Milk and Cultured Dairy Conference 2014

7:30 - 8:30 a.m.

Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:30 - 9:15 a.m.

Welcome & Keynote Session

The dairy industry is under attack—from within and without—by waves of consumer activists, competitors in the marketplace and various external organizations—pushing a host of claims, promises, and, at best, incomplete science.  Their aims are to persuade consumers, food producers and governments that certain foods, ingredients and production practices are harmful to our health and/or environment.  Oftentimes, the arguments and tactics used are scary, biased, and based on cherry-picked science.  And sometimes, the politicians and regulators take the bait and fall victim to these misleading messages, which leads to burdensome and costly regulations being placed on dairy companies.  These companies—large and small—are having to spend huge sums of time, money and resources just to keep up with these regulations and marketplace trends, and some are even driven out of the market altogether, costing jobs in a time where employment is at a premium.  Consumers also pay a hefty price, through higher food costs and confusion over what a healthy, balanced diet looks like.  

Don’t miss this keynote address by distinguished food scientist and nutrition expert, Dr. Roger Clemens, as he delves into these issues, highlighting several recent examples, including sugars and fatty acids, which illustrate the challenges the dairy sector faces in responding and adapting to these forces.  Dr. Clemens will share key insights into these new regulatory paradigms and provide information you need to help your company withstand these waves of attack and keep afloat in the churning seas that are the milk and cultured dairy marketplace.

Speaker:  Roger Clemens, Dr.PH, Chief Science Officer, Horn and Adjunct Professor, USC School of Pharmacy, International Center for Regulatory Science

9:15 - 10:00 a.m.

From Idea To Execution – Cases In Business Model Generation

As Baby Boomers age and "Millennials" delay marriage, these two dominating consumer groups are shaping what has become a very large “smaller living” trend in America and are opening up new, uncontested and increasingly hard­-to-­find-­market space in an otherwise highly competitive, overcrowded global food and beverage industry.  The obvious question is “How can a processor continue ‘performing’ within its highly competitive base business of fluid white milk, while ‘reforming’ the operating model and its product offering?”  Attend this session and learn how.

Speaker: Suley Muratoglu, Vice President, Marketing & Product Management at Tetra Pak USA & Canada

10:00 - 10:15 a.m.

Break

10:15 - 11:15 a.m.

U.S. Food And Drug Administration Updates To Nutrition Facts Panel: Implications For Milk & Cultured Dairy

New nutrition labeling requirements are coming—are you ready?  This session will inform you about key aspects of FDA’s proposed rules to amend the Nutrition Facts panel that were released earlier this year.  A top official from FDA’s Nutrition and Labeling Office will provide an overview of the significant changes that include new declaration for “added sugars”; changes to serving size (RACC); required and permitted nutrients; changes to the Daily Values, including sodium; and revisions to the nutrition label format.  Learn how these rules will impact milk and cultured dairy products so you can start preparing for these changes now.

Speakers:
Claudine Kavanaugh, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA

Cary Frye, Vice President, Regulatory and  Scientific Affairs, IDFA

11:15 a.m. - noon

“Natural,” “Probiotic” And Other Claims: Regulatory/Legal Challenges And Opportunities

The food industry is under attack over a variety of claims and labeled ingredient declarations made by food companies.  In this session, you will hear from Joe Levitt, former FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) director and current IDFA outside legal counsel, on how these attacks threaten the dairy industry’s ability to conduct valuable research, make appropriate claims and label and market products truthfully.  Probiotics, “natural,” “lactose-free,.” “evaporated cane juice” and other controversial issues will be discussed.

Speaker: Joseph Levitt, Partner, Hogan Lovells US, LLP

Noon - 1:30 p.m.

Lunch

Advantages of Exopolysaccharide-Producing Cultures for the Dairy Industry 

As functional and “all natural” foods are gaining popularity, exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing cultures are becoming an attractive choice for product developers.  EPS-producing lactic acid bacteria have been (intentionally) used to modify the textural and functional properties of fermented milk for decades. They also provide functions that benefit reduced-fat cheeses and EPS used in cheese whey could enhance the functional properties of whey protein concentrate.  There is even demonstrated potential for EPS to help fight cancerous cells.  Don’t miss Dr. Hassan’s insights into these exciting new areas of dairy culture research.    

Speaker: Ashraf Hassan, Associate Professor of Dairy Science, South Dakota State University

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions
A. Milk –  New Milk Life Campaign

Come hear what all the buzz is about! Milk Life is a movement created to show how starting mornings with milk can help power the potential of every day. With 8 grams of high-quality protein in each 8 oz. glass, including milk at breakfast, can help you make the most of your day. Milk Life means wringing every last drop out of every single moment, and represents a way of living where milk helps power you to be your best. Learn more about this new campaign.

Speaker: Julia Kadison, CEO, MilkPEP

B. Cultured – Acid Whey Technology Solutions

Greek yogurt sales are booming, but yogurt makers are still left with the remains–acid whey—and demand from livestock farmers for this seemingly low-value by-product is running low.  Leading dairy processing researcher Dr. Karen Smith will share insights into cutting-edge technology developments for unlocking the potential of yogurt’s acid whey to become a money-maker.

Speaker: Karen Smith, Dairy Processing Technologist, Univ. of Wisconsin, Center for Dairy Research

3:30 - 3:50 p.m.

Break

3:50 - 4:30 p.m.

Formulating Texture and Flavors

Dairy product innovations continue to focus on taste, texture and nutritional benefits.  Manufacturers select processing, packaging and formulations all together to match consumer expectations.  Sugar and fat reduction, high protein and added nutrients are reoccurring focus areas for development work for dairy products, particularly milks.  When changes like these are made, natural ingredients (stabilizers, monk fruit juice) can be utilized to mimic the origin product drinking experience.  Formulations can also be modified to match texture, flavor, and sweetness expectations for new targeted consumer groups and different consumption occasions (school lunch, exercise recovery, indulgence, beverages, with coffee.)  

Speaker: Dr. Donna Klockeman, Senior Principle Food Scientist, TIC Gums, Inc.  

4:30 - 5:15 p.m.

Innovative Product Contest
Help judge the Most Innovative Milk or Dairy Beverage and Cultured Dairy Product Competition. Taste the latest new products and vote for your favorite!

Attendees are invited to send one entry per company for each contest. Awards will be given for:

• The most innovative milk or cultured dairy product (milk. flavored milk, cultured milk, yogurt (including Greek yogurt), Cottage cheese or dip)
• The most innovative milk or cultured dairy prototype flavor/product.

To submit a product for the contest, please complete and email the entry form to Paxton Styles at pstyles@idfa.org.  After we receive your entry form, we will contact you with entry guidelines and shipment information.

5:30 -7:00 p.m.

Networking Reception

The Expanding World of Lactose-Free Dairy Products

Be among the first to hear about an exciting new generation of lactose-free products and how they’re made. Traditionally confined to milk and ice cream, the world of “lactose-free” products is quickly expanding to include cottage cheese, yogurt, Greek yogurt, Kefir and other fermented and non-fermented creations. Better yet, new inroads are being made in using enzymatic reduction of lactose to increase sweetness in fluid milk, flavored milk and fermented milk products, allowing a reduction in added sugar. This session may be lactose-free, but it’s information-full!

Speakers: 
Adria Gennuso-Fuchs, MBA, Product Manager, CHR Hansen, Inc.

Mirjana Curic-Bawden, Ph.D., Senior Scientist/Application Manager, CHR Hansen, Inc.

General Session -- Faster than a Speeding Bullet: Responding to an Attack on Dairy in the New Social Media Environment

Is your company prepared for a social media attack?  Don’t let your firm get Pink Slimed -- join our top-notch panel of industry communication experts as they debate the pros and cons of strategies companies use to respond (or not) to public relations crises.  With each panelist bringing their own unique expertise, insights and real world experiences to the table, they will consider how consumers are likely to react and what it takes to regain credibility and trust . . . and avoid having to shutter your business.    

Moderator: Peggy Arnstrong, Vice President, Communications, International Dairy Foods Association

Panelists:
Mike Opperman, Director of Account Planning, Charleston Orwig

Colleen Parr Dekker, Director of Communications, Elanco

Probing Probiotics: Benefits, Applications & Regulations

Microbes are everywhere. In humans, some scientists consider them an additional organ, which can influence our health in a myriad of ways. Collectively, they are called a “microbiome.” Dairy foods containing probiotics can help shape the microbiome into a configuration that supports health. This session will delve into what we know and don’t know about probiotics, the regulatory challenges to conducting probiotic research, and how probiotics can affect human health. Join us for this informative foray into the world of probiotics and learn how supporting probiotic research can help inspire healthy new dairy products for consumers.

Speaker: Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., Consultant, Dairy & Food Culture Technologies

Now You See It, Now You Don’t…and Other Innovation Strategies:
Developing limited-edition and seasonal flavors of milk and cultured products is one approach to getting consumers to want to buy your product. Adding value in terms of health and wellness, as well as unique flavor combinations, is also becoming more common. See what successful brands are currently doing and brainstorm on the possibilities.

Speaker: Donna Berry, Consultant and Editor, Berry on Dairy 

Break

IDFA Late Breaking Regulatory Alerts
Being one of the most highly regulated food industries in the United States, dairy must comply with regulations issued by an array of federal, state and local regulatory bodies.  While the intent of these new rules may be to make food safer, people healthier or trade fairer, new regulations and trade restrictions also add to the already burdensome regulatory and business environments for the industry.  Join us for this update on key issues IDFA staff are currently engaged in on behalf of the milk and cultured dairy sectors, including: implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), FDA’s milk testing activities, U.S. sugar import policy, and other recent and late-breaking issues impacting your industry.  

Speaker: John Allan, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & International Standards, International Dairy Foods Association