Gum Guru Guest Blogger: Donna Klockeman, PhD, Dairy Food Scientist

It is nice to be back in the office after a busy March of travelling. One of my favorite parts of attending the IDFA Ice Cream Technology Conference and the IDFA Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium are the innovative products competitions. Here’s how they work: companies submit entries, the attendees evaluate the products and vote, and the winners are announced. 

TIC Gums is proud to sponsor the competition for Milk and Cultured Dairy Products. The winner in the category “Most Innovative Cultured Dairy Product” was “All Natural Vanilla Yogurt” submitted by Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. This is a food-service size container with a convenient 1 oz. dispensing pump that allows consumers to make their own healthy yogurt parfaits. The winner in the category “Most Innovative Milk or Cultured Dairy Prototype Flavor” was “Orange Carrot Cranberry Fruit and Vegetable Yogurt” submitted by California Custom Fruits and Flavors. This yogurt delivers a combination of both fruits and vegetables with healthful yogurt. 

I look forward to seeing these innovative products in the marketplace.

The winners and sponsors of this year's competition. (L to r) Donna Berry, Dairy Foods Magazine; Donna Klockeman, TIC Gums, Inc.; Earl Christiansen, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc.; David Rambo, California Custom Fruits & Flavors, Inc.; Eva Balazs, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc.; and James Gregg, TIC Gums, Inc.