Checkoff Showcasing Innovation, Research Resources at Expo West
Contact: Scott Wallin
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) is positioning itself as a strategic innovation partner and resource to the nearly 70,000 entrepreneurs, investors, brands and retailers who will attend Natural Products Expo West, March 3-6, in Anaheim Calif.
Expo West is the largest trade show of its kind in North America for the consumer packaged goods and natural products industry. This will be the third consecutive year DMI will be at the event with the checkoff seeking to demonstrate how dairy can fuel breakthrough product concepts – and how innovators can tap into its resources to accelerate speed to market.
DMI will highlight the National Dairy Foods Research Center, which has received national and local checkoff support for nearly 40 years. There are six regionally based centers affiliated with a network of universities that collaborate with farmer-founded organizations to discover ways of building global demand for dairy. DMI also will promote www.dairyinnovator.com to inspire Expo West attendees with hundreds of tools and concepts to help ignite dairy innovation.
“We’re at Expo West to show entrepreneurs and innovators what’s possible with dairy and how the checkoff’s support and research network can help them bring ideas to life,” said Marla Buerk, executive vice president of innovation for DMI. “Our goal is to serve as a resource that helps brands innovate faster, smarter and more successfully, while creating demand opportunities for dairy farmers.”
Headlining DMI’s presence at its booth is a new concept: cottage cheese ice cream. This high-protein product was developed through collaboration across DMI’s consumer insights and research center teams. It serves as proof of how DMI can translate emerging consumer trends into commercially viable dairy solutions.
“This is about inspiring innovation,” Buerk said. “We took two powerful trends – cottage cheese and high protein – and showed how dairy can stretch into entirely new categories. The concept demonstrates the depth of expertise and support our system provides, from insights to formulation to commercialization.”
The checkoff also is bringing entrepreneurial farmers and companies to its booth to highlight how ideas move from concept to shelf. This includes a farmer who is launching milk uniquely packaged in a can in whole fat and flavors including Horchata and coffee, which appeal to Gen Z consumers, and a yogurt maker featuring a high-protein, high-fiber yogurt line.
“These examples show how insights turn into real products,” Buerk said. “They represent the kind of innovation that grows dairy demand and creates value for farmers.”
Farmers Joyce Racicky (Nebraska) and Kim Korn (Idaho), who serve as DMI board members, also will be at Expo West to engage with attendees and answer questions about dairy farming.
“When people meet farmers, it builds credibility and trust,” Buerk said. “It reminds everyone that behind every product is a family farm committed to quality, care, and sustainability.”
DMI is again hosting an education session to further reinforce its role as a strategic insights and innovation partner for brands navigating rapidly evolving consumer expectations.
Its session – “What Consumers Really Want and Emerging Ways to Deliver It” – will examine why health and wellness is experiencing explosive growth, yet more than 50% of consumers say today’s food and beverages are failing to meet their needs.
“Consumers are telling us something is broken,” said Norrie Wilson, who serves as an innovation and insights consultant for DMI. “They’re highly motivated by health and wellness, but they’re dissatisfied with what’s available, so they’re creating their own solutions. That creates a massive opportunity for brands – and for dairy – to deliver better answers.”
In the session, DMI will be joined by a data company to demonstrate how advanced social and cultural intelligence can uncover deeper layers of unmet consumer needs that will shape the future of food and beverage innovations. The presentation will explore emerging benefits focused on sleep, skin health, body composition, strength, mobility and metabolism, illustrating how dairy naturally aligns with evolving wellness priorities.
“This approach allows us to go far beyond traditional research,” Wilson said. “We can identify not just what consumers want today, but what they will want next and how brands can develop solutions that truly resonate.”
By participating in Expo West, DMI is helping to ensure dairy remains visible, relevant and competitive within one of the industry’s most influential marketplaces.
“Every conversation, every product discovery and every relationship at Expo West has the potential to become dairy’s competitive advantage,” Wilson said. “We’re there to make sure dairy is not just part of the conversation but leading it.”
For information on how the dairy checkoff is driving sales and building trust, visit www.dairycheckoff.com.
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About Dairy Management Inc.
Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by more than 24,000 dairy farmers and dairy importers. DMI manages the national checkoff program and collaborates with state and regional checkoff teams across the United States to boost domestic and global dairy sales through research, education and marketing initiatives. The checkoff also is focused on fostering consumer trust in dairy products and the farm families behind them. DMI manages National Dairy Council and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and Newtrient.
