dairy Is Working To Meet The Needs Of All Consumers

Meeting consumer demand for food and beverages that deliver health benefits remains a key checkoff strategy.  Dairy is well-suited to meet these demands, which will help drive increased milk sales, according to Robles.

“Dairy is a complete protein, so it’s well-suited for multiple needs, beyond just building muscles and aiding and satiating society, for weight management," Robles said.  "And then lactose-free dairy is a solution for those who are suffering from digestive issues. So, it’s really no surprise then that lactose-free and a higher-protein, low-sugar dairy are really the segments that are driving gains in fluid milk.”

A Roadmap For Growth

Dairy farmers’ investment in checkoff is helping accelerate innovation and drive sales of milk.

“It is a wonderful time for dairy and for dairy innovation in particular," she said.  "We have the roadmap for growth. We have the tools to inspire and accelerate innovation. We have the dairy credentials to win in the marketplace, and we have an energized team. So, there couldn’t be a better time than now to be innovating in dairy.”

Learn more by visiting the Dairy Checkoff's Website.

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