8 Product Drops in Dairy

Dairy sales were up considerably at the start of the pandemic, helped by stay-at-home orders and remote learning for school-aged children, and the category’s success only continued well into the year.

“Dairy has been a pandemic powerhouse ever since the second week of March, with 23 weeks of consecutive double-digit increases,” said Abrielle Backhaus, research coordinator for the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association, in an IRI analysis of weekly sales of the category. “The three biggest categories in dollar sales—cheese, milk and yogurt—improved their week-over-week and year-over-year dollar performances. These staples underscore that America continues to consume many more meals at home, from breakfast, lunch and dinner to snacks and beverages.”

Innovation in these three categories, from value added and organic products to convenient packaging, could help keep the category growing as students return to school and adults return to work. Here are eight innovative products to have hit shelves recently.

Danone North America's Oikos is launching a collection of high-protein dairy products. Oikos Pro comes in both cup and bottle forms. The cups (SRP $1.59) have 20 grams of protein and come in Vanilla, Strawberry, Mixed Berry, Peach and Plain flavors, while the bottles (SRP $2.49) come in Strawberry Banana, Mixed Berry, Caramel Macchiato and Coffee, with 25 grams of protein each.

Laura Chenel has announced that a new line of 4-ounce Goat Cheese Logs will replace its 3.5-ounce Medallion Collection and 5.4-ounce Flavored Logs this spring. The new will come in eight flavors: Original, Orange Blossom Honey, Garlic & Chive, Kalamata Olive, Black Truffle, Fig & Grapefruit, Sun Dried Tomato & Basil and Cranberry. The line will have an SRP range of $5.49-$5.99.

The Laughing Cow from Bel Brands USA is debuting two new products: Laughing Cow Blends cheese spreads and Laughing Cow & Go portable cups. The cheese spreads contain eight pre-portioned wedges per container and come in three flavors: Chickpea & Cheese with Herb, Lentil & Cheese with Curry and Red Bean & Cheese with Paprika. The portable cups pair Laughing Cow’s original dippable cheese with breadsticks. Three varieties are available: Creamy Original with whole wheat breadsticks, Creamy White Cheddar with pretzel breadsticks and Creamy Herbs with multigrain breadsticks.

Bel Brands USA also recently introduced Babybel Plus+ Probiotic and Babybel Plus+ Vitamins. Babybel Plus+ Probiotic contains billions of live and active cultures of the LGG probiotics strain, while Babybel Plus+ Vitamins contains vitamins A and B12. The two varieties have an SRP of $4.49.

Stonyfield is rolling out new organic, shelf-stable and lactose-free single-serve milk packaged in 8-ounce bottles (SRP range of $1 to $1.30). The new offerings are available in two options: 2% Reduced Fat Chocolate Milk and 2% Reduced Fat Plain Milk. With each offering 8 grams of protein and nine essential nutrients, the new ready-to-drink milks are USDA-certified organic and sourced from pasture-raised cows. The milks come in a 12-pack or individual bottles.

Good Foods has rebranded its dairy dip line, marked by a new packaging design that follows on its refresh of its guacamole and plant-based dips. The new packaging is more on-trend and cohesive with the brand image, the company says, and has a more illustration-focused design. Good Foods’ dairy dip line consists of three flavors: Feta Cucumber, Creamy Ranch and new Spinach Artichoke Parmesan.

Organic Valley has added Fat Free Grassmilk to its line of grass-fed milk products. The product is made with milk from third-party certified grass-fed cows on organic family farms. Organic Valley Fat Free Grassmilk is now available for order. A half-gallon has an SRP of $5.99.

Mascarpone 5.5-ounce cups and specialty shredded mozzarella blends in 8-ounce cups are now available under BelGioioso’s Casaro dairy brand. Mascarpone is made with only three ingredients and has an SRP range of $1.99-$2.49. The shredded mozzarella blends include Low Moisture Part-Skim & Whole Milk Mozzarella Blend and Casaro Low Moisture Whole Milk Mozzarella-Provolone blend. Both have an SRP range of $3.99-$4.99.