08/09/07 Value added milk

Today's consumers often look for something extra in the foods they buy. In the case of milk that something extra might be an added ingredient that aids digestion or protects hearth health according to Dairy Management's Gail Barnes. BARNES "Milk-plus would really describe it. Milk in more places, milk in different packages, or milk combined with other nutrient-rich ingredients or products." Barnes says research shows some consumers want milk and dairy products to help meet specific health concerns. Dairy Management Inc handles the dairy checkoff and DMI's chairman Paul Rovey says the checkoff is what is fostering innovation with value added milk. ROVEY "It is one of the excellent examples of how we're meeting unmet demand and creating new dairy markets and new dairy consumption for the benefit of all of us dairy producers in the country. We are creating lifelong dairy consumers by offering them quality products in the package, where they want it, when they want it, and how they want it." Rovey says he's excited about the potential for value added milk because the dairy checkoff research shows this category offers producers a marketing opportunity of up to four billion pounds in new fluid milk sales. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott