TTIP talks resume; senators urge leaders to ﬁ ght GI misuse · 2014-03-14 · TTIP talks resume; senators urge leaders to ﬁ ght GI misuse chief negotiators addressed more than

Fonterra pleads guilty to charges over WPC recallWELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s Ministry for Pri-mary Industries (MPI) Wednesday fi led charges in the Wellington District Court against Fonterra Ltd. following MPI’s investigation over compliance related to last year’s whey protein concentrate (WPC-80) recall.

MPI’s investigation examined whether Fonterra had complied with all its food safety and quality obligations under New Zealand’s Food Act and Animal Products Act in connection with the events leading to the recall. MPI has fi led the following four charges:

• Processing dairy product not in accordance with its risk management program;

• Exporting dairy products that failed to meet relevant animal product standards;

• Failing to notify its verifi er of signifi cant concerns that

Changes to Affordable Care Act affect midsize businesses By Emily King

MADISON, Wis. — The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) provisions are applicable to every industry across the nation. However, recent delays and adjusted legislation are giving all midsize companies, defi ned as being of 50-99 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, a little more time to react.

The U.S. Treasury Department has changed the timing of require-ments for employers — and the fi nal rules implementing the employer shared responsibility. The enforcement of the mandate was originally delayed until 2015. A recent change allows midsize employers who don’t already offer health insurance to delay compliance to the ACA requirements until 2016.

Companies with fewer than 100 workers will have to certify they did not fi re workers to sneak under the threshold to qualify for this delay, and they must certify they won’t drop health plans they already offer.

The ACA also contains an individual mandate that was not altered in this recent delay, but it is pertinent as it requires all employees, of any sized business, to carry health insurance even if the employer does not need to offer coverage.

Annual penalties for uninsured employees will be $95 per person in 2014, $325 per person in 2015 and $695 per person, or 2.5 percent of their income, in 2016. The prices become closer to the actual costs of health insurance as time progresses. Penalties will be assessed on the individual’s income tax. The open enrollment period for individu-als ends March 31.

The U.S. Treasury Department reports midsize employers represent about 2 percent of U.S. employers. Large organizations, defi ned as hav-ing 100 or more FTE employees, also represent 2 percent of employers. Businesses with less than 50 FTE employees make up approximately

Volume 34 March 14, 2014 Number 8

WASHINGTON — U.S. teams of negotiators met this week with their European counterparts in Brussels, Belgium, as the fourth round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations launched on Monday.

Among the topics covered in this week of talks were the Euro-pean Union’s use of geographical indications (GIs) to restrict the use of names of certain cheeses and other foods produced outside a given region.

On Wednesday, representa-tives from 90 organizations from across the United States and Europe gathered at a stakeholder event to present their top priori-ties for the TTIP to the negotia-tors. Also Wednesday, U.S. and EU

TTIP talks resume; senators urge leaders to fi ght GI misuse

chief negotiators addressed more than 300 stakeholders on the progress so far during the week-long negotiations, as well as their expectations for the process during the remainder of the year. Stakeholders then were given an opportunity to ask questions on issues of importance to them.

Among the stakeholder ses-sions was one devoted to issues related to agriculture, including agricultural market access, other regulatory issues and GIs. The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) discussed in this session the organization’s TTIP priorities, which include removing dairy trade barriers and ensuring the continued use of common food names. The International Broth-erhood of Teamsters also spoke in this session about dairy market access and GIs.

Earlier this week, a biparti-san majority of the U.S. Senate sent a letter asking U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to fi ght back against the EU’s efforts to restrict how U.S. companies market cheese and other foods. The letter, signed by 55 senators, was coauthored by Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa.

The letter commends the work the Obama Administration has

done to date in recognizing the efforts by the EU to restrict the use of common names such as “parmesan” and “feta,” but warns that the EU is becoming increas-ingly aggressive in its use of GIs.

The senators express op-position to the EU’s use of GIs as a protectionist measure and condemn the resulting barriers to trade that are growing in key U.S. export markets. They asked that USTR and USDA work aggres-sively against the EU’s efforts to restrict commonly used cheese names because it would harm the ability of U.S. businesses to compete domestically and inter-nationally.

“In country after country, the EU has been using its free trade agreements to persuade its trad-ing partners to impose barriers to U.S. exports under the guise of protection for its geographical indications,” the letter says.

For example, Canada agreed as part of its recently concluded FTA with the EU to impose new restrictions on the use of “feta” and other common cheese names. The EU has instigated similar agreements throughout Latin America and is expected to pursue such restrictions in its negotia-tions with many Asian countries.

“We ask that USTR and USDA continue to work aggressively to

ensure that the EU’s GI efforts on commonly used cheese names do not impair U.S. businesses’ ability to compete domestically or inter-nationally and that you make this a top priority through both offi cial TTIP and bilateral negotiations,” the letter concludes.

The USDEC and National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) have applauded the Senate’s statement in support of the U.S. dairy industry, saying it comes at a critical time in the development of a free trade agreement between the United States and the EU.

“Over the past fi ve years, U.S. cheese exports have been grow-ing by an average of 40 percent annually, leading to a record high of $1.4 billion in U.S. cheese sales abroad last year,” says Tom Suber, president of USDEC. “Last year, the United States became the largest single country cheese ex-porter in the world. So it’s vital to ensure that unfounded barriers to trade do not hinder this continued path for our industry.”

The Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN), an inter-national non-profi t alliance, also applauded the senators’ letter.

“On behalf of food producers around the world, we thank the senators for joining us in shin-ing the spotlight on the harm

USDA increases 2014 dairy price forecast in March

Turn to TTIP, page 17 a

Turn to FONTERRA, page 17 a

WASHINGTON — The milk production forecast for 2014 is unchanged at 205.7 bil-lion pounds in this month’s “World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates” released by USDA this week.

Fat-basis exports for 2014 are raised on higher sales of cheese and but-ter. Fat basis exports are now forecast at 12.4 billion pounds, up from 11.5 billion

Turn to PRICE, page 17 aTurn to CHANGES, page 16 a

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Reprinted with permission from the March 14, 2014, edition of CHEESE MARKET NEWS®© Copyright 2014 Quarne Publishing LLC; PH: (509) 962-4026; www.cheesemarketnews.com

A

INSIDE

✦ Export Tool Kit: ‘Common-name threat hits home.’ For details, see page 4.

✦ IDFA submits comments to Dietary Guidelines committee, noting dairy’s important role. For details, see page 7.

✦ Retail WATCH Exclusive: ‘Henning’s Cheese celebrates 100 years.’ For details, see page 9.

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MARKET INDICATORS

2 CHEESE MARKET NEWS® — March 14, 2014

DISCLAIMER: Cheese Market News® has made every effort to provide accurate current as well as historical market information. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of these data and do not assume liability for errors or omissions.

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Susan Quarne, Publisher (PH 608/831-6002; FAX 608/831-1004) e-mail: [email protected] Kate Sander, Editorial Director (PH 509/962-4026; FAX 509/962-4027) e-mail: [email protected] Sowerwine, Senior Editor (PH 608/288-9090; FAX 608/288-9093) e-mail: [email protected] Archwamety, News/Web Editor (PH 608/288-9090; FAX 608/288-9093) e-mail: [email protected] King, Assistant Editor (PH 608/288-9090; FAX 608/288-9093) e-mail: [email protected]

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORSJohn Umhoefer, FCStone, International Dairy Foods Association, National Milk Producers Federation, U.S. Dairy Export Council, Eric Meyer, Rice Dairy

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Dry Products* March 14, 2014

DRY BUTTERMILK(FOB)Central & East: $1.8200(-1)-$2.0100.(FOB) West: $1.9100-$1.9950(+2); mostly $1.9300-$1.9600.

EDIBLE LACTOSE(FOB)Central and West: $.4100(+3)-$.7200; mostly $.5400-$.6500.

NONFAT DRY MILKCentral & East: low/medium heat $2.0300(-2)-$2.1700; mostly $2.0600-$2.1500. high heat $2.1500(-1)-$2.2250(+1/2).West: low/medium heat $2.0100(-2)-$2.1350; mostly $2.0500-$2.1050. high heat $2.1375(-1/2)-$2.2200(+2 1/2).Calif. manufacturing plants: extra grade/grade A weighted ave. $2.0594(+.0326) based on 8,535,939 lbs. Sales to CCC: 0 lbs.

WHOLE MILK POWDER (National): $2.0500(-8)-$2.2500.

DRY WHEYCentral: nonhygroscopic $.6125(+3/4)-$.6825(+3/4); mostly $.6125(+3/4)-$.6325(+3/4).West: nonhygroscopic $.6250(+1 1/2)-$.6625(+1/2); mostly $.6300(+2)-$.6600(+3/4).(FOB) Northeast: extra grade/grade A $.6450(+1/2)-$.6900(+3/4).

ANIMAL FEED (Central): Whey spray milk replacer $.4600-$.5925.

WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE (34 percent): $1.5500(-4)-$1.9600(-3/4); mostly $1.6900-$1.8475.

CASEIN: Rennet $4.9000-$5.2000; Acid $5.0000-$5.4000.

*Source: USDA’s Dairy Market News

CLASS III PRICE (Dollars per hundredweight, 3.5% butterfat test)

YEAR2008200920102011201220132014

JAN19.3210.7814.5013.4817.0518.1421.15

FEB17.03 9.31 14.2817.0016.0617.2523.35

MAR18.0010.4412.7819.4015.7216.93

APR16.7610.7812.9216.8715.7217.59

MAY18.18 9.8413.3816.5215.2318.52

JUN20.25 9.9713.6219.1115.6318.02

JUL18.24 9.9713.7421.3916.6817.38

AUG17.3211.2015.1821.6717.7317.91

SEP16.2812.1116.2619.0719.0018.14

OCT17.0612.8216.9418.0321.02 18.22

NOV15.5114.0815.4419.0720.8318.83

DEC15.2814.9813.8318.7718.6618.95

(These data, which include government stocks and are reported in thousands of pounds, are based on reports from a limited sample of cold storage centers across the country. This chart is designed to help the dairy industry see the trends in cold storage between the release of the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s monthly cold storage reports.)

ButterCheese

17,19489,447

+1,974-1,218

12,364115,799

+2,438 -1,538

+4,830-26,352

+17 -2

Weekly Cold Storage Holdings March 10, 2014 On hand Week Change since March 1 Last Year Monday Change Pounds Percent Pounds Change

Total Contracts Traded/Open Interest

MAR14APR 14MAY14JUN14JUL14AUG14SEP14OCT14NOV14DEC14JAN15

DRY WHEY FUTURES for the week ended March 13, 2014 (Listings for each day by month, settling price and open interest)

Daily market prices are available by visiting CME’s online statistics sites at http://www.cmegroup.com.

Fri., March 7 Mon., March 10 Tues., March 11 Wed., March 12 Thurs., March 13

16/2,585

64.0562.9062.0061.5060.5060.2558.7557.5057.2556.8054.75

358332322351228229220175164198

18

64.0063.5062.2562.2560.5060.2559.0057.5057.2056.8054.75

358329318347228229222175163198

18

24/2,595

64.0063.5062.0062.2560.5060.2559.0057.5057.2556.8054.75

358329320347228229222175163198

18

3/2,587

65.0063.7561.5561.0060.1860.0058.4057.5057.2557.0054.75

356349328353232230210175164199

18

29/2,614

64.1563.1561.5361.0060.1860.0058.4057.5057.2557.0054.75

358340328355232230210175164199

18

79/2,609

Total Contracts Traded/Open Interest Daily market prices are available by visiting CME’s online statistics sites at http://www.cmegroup.com.*Total Contracts Traded/Open Interest reflect additional months not included in this chart.

MAR14APR14MAY14JUN14JUL14AUG14SEP14OCT14NOV14DEC14JAN15FEB15MAR15

CHEESE FUTURES* for the week ending March 13, 2014 (Listings for each day by month, settling price and open interest)

Fri., March 7 Mon., March 10 Tues., March 11 Wed., March 12 Thurs., March 132.2322.0801.9651.9471.9421.9231.9021.8861.8601.8301.7701.7701.750

1,2671,3321,2491,038

797808833792817830

111112

97/9,815

2.2552.1261.9621.9481.9361.9201.9041.8851.8581.8281.7701.7701.750

1,2551,3441,2601,050

838817838803849853

111120

276/9,967

1,2671,3191,2331,012

797807835790817828

111112

338/9,757

2.2292.0801.9851.9591.9421.9231.9021.8861.8501.8301.7701.7701.750

1,2671,3271,2431,012

797806831791817830

111112

50/9,773

2.2132.0671.9731.9501.9421.9271.8981.8801.8501.8271.7701.7701.750

2.2352.0871.9541.9401.9331.9101.8921.8801.8581.8211.7701.7701.750

1,2671,3291,2621,053

828810832792817841

111112

359/9,883

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Chicago Mercantile Exchange

March 10 March 11 March 12 March 13 March 14

Weekly average (March 10-14): Barrels: $2.2755(+.0695); 40-lb. Blocks: $2.3315(+.0785).Weekly ave. one year ago (March 11-15, 2013): Barrels: $1.5865; 40-lb. Blocks: $1.6030.

Cheese BarrelsPriceChange

Cheese 40-lb. blockPriceChange

Grade A NDMPriceChange

Weekly average (March 10-14): Grade A: $2.0400(+.0075).

Grade AA ButterPriceChange

Class II Cream (Major Northeast Cities): $2.2560(+.1780)–$2.4816(+.1325).

Weekly average (March 10-14): Grade AA: $1.8840(+.0040).

$1.8850NC

Sign up for our daily fax or e-mail service for just $104 a year. Call us at 608-288-9090.

Cash prices for the week ended March 14, 2014

$2.2850 +1 1/2

$2.3200 +2

$2.0400NC

$1.8850NC

$2.2750 -1

$2.3500 +2 1/2

$1.8850NC

$2.0400 NC

$1.8800-1/2

$2.0400 NC

$2.2625 -1 1/4

$2.3625 +1 1/4

$2.2850 NC

$2.3250 +1/2

$2.0400NC

$1.8850+1/2

$2.0400NC

$2.2700 +2

$2.3000 +3/4


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March 14 — CHEESE MARKET NEWS® 3

DISCLAIMER: Cheese Market News® has made every effort to provide accurate current as well as historical market information. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of these data and do not assume liability for errors or omissions.

For more information please visit www.devilletechnologies.com

NEWS/BUSINESS MARKET INDICATORS

WASHINGTON — The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) last week requested a delay in the imple-mentation date for the interim fi nal rule for nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools. The interim fi nal rule was published in June 2013 and is set to go into effect July 1, 2014, meaning that competitive foods in schools would need to comply with the nutrition standards starting in the 2014-2015 school year.

Competitive foods are foods and bev-erages sold in schools, but not as part of the school meal programs, including a la carte items, vending machine items and products sold in school stores.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, IDFA highlights hurdles to complying with the current deadline, including the length of time needed to reformulate dairy products for the new standards and an inconsistent satu-rated fat limit in the interim fi nal rule. If granted, the extension would delay implementation of nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold in schools until at least one year following the release of the fi nal rule.

“An implementation following the fi nal rule will ensure that products avail-able are consistent, which will be easier for schools, students and suppliers,” the letter says.

While this request is pending, IDFA encourages members to take steps to comply with the interim fi nal rule by the published deadline. Since the nutrition standards were published as an interim fi nal rule, they will go into effect for the 2014-2015 school year without any other action from USDA.

In order to deal with the unclear limit on saturated fat, companies may choose to formulate to the more conservative limit of less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat.

IDFA notes that dairy companies that are concerned that they may not be able to meet the requirements of the interim fi nal rule also may talk to their school district customers about a waiver process that soon will be released by USDA.

Under a provision passed in Con-gress last month, schools may request a delay to comply with the new nutrition standards for food and beverages sold in schools. The 2014 omnibus funding bill directs USDA to establish a waiver approval process by April 17, 2014, that will apply to regulations set to go into effect on July 1, 2014. To qualify for the waiver, schools must demon-strate that they cannot comply with the new regulations without incurring additional expenses during the 2014- 2015 school year. CMN

IDFA seeks delay of competitive foods rule

National Dairy Products Sales Report

Cheese 40-lb. Blocks:

*/Revised. 1/Prices weighted by volumes reported. 2/Sales as reported by participating manufacturers. Reported in pounds. More information is available by calling AMS at 202-720-4392.

Average price1 Sales volume2

Cheese 500-lb. Barrels:Average price1

Adj. price to 38% moistureSales volume2

Moisture content Butter:

Average price1

Sales volume2 Nonfat Dry Milk:

Average price1 Sales volume2

Dry Whey:Average price1 Sales volume2

For the week ended: 2/22/14

*$2.255210,797,249

$2.3547$2.2506

9,712,37235.13

*$1.8370*2,759,228

$2.081817,758,338

*$0.6348*6,033,690

$2.2303*9,627,733

$2.3106$2.2069

*8,864,71935.09

*$1.80833,947,808

*$2.0852*19,116,353

*$0.6434*6,883,370

3/1/14 2/15/14

$2.32189,090,078

$2.4295$2.3244

9,721,24535.20

*$1.8595*3,700,636

$2.077116,111,772

*$0.6290*5,624,747

$2.187812,535,181

$2.3147$2.2148

8,630,24135.20

$1.82422,799,829

$2.103216,822,501

$0.64816,078,308

3/8/14

International Dairy Markets March 14, 2014

Oceania Butter: 82 percent butterfat $4,500(+100)-$5,050. Cheddar Cheese: 39 percent maximum moisture $4,900-$5,300(-200).Skim Milk Powder: 1.25 percent butterfat $4,700-$5,250.Whole Milk Powder: 26 percent butterfat $4,600(-300)-$5,250(-50).Source: Dairy Market News. Prices reported in U.S. dollars per metric ton, F.O.B. port. To convert to price per pound: divide price by 2,204.6 pounds.

Western Europe Butter: 82 percent butterfat $4,675-$5,150(-25).Butteroil: 99 percent butterfat $5,900(-350)-$6,500(-175).Skim Milk Powder: 1.25 percent butterfat $4,300(-150)-$4,600(-125).Whole Milk Powder: 26 percent butterfat $4,925(-25)-$5,250(-50).Whey Powder: Nonhygroscopic $1,300(-25)-$1,500.

Daily market prices are available by visiting CME’s online statistics sites at http://www.cmegroup.com. *Total Contracts Traded/Open Interest reflect additional months not included in this chart.


Cash-Settled NDM

MAR14APR14MAY14JUN14JUL14AUG14SEP14OCT14NOV14DEC14

MAR14APR14MAY14JUN14JUL14AUG14SEP14OCT14NOV14DEC14JAN15




MAR14APR14MAY14JUN14 JUL14AUG14SEP14OCT14NOV14DEC14JAN15FEB15MAR15APR15MAY15

Class III Milk*


Class IV Milk*

MAR14APR14MAY14JUN14JUL14AUG14SEP14OCT14NOV14DEC14JAN15

CME FUTURES for the week ended March 13, 2014



Cash-Settled Butter

4,8464,5633,7983,3092,1901,9901,9411,6211,5201,412

343189112

3840

22.9021.3920.1019.9219.7919.6019.3319.1518.8218.5118.0517.7317.4517.3517.07

23.4023.0222.3021.5721.0020.7520.5020.0319.7019.2018.11

1,6831,7381,5891,408

951904781631579498

8

206.50201.28193.50185.00181.23178.00175.30170.43169.00165.00

695781776653415349340241198176

183.50186.70185.00185.75183.00183.20181.50180.00178.00173.00167.00

1,2421,107

970884576583522427357150

4

1,148/27,958

108/10,780

57/4,624

164/6,822

4,7654,4713,6723,2662,1421,9461,9151,6001,4831,393

307170

973529

22.6521.2520.2520.0119.8019.5919.3419.15 18.7718.5018.0517.6817.4717.2517.13

1,448/27,319

23.3523.0022.2721.5021.0020.7120.5020.0019.7019.2018.11

1,7231,7261,5741,399

945897774620572489

8

82/10,737

206.25202.00194.40186.00181.50178.00175.60171.45169.00165.00

690788755647413346337237196173

37/4,582

184.70186.98184.50183.50181.00180.75180.00179.00175.25171.25166.00

1,2281,112

955848574579519413355151

4

83/6,738

1,228/28,448

4,8744,6233,9243,3692,2292,0351,9781,6411,5391,437

372189115

3839

23.5423.3422.4521.5721.1020.8520.5920.03 19.8519.2918.12

116/10,843

208.65205.48195.55186.50181.00178.00175.50170.28168.73164.48

90/4,600

704766787641397347336243200179

183.50185.00183.25183.00182.00182.00181.00179.88178.50174.50167.00

145/6,950

1,2481,1241,013

900586585534436365155

4

4,7944,5233,7193,2882,1761,9711,9321,6111,4971,397

316176101

3538

22.8621.4220.3520.1019.8919.6919.4219.2118.8818.5418.0917.7517.5017.2817.16

23.4023.0022.3021.5721.0020.7820.5020.0019.7019.2018.11

1,6831,7351,5791,403

946899780618570487

8

102/10,718

206.25200.88192.50185.40181.45178.00175.60171.38169.00165.00

695783780654413347338237196173

59/4,616

184.00186.73185.75184.50181.75181.50181.00179.00176.08171.50167.00

1,2291,118

964856576580524413355151

4

98/6,770

23.1721.8120.1919.9319.7419.6019.3519.1018.8418.5018.1017.7817.5017.3417.19

1,6991,7461,6021,414

957906780632581506

10

4,8774,5613,8823,3482,2072,0171,9601,6381,5371,432

367189114

3839

22.9121.4620.0319.8019.7019.5119.2519.0818.8218.5018.0517.7317.4517.3417.19

1,426/28,252

23.4023.1222.3521.5721.1020.8520.6020.0319.8019.2218.11

1,6941,7441,5911,408

955906783631580499

8

46/10,809

207.50203.50194.83186.00181.00178.00175.30170.28168.98164.83

708768774644403347336244200180

213/4,604

182.98186.00184.75184.75183.00183.20181.50180.00178.00173.50167.00

1,2431,115

987891579580522431357150

4

89/6,859


971/27,620


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Jaime Castaneda is executive director of the Consortium for Common Food Names, an independent organization founded by the U.S. Dairy Export Council. He contributes this column exclusively for Cheese Market News®.

Perspective:Export Expertise

Common-name threat hits homeWhat seemed like a European Union

(EU) delusion a decade ago has grown increasingly closer to reality. The EU is slowly but surely erecting a series of trade barriers with, ironically, a succession of free trade agreements that limit the use of broadly common cheese names to manufacturers in all but select EU geographic regions.

The bloc’s now well-known strategy of claiming geographic indication (GI) protection has already effectively blocked U.S. and other world cheese producers from a number of markets. Each victory appears to embolden the leaders to a point where they are steadily expanding their crusade to an ever-wider list of cheese names and ever-broader geography.

The EU is consistently pushing for new restrictive language in trade deals with China, Japan and multiple countries

of Latin America and the Middle East, all of which could have considerable negative impact on burgeoning U.S. cheese exports. More directly, through the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the EU has repeat-edly stated that it is now looking to strip U.S. cheesemakers from utilizing com-mon cheese (and possibly other dairy) names right here in the United States.

The threat is very real and obviously escalating, as any glance at the past six months’ events will attest.

• In October, the EU and Canada fi nalized their bilateral Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, in which Canada agreed to new restric-tions on the use of asiago, feta, fontina, gorgonzola and muenster — clearly generic names in Canada as they are in the United States.

• In November, Costa Rica banned all non-EU cheesemakers from using parmesan and provolone due to GI language inserted into the EU-Central America Association Agreement. The move confi rmed one of USDEC’s biggest concerns that EU diplomatic pressure would be too intense to resist giving even broader leeway in restricting common names than already exists in the EU itself.

• In February, the EU allowed Denmark to move forward with a GI ap-plication to limit the use of “havarti” to cheeses manufactured in Denmark. The move is particularly noteworthy not only because havarti is widely used worldwide but also because the name has an estab-lished international product standard. It was the signifi cant international produc-tion of havarti that played a key role in the evaluation process that resulted in fi nalizing a Codex Alimentarius standard for the cheese in 2007. Allowing Denmark to apply for an havarti GI calls into question the EU’s commitment to the international standards setting process and casts doubts on whether any generic food term is safe from being confi scated by the European Commission.

• Then again in February, a UK court ruling concluded that only yogurt manu-factured in Greece could use the name “Greek yogurt.” The ruling, for a term that is not even a registered GI, seeks to broaden the already far-too-expansive scope of what European courts and of-fi cials are declaring to be off-limits to all but a select group of producers in one region of the world. Following the same logic applied by the UK court, a host of other products — from Belgian waffl es to English breakfast tea — would seem to be able to claim the same geographi-cal restrictions.

Prior to its formation of the Con-sortium for Common Food Names (CCFN) as an independent organization two years ago, the U.S. Dairy Export Council — and now CCFN — has consistently maintained that GIs are not bad in principle. There is a place for the protection of distinctive foods from distinct regions. Parmigiano Reg-giano, for example, rightfully warrants protection.

The EU, however, has gone far beyond that principle to prevent all cheese-makers outside of a region in Italy, for example, from using the name parmesan, a common cheese type that, after two centuries of global immigration and globalization, is clearly a generic term identifying a type of product and not an item having been manufactured in one particular region of the world.

The EU’s attack on common food names is unceasing. Its goal to erect trade barriers is giving EU cheesemakers an illegal and undeserved advantage over cheese producers in the United States, Costa Rica, Argentina, New Zealand and elsewhere.

TTIP cannot allow further EU en-croachment. TTIP GI discussions should be done on a separate forum and focus on uprooting the barriers the EU has been planting domestically and globally to its competitors. The EU must begin rolling back restrictions on exports to the EU from the United States of parmesan, feta and other cheeses, and any discus-sion must reserve the right to use com-mon names in the United States. CMN

The views expressed by CMN’s guest columnists are their own opinions and do not necessarily refl ect those of Cheese Market News®.

NEWS/BUSINESS

E X P O R T T O O L K I T C M N E x c l u s i v e !

WASHINGTON — FDA this week sus-pended the food facility registration of Roos Foods Inc. of Kenton, Del., after determining there is a reasonable prob-ability of food manufactured, processed, packed or held by Roos Foods causing serious adverse health consequences or death.

FDA ordered the suspension after an investigation by FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local partners linked a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis to Hispanic-style cheeses manufactured by the company (see “Cheese recalled after 1 dead, 7 hospitalized” in the Feb. 28, 2014, issue of Cheese Market News). Food facility registration is required for any facility engaged in manufacturing, processing, packing or holding food for consumption in the United States, and if the registration of a facility is suspended, no one is allowed to introduce food from the facility into interstate or intrastate commerce in the United States.

FDA suspends food facility registration of Roos Foods, details fi ndings of its investigationFDA inspected the company’s facil-

ity from Feb. 18-March 4. During the inspection, FDA investigators found unsanitary conditions including:

• The roof leaking so badly that water was raining down into the cheese processing room, including onto the cheese processing equipment and storage tanks;

• Standing water on the floor throughout the cheese curd processing room in proximity to the cheese vats and in the storage rooms;

• Metal roof/ceiling and metal sup-ports exhibiting a rusted appearance with metal fl aking preventing effective cleaning and sanitizing;

• Food residues found on equipment after cleaning had been performed;

• Openings to milk storage tanks and transfer piping were not capped to prevent contaminants from enter-ing or contaminating food contact surfaces; and

• Floors, walls and equipment that were deteriorated and in bad repair,

including processing equipment and storage vats with rust holes and fl oors with rough concrete deterioration.

FDA says it will vacate the suspension order and reinstate Roos Foods’ facility registration when it determines that food manufactured, processed, packed or held at the facility no longer has a rea-sonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences or death.

CDC reports that a total of eight people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from two states. One ill person was identifi ed in California, and seven in Maryland. Among those for whom informa-tion is available, dates that the illness was diagnosed range from Aug. 1, 2013, to Nov. 27, 2013. Seven of the eight were hospital-ized, and fi ve were related to pregnancy, including two mother-newborn pairs and one that was diagnosed only in the new-born. The three other illnesses occurred among adults. One death was reported in California. All of those who fell ill were reported to be of Hispanic ethnicity.

FDA says whole-genome sequencing of Listeria monocytogenes strains iso-lated from Roos Foods cheese products were found to be highly related to the Listeria strains isolated from patients in the outbreak, adding further confi dence that these cheese products were a likely source of the outbreak.

Roos Foods has voluntarily recalled all lots, sizes and types of cheese distrib-uted under the Amigo, Anita, Mexicana and Santa Rosa de Lima brands. Roos Foods also recalled all product sizes and containers of Santa Rosa de Lima Crema Salvadorena Cultured Sour Cream, Santa Rosa de Lima Mantequilla de Bolsa Tradicion Centroamericana, Crema Pura Mexicana Cultured Sour Cream, La Chapina Crema Guate-malteca Guatemalan Style Cream and Amigo Brand Crema Centroamericana Cultured Sour Cream. The recalled products were distributed through retail stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and the District of Columbia. CMN


Largest ICTE Exhibit Floor EverExpo Exhibits are FREE for Dairy Processors & Marketers

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23

TUESDAY, APRIL 22 THURSDAY, APRIL 24

9:00 – 11:00 A.M. Concurrent Sessions

A RENEWED EMPHASIS ON FOOD SAFETY FOR CHEESE Hosted by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and the Center for Dairy ResearchModerator | Matt Mathison, VP Technical Services, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

FDA’s Food Safety Priorities for the Dairy Industry

John Sheehan, Director, Division of Plant & Dairy Food Safety, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Washington, DC

Listeria monocytogenes – Potential for Viability in Dairy PlantsJeff Kornacki, Ph.D., President, Kornacki Microbiology Solutions, Madison, WI

Residual Biofilms in Clean Processing Equipment – Monitoring and ControlTony Erickson, Principle Chemist, CIP Anchor Team, Ecolab, Eagan, MN

FSMA’s Preventive Controls and Other Rules – Are We Going Too Far?Clay Detlefsen, VP, Regulatory Affairs & Counsel, IDFA, Washington DC

ADVANCES IN WASTEWATER PROCESSING FOR DAIRY PROCESSORS Hosted by Wisconsin Cheese Makers AssociationModerator | Daniel Zitomer, PhD, Professor of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

and Director of the Water Quality Center at Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI

Anaerobic Biotechnology for Wastewater Treatment and Renewable EnergyDaniel Zitomer, PhD

RCRE: How Two Independent Organizations Worked Cooperatively to Treat WastewaterJim Wittenberger, Regulatory Compliance Manager, Foremost Farms USA,

Baraboo, WI & Mike Malmstead, Energy Engineer, Schreiber Foods, Green Bay, WI

A New Paradigm: Regional Waste to Energy Treatment CentersTom Bachman, VP, Symbiont, Milwaukee, WI

Financing Opportunities for Wastewater Treatment FacilitiesJoel Laubenstein, Senior Consulting Manager, Energy & Utilities, Baker Tilly, Madison, WI

APRIL 22 - 24, 2014WISCONSIN CENTER MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN USA

Hosted by:

CDR

CEN

TER

FOR DAIRY RESEARC

H

TETRA PAK RECEPTION 6:00-8:00 P .M

NEW LEARNINGS IN CHEESE PRODUCTION Hosted by the Center for Dairy Research

ModeratorGina Mode, Assistant Coordinator, Cheese Industry & Applications Program, Center for Dairy Research, Madison, WI

Exploring the Impact of High Pressure Processing (HPP) on Cheese Texture and Ripening Rani Govindasamy-Lucey, Senior Scientist, Center for Dairy Research, Madison, WI

Global Adoption and Rapid Growth of HPP in the Food IndustryKevin Kennedy, Avure Technologies, Minneapolis, MN

Controlling Protein to Lactose Ratio in Cheese MilkJohn Jaeggi, Coordinator, Cheese Industry & Applications Program,

Center for Dairy Research, Madison, WI

Monitoring Cheese YieldsMark Johnson, Distinguished Scientist, Assistant Director,

Center for Dairy Research, Madison, WI

GROWTH IN WHEY AND DAIRY INGREDIENTSHosted by the Center for Dairy ResearchModeratorBecky Kalscheuer, Research Specialist, Dairy Ingredients Applications, Center for Dairy Research

Latest Research on NFDM Powders and Whey Color IssuesKaren Smith, Researcher, Dairy Processing, Center for Dairy Research, Madison, WI

Latest Research on MPCs (functionality, procream, nutrition bars, etc.)KJ Burrington, Dairy Ingredients and Cultured Products Coordinator, Center for Dairy Research, Madison, WI

What’s New in Nutrition Research related to Dairy IngredientsBryan Helwig, Dairy Research Institute, Rosemont, IL

What are the Market Opportunities for Dairy Ingredients?Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, Rosemont, IL

9 :00-11:30 A.M. Concurrent Sessions

11:30 A.M.-2:00 P.M. DUPONT THURSDAY LUNCHEON

11:30 A.M.-4:00 P.M. ICTE EXHIBIT HALL OPEN

5:00 P.M.-8:30 P.M.

GEA CHAMPIONS RECEPTION & WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CHEESE CONTEST AWARDS BANQUET

8:30 P.M.MILLERBERND AFTERGLOW RECEPTION

8:00-8:45 A.M.

OPENING ADDRESS: WISCONSIN GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER

8:00-8:45 A.M. OPENING ADDRESS: L INO SAPUTO JR.THE GLOBAL DAIRY INDUSTRY: A PERSPECTIVE FROM SAPUTO INC.Lino A. Saputo, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Saputo Inc., offers a profile of the Company and its current growth opportunities in the dairy industry.

11:15-11:45 A.M. general sessions

INDUSTRY ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS PRESENTATION

11:30 A.M.-2:00 P.M.WCMA LUNCHEON

11:30 A.M. -5 :00 P .M. ICTE EXHIBIT HALL OPEN

5:00-7:30 P .M. CHR HANSEN RECEPTION & WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CHEESE AUCTION

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WWW.CHEESEEXPO.ORGWisconsin Cheese Makers Association, 8030 Excelsior Drive, Suite 305, Madison, WI 53717 USAPhone: 608-828-4550 | Email Judy Keller: [email protected]

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EXHIBITORS & ADDITONAL INFORMATION

A & B Process Systems 1333A&M Sales 232AdcoGroupe 215ADI Systems Inc. 445Admix, Inc. 206Advanced Detection Systems 1406Advanced Instruments Company 505AGC Heat Transfer 539Agropur Ingredients 612Airgas 214AiroCide/KES Science & Technology 204Alfa Laval 332Allied Blending & Ingredients 713ALMAC srl 1739ALPMA USA / IVARSON INC. 735Alro Plastics 1715Amerilac Corporation 1640Ampco Pumps Co 211Anderson Chemical Company- Sanitation Technologies 641Anderson Chemical Company/Water Management 643Anderson Instrument Company 1738ANDRITZ Separation Inc. 238Applied Science, Inc. 644Applied Technologies, Inc. 1537APT - Advanced Process Technologies 635Atlantium 1733Baker Tilly 1237Bakers Supply Logistics 1645Bassett Mechanical 1340Bayland Buildings, Inc. 208Beckhoff Automation 1504Bentley Instruments, Inc. 541Big-D Construction 1719Bioionix, LLC 340Blue Water Technologies, Inc. 304Boldt Company, The 1412Bossar USA, Inc. 207Bruker Optics 1508Brunner AG Switzerland 435Burkert Fluid Control Systems 1714C.D. Smith Construction, Inc. 1435Cady Aquastore, INC 310Capital Equipment & Handling 1611Cargill Salt 1403Carrier Rental Systems 540cei (Coating Excellence International) 1619CEM Corporation 613Century Foods International 1407CES/Foodlogistik USA 1732Cheese Market News 708Cheese Reporter 1512Cherney Microbiological Services, Ltd. 337Chr. Hansen, Inc. 835Clayton Industries 1742Clean Water Technology 509COPRODEV PLUS 233Coveris 1119Creative Design & Engineering, LLC 1342Crystal Ban by Nutricepts 1309CSK Food Enrichment 1711Curwood, Inc. 603Custom Fabricating & Repair 1043CVP Systems 427Dairy Connection, Inc. 1615Data Specialists, Inc. 403DCI, Inc. 1311DDW The Color House 1639Definox Inc. 1607DeLaval Cleaning Solutions 306Delkor Systems 703Deville Technologies 1103DF Ingredients, Inc. 1440Dixon Sanitary 312DR Tech, Inc. 1203Drying Technology, Inc. 230DSM Food Specialties USA 1319DuPont 815Ecolab 1227ELPLAST 511Endress+Hauser 1241Energenecs, Inc. 305Enerquip 405ErgonArmor Corrosion Engineering 1702ERIEZ 341ESE, Inc. 533ESI Group USA 344Evaporator Dryer Technologies, Inc. 532Excel Engineering 1433Extrutech Plastics 311Faith Engineering 439FBC Industries, Inc. 1442Fiberglass Solutions, Inc. 611First Choice Ingredients 342Flow Products, LLC/ Rieger 212Flowtrend, Inc. 408Foran Spice Company 1613Foreign Type Cheesemakers Assn. Laboratory 615Fortress Technology Inc. 1505FOSS 1519Fremont Industries, Inc. 411Fristam Pumps USA 1503Garon Foods 619GEA Niro Soavi 842GEA PHE Systems 1341GEA Process Engineering 842GEA Tuchenhagen North America 842GEA Westfalia Separator 842General Electric/ Industrial Network Systems 309General Machinery Corporation 1703GF Piping Systems 205GMB Architecture + Engineering 1717G-M-I Inc. 1545Graham Chemical Corporation 202Green Bay Packaging 1408

H&W Ingredients 1740H. Derksen & Sons Co. 1410Habasit America 209Harpak- ULMA Packaging, LLC 1743Hart Design & Mfg., Inc. 224Haynes Manufacturing Company 535HayssenSandiacre 645Heritage Manufacturing 433HYDRANAUTICS 1402Hydrite Chemical Company 602HYPRED USA 226ICL Food Specialties 1637Ingredion Incorporated 407Innophos, Inc. 241Inopor GmbH 1736International Dairy Foods Association 1641International Fiber Corporation 1414International Machinery Exchange 609International Media and Cultures 222Intralox 437intRAtrain- inspectiTRAC 336IQF Frost Inc. 237IVARSON INC. / ALPMA USA 735J. Rettenmaier USA 610Jasper Engineering & Equipment Co. 415Johnson Industries International Inc. 826Kaeser Compressors, Inc. 339Kagetec Industrial Flooring 203Karl Schnell 1602Kelly Supply 1037Koch Membrane Systems 327Kollmorgen 239Koss Industrial 1113Kraemer Brothers 1638Kusel Equipment 1415L&S Electric 1609Labels Unlimited, 538Loos Machine & Automation, Inc 1243Marchant Schmidt 1137Marshfield Food Safety, LLC 1443Martin Milk Service & Martin Warehousing 314Masters Gallery Foods 1013Matrix Packaging Machinery 1627Mauser/SchiwaHaden & Custance 1727MCT Dairies, Inc. 1307Mead & Hunt, Inc. 402Membrane Process and Controls, Inc. 514Membrane System Specialists, Inc. 803MetLife Food & Agribusiness Finance 1543Microdyn Technologies, Inc 1338Midwest Refrigerated Services 1411Milky Lab 1640Millerbernd Process Systems 1217Miron Construction Company 1336MOCON Inc. 1239Multi- Conveyor LLC 1432Multivac, Inc. 1209Munters Corporation 543National Utilities Company 638Nelson-Jameson, Inc. 1419Neogen Corporation 1510Nortec Systems 404North American Salt 1604Northfield Corporation 1735Northland Laboratories 636optek-Danulat, Inc. 444P.J. Kortens and Company 1544Packaging Corporation of America 545Packaging Resources, Inc. 1606Page & Pedersen Internatiional, Ltd. 1603Parker dominick hunter- Process Filtration 503Paul Mueller Company 1502Pentair Sudmo 712Performa- Planners, Architects, Engineers 228Perten Instruments 338PFM Packaging Group 343PIC Food Tec/ FENCO USA 440Piper Products, Inc. 438Precision Drive and Control, Inc. 216Printpack, Inc. 513ProActive Solutions USA, LLC 1303Prolamina 419ProSpect Analytical Technology Inc. 742Protective Coating Specialists 506PTI 527Pureserve Systems 1436QComp Technologies, Inc. 1708QLC, Inc. 1343Quadbeam Technologies, Ltd 1540Quest Industrial 517R. Mueller Service & Equipment Co. Inc. 740R.D. Smith Company 436RapidPak, Division of the Middleby Corporation 1427RathGibson 510REISER 627RELCO 719Reynolds Presto Products, Inc. 220Rockwell Automation 1712Rubber Fab Technologies Group 1721Russell Finex Inc. 1542Rytec High Performance Doors 242Sandford Rose Associates- Madison 210Sanitary Solutions, Inc. 1437Scan American 1633Sealed Air Food Care 1003Seiberling Associates Inc., A Haskell Company 642Seminole Retail Energy Service, LLC 1709Separators, Inc. 1313Sepro Membranes 302SEW- Eurodrive, Inc. 1605Sharpe Engineering & Equipment 544Socius Ingredients 508SoftTrace Ltd 1532Spancrete 1534

SPX Flow Technology 502Squire-Cogswell Industrial Division 236Stainless Steel Solutions 1643StrategyBytes, LLC 1737Strongarm Designs, Inc. 1706Stuart W. Johnson Co. 1344Sulbana AG 640Sunrise Packaging Material 243SupplyOne 1506Sweetener Supply Corporation 1327Symbiont- Science Engineering and Construction 303Synder Filtration 1644TAWI USA 1705Technology Group International 507TECNAL 536Tetra Pak 1027The Boson Company 345The Probst Group, LLC 1710Thermaline, Inc. 1741Thermo Scientific 234Tolomatic Inc. 537Top Line Process Equipment Company 1707Toray Membrane USA 606TOSCA 710Triangle Package Machinery Co. 227TriSep Corporation 443

Tweet Garot Mechanical 319U.S. Flooring Company Inc. 1536United Industries, Inc. 1636United Salt Corporation 1445Urschel Laboratories, Inc. 632USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 1404Vacuum, Pump, & Compressor, Inc. 1434Valcour Process Technologies 235Viking Masek Global Packaging Technologies 707VNE Corporation 1409Walker Engineered Products 1439WEBBER/ SMITH Associates, Inc. 542Weber, Inc. 1527Wells Concrete 512Werner Electric Supply 1539WI Aging & Grading Cheese, Inc. 1315WI Center for Dairy Research 1019WI Milk Marketing Board 1019Winpak, Inc. 219WITT Gas Controls 406Wonderware Midwest 1725WOW Logistics 1723Yamato 1511Zepnick Solutions 1337

• To receive special ICTE rates, you must book through the ICTE online housing system. Reservations WILL NOT be accepted directly through the hotels.

• Go to www.cheeseexpo.org and click on Location & Lodging. • For questions regarding reservations, contact Brittany Fleisner with VISIT

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FROM THE NORTH:Take I-43 South to Exit #72E (Highland Avenue/11th Street). Go straight on 11th Street three blocks to Wells Street. Turn Left on Wells, go �ve blocks to 6th Street; Wisconsin Center spans Wells just past 6th. Go 1/2 block into “tunnel,” turn left into parking lot.

FROM THE SOUTH:Take I-94 West & I-43 North; stay on I-43 North to Exit #72A (Michigan Street/10th Street). Go straight on 10th Street two blocks to Wells Street. Turn right on Wells, go four blocks to 6th Street; Wisconsin Center spans Wells just past 6th. Go 1/2 block into “tunnel,” turn left into parking lot.

FROM THE WEST:Take I-94 East to Exit #310B (I-43 North/Kilbourn Avenue). On ramp use right lane, take exit #73A (Kilbourn Avenue). Emerge from tunnel at 6th Street & Kilbourn Avenue; Wisconsin Center is across 6th Street, on right. Turn right on 6th, go one block to Wells Street, turn left into “tunnel.” Go 1/2 block, turn left into parking lot.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO THE WISCONSIN CENTERDRIVING DIRECTIONSFROM THE NORTH:Take I-43 South to Exit #72E (Highland Avenue/11th Street). Go straight on 11th Street three blocks to Wells Street. Turn Left on Wells, go five blocks to 6th Street; Wisconsin Center spans Wells just past 6th. Go 1/2 block into “tunnel,” turn left into parking lot.

FROM THE SOUTH:Take I-94 West & I-43 North; stay on I-43 North to Exit #72A (Michigan Street/10th Street). Go straight on 10th Street two blocks to Wells Street. Turn right on Wells, go four blocks to 6th Street; Wisconsin Center spans Wells just past 6th. Go 1/2 block into “tunnel,” turn left into parking lot.

FROM THE WEST:Take I-94 East to Exit #310B (I-43 North/Kilbourn Avenue). On ramp use right lane, take exit #73A (Kilbourn Avenue). Emerge from tunnel at 6th Street & Kilbourn Avenue; Wisconsin Center is across 6th Street, on right. Turn right on 6th, go one block to Wells Street, turn left into “tunnel.” Go 1/2 block, left turn into parking lot.

http://www.cheeseexpo.org/

March 14, 2014 — CHEESE MARKET NEWS® 7

For more information please visit www.johnsonindint.com

NEWS/BUSINESS

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT US ON THE WEB AT

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WASHINGTON — In comments sub-mitted last week to the Dietary Guide-lines Advisory Committee (DGAC), the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) outlines the nutritional benefi ts of dairy products and highlights the industry’s ongoing efforts to reformu-late products to provide lower levels of sodium, sugars and fat where possible.

In its comments, IDFA also explains the challenges that complicate these efforts to change the nutrient profi le of dairy products.

Perhaps the most visible step taken by the dairy industry is the successful use of portion control packaging to help consumers control their sugar, fat and calorie intake, the comments note. Cheese sticks, individual yogurt cups, single-serve bottles of milk and ice cream novelties are popular ex-amples, but many other research and reformulation initiatives are under way, the organization says.

Most dairy products generally have a low level of naturally occurring sodium, but salt is a key functional ingredient for many types of cheese, IDFA notes. IDFA explains that U.S. cheesemakers are working individually and as a whole, through the Innovation Center for

IDFA submits comments to Dietary Guidelines committee, noting dairy’s important roleU.S. Dairy, to consider ways to address the level of sodium in their products. Some have successfully developed and sold lower-sodium cheese options, especially to the foodservice market because changes here are less visible to consumers, IDFA says.

“While these products fi ll a niche need with consumers, many large retail-ers have found them to be an important part of their category assortment,” the comments say. “With ongoing industry support, these items will continue to address consumers’ and retailers’ evolving needs.”

Regarding sugar, lower sugar options for fl avored dairy products, such as light yogurts with low or no added sugar and no sugar added ice cream products, have been available for years, the comments note. But many dairy companies are now setting goals to lower total sugars or reduce the level of added sugar in other products to lower calories.

Reformulations have been especially successful in the fl avored milk category, the comments say. The average calorie levels of fl avored milk sold in school have been reduced by 43 calories over the past six years due to processors’ work to reformulate products with less

sugar and fat. “In 2012-2013, the calorie level for

fat-free fl avored milk averaged 121.8 calories per cup, which is a signifi -cant reduction from the level of 166.1 calories in the 2006-2007 school year,” the comments say. “Added sugar in chocolate milk for schools has declined by 45 percent over that same six-year period, decreasing from 16.7 grams to 9.2 grams per cup.”

With fat, there are fat-reduced versions of all major dairy products, including milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream, IDFA says. Lowfat and fat-free milk make up a signifi cant portion of the milk consumed, and the majority of yogurt sold in the United States is lowfat or fat-free. Ice cream has fol-lowed a similar trend to fl uid milk, offering a wide variety of products to meet individual consumer preferences. Companies continue to work to fi nd lower fat options for cheese, but the consumer demand for fat-free cheese is very low, the comments say.

Although the dairy industry has worked for years to lower sodium, added sugars and fat, a number of challenges remain, including food regulations, consumer acceptance and increased

costs of reformulated products, IDFA notes. For example, the 97 standards of identity that currently exist for dairy products can be obstacles to innovation because the products must adhere strictly to the specifi ed requirements, including ingredients and composition.

In the end, however, consumer ac-ceptance may be the most important hurdle to overcome, IDFA notes.

“Reformulation will only work if the updated food is attractive to consum-ers,” the comments say. IDFA recom-mends small “stealth reductions” over time to allow consumers to adjust to a less sweet or salty taste while they continue to enjoy the product.

Since DGAC began its work on the 2015 guidelines, IDFA has taken every opportunity to educate, inform and en-lighten committee members about the value of nutrient-dense dairy products in the American diet, the organization notes. The committee’s recommenda-tions and rationale will serve as a basis for the eighth edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

In January, IDFA presented oral comments to emphasize the value that nutrient-dense dairy products bring to the American diet. CMN

WASHINGTON — U.S. exports of cheese in January reached 70.8 mil-lion pounds, up 46 percent from a year earlier and a new record for the third month in the row, according to the latest export report from the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and USDA data. USDEC says cheese sales to existing customers remained strong in January, while new sales were cap-tured in Australia, Saudi Arabia, China and Egypt. (The fi gures released by USDA and USDEC are in metric tons; Cheese Market News has converted the data to pounds by multiplying by 2,204.6.)

U.S. suppliers shipped 359.3 million pounds of milk powder, cheese, butter-fat, whey and lactose in January, up 19 percent from last year, and about the same volume as the last four months of 2013, USDEC says. The total value of all dairy exports was $583.7 million, up 35 percent from January 2013.

U.S. exporters also increased ship-ments of butterfat, whole milk powder (WMP) and milk protein concentrate (MPC). Butterfat exports were up 150 percent from last January, and exports during the June-January period aver-aged 21.0 million pounds per month, more than triple what was shipped in the same period the year before. Almost 59 percent of the January volume went to the Middle East/North Africa region, led by Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Egypt.

WMP exports were up 314 percent in January and have averaged 9.6 mil-lion pounds a month for the last seven

January U.S. cheese exports up 46 percent, breaking record for third month in a row

months, nearly triple the volume in the same period the prior year. MPC ex-ports were up 110 percent in January.

Meanwhile, exports of dry whey and whey protein concentrate (WPC) continue to lag prior-year levels. Dry whey exports in January totaled 40.8 million pounds, 6.8 million pounds less than the May-August 2013 monthly average. January WPC export totaled 36.3 million pounds, the lowest in nearly two years and about 13 million pounds less than the May-August 2013 monthly average, USDEC says.

Exports of nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder (NDM/SMP) in January totaled 85.5 million pounds, higher than the diminished levels of last January, but well below the levels of the last nine months of 2013, which averaged 110.0 million pounds a month. USDEC also notes that NDM/SMP exports in January represented just 43 percent of the U.S. powder production for the month, leading to a greater-than-average build-up of inventory. The slowdown in NDM/SMP exports is attributed to greater competition, USDEC says, particularly from the EU-28, which saw milk pro-duction increase 4.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Cheese exports in January to-taled 7.4 percent of U.S. produc-tion, while butterfat exports totaled 12.2 percent of production, dry sweet whey totaled 58 percent of production and lactose totaled 68 percent of production. CMN


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to August 2013. The three winning vendors were Beyer Farms Inc., El-mhurst Dairy Inc. and Bartlett Dairy Inc. The largest contract, totaling $111 million, went to Beyer for milk delivery in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

The audit found that DOE lacked adequate procedures to detect warning signs of possible collusion. The three winning bidders began as competitors, each vying for the same contracts, but became business partners within two months of the contracts being awarded. Beyer and Elmhurst, which had won the major-ity of the distribution bids in August and September 2008, subcontracted the majority of that work in Octo-ber 2008 to their former competitor, Bartlett.

The comptroller’s offi ce notes that as a result of that subcontract-ing, Bartlett’s percentage of milk de-livery rose from 6 percent to almost 70 percent, all before the fi rst carton of milk was delivered. Furthermore, Beyer and Elmhurst failed to provide any information that they planned to use subcontractors in their original bids, even through the request for

For more information please visit www.cheesemarketnews.com

NEWS/BUSINESS

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NYC school district under investigation for failing proper safeguards for milk contracts NEW YORK — The New York City De-partment of Education (DOE) is under investigation for allegedly failing to employ proper safeguards and controls in awarding multi-million dollar milk distribution contracts for city schools, making the city vulnerable to possible collusion, according to New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. The fi ndings of an audit have been referred to the United States Department of Justice for further investigation, and DOE has agreed to recommendations from the comptroller’s offi ce.

“DOE ignored red fl ags that its milk contracts may have been taint-ed,” Stringer says. “We see possible collusion when rival bidders become business partners within two months of being awarded contracts. Instead of doing its due diligence, DOE need-lessly put taxpayers at risk. Moving forward, DOE must put tighter con-trols in place to ensure that bids are made independently and that bid-ders have the fi nancial ability to de-liver the services they promise.”

The audit examined three con-tracts worth $134 million for the sup-ply and delivery of milk to New York City schools from November 2008

bids required them to do so.The audit also found that DOE

failed to adequately assess the fi nan-cial health of the bidders, failing to properly analyze the bidders’ fi nan-cial statements as well as disregard-ing the warnings of one of its own an-alysts. The comptroller’s offi ce says Beyer’s fi nancial statements clearly indicated a high risk of default, and it subsequently went bankrupt in 2012, leaving DOE scrambling for a replacement. DOE now is in the pro-cess of procuring new milk distribu-tion contracts.

Elmhurst Dairy and Bartlett Dairy did not return a request for comment by press time.

The audit urges DOE to:

• Develop and implement ad-equate written procedures to detect the warning signs of possible collu-sion;

• Put written procedures in place to identify and fl ag troubling bidders before it is too late; and

• Develop and implement proce-dures to ensure that a comprehen-sive analysis of fi nancial capacity of low bidders is conducted prior to any contract award.

“I am pleased that DOE has now agreed with our recommen-dations to institute tougher scru-tiny of future bidders,” Stringer says. “We simply cannot allow these kinds of weak procurement practices to continue.” CMN

PEOPLE

Comings and goings … comings and goings

The Institute of Food Technolo-gists (IFT), Chicago, recently an-nounced the selection of Christie A. Tarantino as the new executive vice president. In her new role she will oversee a wide array of IFT programs including the IFT Annual Meeting and Expo, knowledge and learning programs, marketing communications campaigns, membership, partnerships, publications, science and policy initia-tives and Feeding Tomorrow: the Foun-dation of IFT. Tarantino is the current president and CEO of the Association Forum of Chicagoland and has 17 years of association management experience. She served as the executive director of the Academy of General Dentistry, associate vice president of member relations at the Professional Conven-tion Management Association and as membership services director with the Alabama State Bar Association.

New Orleans Cold Storage (NOCS) has promoted Jim Hendersen to vice

president of sales and marketing. Hendersen has been with NOCS for fi ve years and has 15 years of transportation, logistics and international business experience. He will be responsible for the sales and marketing for all NOCS warehouses and services. NOCS also promoted Jeff Neupert to CFO. Neupert has been a licenced CPA since 1985 and joined NOCS in 2010. He will be responsible for all fi nancial and accounting aspects of the company.

Jarrod McCarroll has become the CEO of Weber Inc., Kansas City, Mo., taking responsibility for all North American operations of Weber GmbH. McCarroll has 12 years of experience in the food processing equipment industry and most recently was vice president of sales and marketing at Marlen Interna-tional. He has been an active partici-pant in the Food Processing Suppliers Association, Meat Industry Suppliers Alliance and the Packaging Machin-ery Manufacturers Institute. CMN

ODFA presents lifelong contribution awardsSALEM, Ore. — The Gibson family of Lochmead Farms, Junction City, Ore., recently was recognized with the Com-munity Service Award from the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association (ODFA). In addition, Amy Peters, recently retired from OSU Extension in Coos and Curry Counties, received the ODFA Distin-guished Service Award at the Annual Oregon Dairy Farmers Convention last month in Salem, Ore.

The Gibson family has been involved in Oregon agriculture for nearly 75 years and sustainability is the family’s priority. They installed the fi rst low temperature methane digester in the United States in 2010, and since have installed solar panels at their process-

ing plant and 14 of the family’s Dari Mart stores.

Beyond sustainability projects, the Gibson family has made numerous contributions to a number of local organizations and family members have served on multiple agricultural committees and boards.

Peters received the ODFA Distin-guished Service Award for her more than 20 years working with livestock producers throughout Oregon. She conducted countless one-on-one train-ings and seminars.

In addition to her work with dairies, she has been a member on numerous ag-ricultural boards and associations and remains active in her community. CMN



CHEESE MARKET NEWS®

Retail WATCHN E W S & M A R K E T I N G I D E A S T O H E L P S E L L M O R E C H E E S E


Also in Retail WATCH: Maple Hill debuts drinkable yogurt … Page 11 Sonoma Creamery unveils Mr. Cheese O’s … Page 12

Henning’s Cheese celebrates 100Proud of its history, company looks forward to the future

Turn to HENNING’S, page 11a

By Kate Sander

KIEL, Wis. — Henning’s Cheese, known for its acclaimed mammoth cheese wheels and its logo featuring a bold outline of Wisconsin with the “Henning’s” name superimposed, celebrates 100 years in the cheese business this year.

The year is being marked with cel-ebrations and new products, including precut cheese wedges for retailers. The company’s plant, which is Safe Quality Foods (SQF) certifi ed to Level 2, also is moving forward toward a Level 3 certifi -cation later this year, says Kert Henning, company vice president who manages the business along with his siblings and other family members.

Celebrating 100 years is a milestone where companies tend to look both back on accomplishments as well as forward to the future.

Henning says while Henning’s Cheese has made many upgrades over the years

MAMMOTH WHEELS — Everett Henning poses in front of a 4,000-pound wheel of cheese while holding another one that’s small enough to carry. Company offi cials say that Henning’s Cheese is the only manufacturer of mammoth Cheddar wheels in the United States today.

Pepper Jack & Habanero Jack wheels up to 300 pounds in size. In addition, the company makes blocks of cheese and packages it in 8-ounce, 14-ounce and 2-pound cuts for retailers. Other varieties the company produces include reduced-fat farmer’s and string cheese.

Henning’s Cheese also makes a number of fl avored varieties overseen by company president Kerry Henning. Kerry Henning received his Wisconsin cheese-maker’s license in 1980 and earned his fi rst Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker certifi ca-tion in 1999. He now holds certifi cations for Cheddar, Colby and Monterey Jack.

“Cheesemaking is hard work, but the praise that we receive from our

“We’re always askingwhat can we do to make

ourselves better.”

Kert HenningHENNING’S CHEESE

“Kerry (Henning)is really particular.It took two years to

develop our blueberry cobbler fl avor but it has

just the right balance … you can taste the cheese and its robust Cheddar fl avor and it’s

accented with the blueberry fl avor.”

Kert HenningHENNING’S CHEESE

the devotion to handmade cheese re-mains the same as always.• A look back

The company started in 1914, when Kert Henning’s grandfather, Otto, made the decision to purchase a rural cheese factory near Kiel, Wis. It’s hard to say whether Otto and his wife, Norma, knew the business would become such a family affair, but a family affair it became —

Henning says, noting the company can make wheels as small as 12 pounds or its largest ever, which weighed in at just under 6 tons. The company also can make Colby and Colby Jack wheels up to 1,000 pounds in size and Monterey Jack,

Photo courtesy of Henning’s Cheese

fi rst for their son, Everett, and later their grandchildren, Kay, Kerry and Kert, who have been working at the plant since they were “knee high to a grasshopper.” Now the fourth generation of family is entering the business.

Otto and Norma’s son Everett, the only son in the family with fi ve sisters, took the factory over on Feb. 1, 1963, with the help of his wife, Jellane. Everett, at age 81, still is involved with the factory, coming into the plant three days a week, says Kert, who jokes about how as his dad gets older he and his siblings will give him a little more time off. At the current rate, Everett will hit full retire-ment shortly before hitting the century mark himself.

In addition to three of Everett’s children, two of Everett’s grandchildren, Mindy Aulsoos and Rebekah Henschel, operate the business today. Kert’s son, Joshua Henning, also plans to join the business after graduating from Univer-sity of Wisconsin-River Falls later this year to start working under his uncle and Master Cheesemaker Kerry Henning.

While not everyone in the extended family is involved in the cheese business nor are they pressured to be, it is clear that the longevity of the company and its Wisconsin roots and family ties are important to the Hennings.

“Every plant has their story,” Kert Henning says of the network of small and medium-sized companies in Wisconsin.

“All of the stories are so neat. There’s a camaraderie today in the cheese in-dustry that I fi nd so refreshing,” he says.

Much of the way Henning’s Cheese makes its products dates back to the early days of cheesemaking. Since the begin-ning, local family dairy farmers have provided Henning’s Cheese with quality milk. These farmers pride themselves on pasture feeding their cows along with feeding them a carefully balanced diet of natural grains, Henning says.

The company’s cheese is made in open vats, and 80 percent of it is made into traditional, bandage-wrapped wheels, Henning says. If you see a gi-ant wheel of cheese being carved or on display at a retailers, odds are it came from Henning’s Cheese, the only U.S. commercial manufacturer of mammoth Cheddar wheels.

“We’re the last manufacturer of mam-moth Cheddar wheels over 75 pounds,”


Nog is being reintroduced for Easter. The milk is ultra-pasteurized and has an extended shelf life of 75 days. All fl avors are produced using milk from cows not treated with artifi cial growth hormones.

“Consumers are looking for new and exciting fl avors of milk. Old Recipe Seasonal Favorites put a new twist on Easter’s favorite candy fl avors — Jelly-bean and Chocolate Marshmallow — by combining real milk with just the right amount of fl avoring to create tasty, fun treats that also provide essential nu-

10 CHEESE MARKET NEWS® — March 14, 2014 R E T A I L R O U N D - U P

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Celebrating Successful Partnerships for 60 Years!

Prairie Farms Dairy introduces line of Old Recipe Seasonal Favorites Milk in three fl avorsCARLINVILLE, Ill. — Prairie Farms Dairy, Carlinville, Ill., recently announced the availability of its new line of Old Recipe Seasonal Favorites Milk in three thick and creamy fl avors: Jelly Bean, a fi rst in the category, Chocolate Marshmallow and Easter Egg Nog.

Old Recipe Jellybean Milk is lowfat milk sweetened with a sugar/monk fruit juice combination, with a fruity jellybean fl avor. Old Recipe Chocolate Marshmal-low Milk is a creamy chocolate milk with a blend of marshmallow fl avor, and Egg

trients like protein and calcium,” says Rebecca Leinenbach, sales program director, Prairie Farms Dairy. “Our new-est fl avor creations capture the essence of spring and are sure to become family favorites for years to come!”

The packaging design allows consum-ers to easily identify the milk fl avors by setting each fl avor on a separate color palette and tying the vignette into common nostalgic elements of Easter using jelly-beans, chocolate bunnies, marshmallows and Easter eggs, Prairie Farms offi cials

say. The cartons also feature a QR code that will drive traffi c to the Old Recipe Seasonal Favorites web page featuring product information, recipes and a coupon.

Prairie Farms Old Recipe Seasonal Favorites, available in quart paper car-tons, currently are available in retail outlets throughout the Midwest. Old Recipe Seasonal Favorites are produced in small quantities and available for a limited time only.

For more information, v is -it www.prairiefarms.com. CMN

Smart Balance transitions spread line to non-GMO after revamping ingredients, sourcing BOULDER, Colo. — Smart Balance recently announced that it is transition-ing its fl agship line of buttery spreads to non-GMO.

Following an extensive revamp of ingredients sourcing and manufactur-ing processes, Smart Balance buttery spreads coming to some store shelves beginning this month will be non-GMO, with no increase in price to customers, company offi cials say. A full retail conver-sion to non-GMO Smart Balance spreads is expected by early summer.

“Consumers are communicating strong desire for more transparency in their food ingredients, and that is leading to a growing demand for non-GMO prod-ucts,” says Stephen Hughes, chairman and

CEO of Boulder Brands, parent company to the Smart Balance brand. “Consumers favor healthier, less processed foods with simpler ingredients. They think what we put in our food matters, and frankly, the same applies to what we leave out. We hear this echoed over and over by our consumers, and we are committed to moving in this direction.”

Non-GMO Smart Balance is made from expeller-pressed oils from non-GMO seeds. In addition, manufacturing facili-ties and production processes have been enhanced to reduce risk of contact with GMO-containing ingredients. The new product will bear a prominent “non-GMO” label and pledge, pointing consumers to additional product facts and information

at www.SmartBalance.com/nonGMO.“Our move to non-GMO is another

important step in the Boulder Brands commitment to provide innovative, more transparent, healthier food alternatives,” Hughes says. “Our goal is to work closely with industry leading partners to identify

the resources and time required to con-vert our entire Smart Balance product line to non-GMO. This is the start of a journey, and we’re committed to seeing this through.”

For more information, v is -it www.smartbalance.com. CMN

Müller introduces Corner Dark ChocolateCHICAGO — Müller is expanding with the launch of Müller Dark Chocolate yogurt, with cherry, raspberry and pe-can granola. Each variety blends dark chocolate shavings into lowfat yogurt and pairs it with combinations of fruit or crunchy clusters.

The new yogurt comes in three fl a-vors: Müller Corner Dark Chocolate & Cherry, Müller Corner Dark Chocolate & Raspberry and Müller Corner Dark Chocolate & Pecan Granola.

“We are dedicated to providing ir-resistible combinations that satisfy consumer’s desire for great tasting food that they can still feel good about eating,”

says Barbara Yehling, chief marketing offi cer, Müller Quaker Dairy.

Müller yogurt also is introducing two new Greek-style fl avors with Blueberry and Peach. Müller Greek is a lowfat, Greek-style yogurt that comes with crunchy mix-ins or fruit. Müller also has its FrütUp yogurt — a lowfat yogurt topped with a whipped fruit mousse.

All Müller yogurt varieties are made with reduced-fat, Grade A milk. The suggested retail price is $.99 for Müller FrütUp and $1.29 for Müller Corner and Müller Greek Corner.

For more information go to w w w. m u l l e r q u a k e r. c o m . C M N

Stonyfi eld partners with Happy Family to offer yogurt pouches for babies, toddlersANAHEIM, Calif. — Stonyfi eld organic yogurt maker has announced a new partnership with the Happy Family baby food brand to offer a co-branded line of yogurt pouches for babies, toddlers and kids. The new line, which debuted at Natural Products Expo West earlier this month, will start distribution this summer.

This is the fi rst co-branded collabora-tion of this type for both brands.

“Stonyfi eld and Happy Family share

the core belief that organic food made without the use of toxic persistent pesti-cides and GMOs is the very best for little ones,” says Gary Hirshberg, chairman and co-founder of Stonyfi eld Organic. “It’s truly exciting to work together to offer the very best in infant and toddler nutrition that also makes life a little easier for parents.”

For more informat ion , v i s -it www.stonyfield.com or www.happyfamilybrands.com. CMN

Woolwich Dairy debuts new Chèvre lineLANCASTER, Wis. — Woolwich Dairy, with plants in Orangeville, Ontario, and Lancaster, Wis., recently debuted its “Wholesome Goat” Fresh Chèvre line.

Fresh Chèvre is lower in sodium, fat and free of fi llers or preservatives, Woolwich Dairy says. It comes in two fl avors—Plain ‘N’ Simple and Big Kick Herb & Garlic, the latter an American Cheese Society award-winner.

Each starts with a base of Woolwich Dairy’s goat’s milk, and is blended to a light, soft and spreadable consistency.

Woolwich Dairy recommends using Fresh Chèvre as an alternative to cream cheese, applying it as a dip or spread, mixing it into dressings and sauces, or tossing it with hot pasta. Fresh Chèvre can be used in omelettes and casseroles, and as a topping for pizza or fl atbread.

Whimsically illustrated package graphics compliment the playful names. The 8-ounce recyclable tub has a sug-gested retail price of $5.99.

For more in format ion v i s -it www.woolwichdairy.com. CMN


http://www.dairyfoodusa.com/

March 14, 2014 — CHEESE MARKET NEWS® 11 R E T A I L I N G P E R S P E C T I V E S

For more information please visit www.henningscheese.com

4th Generation of Family Tradition Since 1914

Henning’s Wisconsin Cheese20201 Point Creek Road • Kiel, WI 53042Phone: (920) 894-3032 • Fax: (920) [email protected] www.henningscheese.com

• Bandaged Style Wheels of Cheese• Hand-Matted Cheddar “The Traditional Way”• rBGH Free, Gluten Free• All Natural Ingredients• USDA, State and GFSI SQF Inspected• Master Cheese Maker Certification in

Cheddar, Colby & Monterey Jack

customers makes it all worth it,” Kerry Henning says.

Each fl avored cheese goes through a painstaking process before it is fi nalized.

“Kerry is really particular,” says his brother Kert. “It took two years to de-velop our blueberry cobbler fl avor but it has just the right balance … you can taste the cheese and its robust Ched-dar fl avor and it’s accented with the blueberry fl avor.”

Henning’s Cheese’s most recent fl avor addition is Hatch Pepper Ched-dar. The cheese features the company’s creamy smooth Cheddar and authentic Hatch Chili Peppers from Hatch, N.M., which impart a mild, sweet, savory pep-per fl avor.

The company’s cheeses have won a number of awards, including a gold in the 2013 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest for its Chipotle Cheddar. The company also won a bronze in the same contest for its Peppercorn Cheddar. This cheese has now captured awards going back to 2008, consistently scoring in the top three cheeses in either the U.S. and World Championship Cheese Contests. The next World Championship Cheese Contest is next week.• Looking ahead

Henning’s Cheese, which sells to retailers across the country, also is pre-

paring this spring to launch prepackaged wedges of its bandage-wrapped Cheddar. The company’s cheeses are available in the dairy cases of 150-200 stores in eastern Wisconsin and in cheese and deli departments nationwide. By supplying prepackaged wedges of the company’s bandage-wrapped cheeses, Kert Henning hopes to make the company more versa-tile for customers who can’t or don’t want to handle wheels or who would prefer a variety of products including wheels and prepackaged cheese. He hopes the move also will draw more attention to the company’s high-end cheese, particularly those that have a little age on them.

“We like where we’re at,” Kert Hen-ning says, but there also is always room for improvement and growth. The com-pany moved into a new plant in 1967, expanded in 1986 and most recently expanded again in 2010 and 2013 to keep up with growing demand.

“We’re always asking what can we do to make ourselves better,” says Henning, who notes that the SQF audit process has been one way the company does that.

“Inspectors are a way for us to im-prove, which helps us in the long run,” he says.

Another way the company has grown has been through its retail cheese shop and cheesemaking museum.

The longtime dream of Everett Hen-ning, a museum and new cheese store were opened at the Kiel, Wis., factory, in 2008. The museum features an old

HIGHLY ACCLAIMED — Henning’s Cheese’s Peppercorn Cheddar has consistently scored in the top three cheeses in either the U.S. and World Championship Cheese Contests for the last several years.

Photo courtesy of Henning’s Cheese

cheese vat, press, separator, and some old butter making equipment, and the store includes cheeses, wines and a large variety of Wisconsin souvenirs. Kert Henning would like to see that side of the operation grow as well, to attract more tourists and make it more of a destination, perhaps by adding a restaurant.

Henning’s Cheese also continues to develop its social media presence

on Facebook and Twitter and features numerous recipes on its company web-site to provide consumers with simple and creative ways to try the company’s cheeses. Kert Henning says he leaves the social and electronic media to the “younger generation” but that it has proven to be a good tool for sharing the company’s past and present.

“There’s lots of opportunity,” Henning says. CMN

HENNING’SContinued from page 9

Powerful Yogurt unveils coated protein bars and PLUS+ Greek yogurt with whole grains ANAHEIM, Calif. — Powerful Yogurt recently unveiled two new product lines — Powerful Yogurt Protein Bars and Powerful Yogurt PLUS+ — at Natural Products Expo West, March 7-9 in Ana-heim, Calif.

The Powerful Yogurt Protein Bar, featuring yogurt coating and probiotics, was developed by an award-winning bar maker. The bars contain 20 grams of protein and low sugar (4 grams) and calorie profi les. They will be immediately available in yogurt creme, peanut butter and chocolate coconut fl avors. The bars also feature Ganeden BC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6085), which the company says helps to boost immune function and digestive health as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. The bars are gluten free, kosher and contain non-GMO ingredients.

The Powerful Yogurt PLUS+ line of Greek yogurts add whole grain add-ins to the company’s signature high protein Greek yogurt. Powerful Yogurt PLUS+ has

21 grams of natural protein per 8-ounce serving and will be available immediately in fl avors including Coconut + Quinoa, Tropical Fruit + Oats, and Lemon + Chia. The product line is lowfat, gluten free, ko-sher and contains non-GMO ingredients.

“We are very excited to be evolving into a company with a strong portfolio of great-tasting, all-natural, high protein foods that fuel the active lifestyle,” says Carlos Ramirez, founder and CEO, Pow-erful Yogurt. “One year ago we launched Powerful Yogurt with one product line. The success of our high-protein, award-winning Greek yogurt led to the strong growth and innovation that you see today, but this is just the beginning.”

Powerful Yogurt products now are available at nearly 2,000 grocery stores across the country. They are available through distributors including KeHe, UNFI, Cedar’s Foods, Gourmet Guru and C&S.

For more information, visit http://powerful.yt. CMN

Maple Hill Creamery debuts drinkable yogurt STUYVESANT, N.Y. — Maple Hill Creamery recently introduced a line of 12-ounce drinkable yogurts that feature organic whole milk from 100 percent grass-fed cows.

The new line comes in the same fl avors as the company’s cup yogurts. Flavors include Lemon, Maple, Orange Cream, Plain, Vanilla and Wild Blueberry.

The drinkable yogurts are sweetened with organic sugars, with the total sugar at 16 grams per 6-ounce serving, the company notes. A 6-ounce serving of the fl avored drinkable yogurts contains 150 calories and 7 grams of both fat and protein.

For more information, visit www.maplehillcreamery.com CMN


http://www.henningscheese.com/

tasting events to sample the 16 Mur-ray’s Mania cheeses. After tasting the cheeses, participants can go to www.mur-rayscheese.com/murraysmania to cast votes in each round: Savory 16 (March 6-16), Grate 8 (March 20-23), Fromage 4 (March 27-28) and the Finals (March 29-30). Participants are allowed to vote four times — once per round.

By playing, participants are entered to win several prizes, including a trip for two to Seattle, cheese gift sets from Murray’s, and Murray’s shopping sprees.

12 CHEESE MARKET NEWS® — March 14, 2014 T H E C H E E S E T A B L E

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Murray’s Cheese shops offering Murray’s Mania cheese brackets for March promotionNEW YORK — Murray’s Cheese shops nationwide this month are running a basketball-themed “Murray’s Mania” promotion.

Earlier this month, participants were invited to submit a cheese bracket with expected winners and submit it online. All “slam-dunk” brackets, fi lled out with 100-percent correctly guessed winning cheeses, will be entered to win a draw-ing for a $100 Murray’s Cheese gift card.

Through March 30, customers can visit any Murray’s store during special

Winners will be announced on or about April 15.

Murray’s Mania cheese collections, which serve 6-8 people, also can be ordered for $39.99 each. The Power Forward collection includes Vermont Creamery Cremont v. Maple Leaf Red Wax Gouda and Murray’s Burrata vs. Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog. The Point Guard collection includes Black River Blue vs. Point Reyes Original Blue and Rogue Creamery Caveman Blue Vs. May-tag Blue. The Shooting Guard collection

includes Cabot Clothbound Cheddar vs. Roth Havarti with Dill and Maple Leaf Pepper Jack vs. Beecher’s Flagship Cheddar. The Center collection includes Sartori Merlot Bellavitano vs. Roth Grand Cru and Spring Brook Farm Tarentaise vs. Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve.

“The Starting Lineup,” which in-cludes all four collections and a total 8 pounds of cheese, also is available for $149.99.

For more information, visit www.murrayscheese.com/murraysmania. CMN

Sonoma Creamery unveils Mr. Cheese O’sANAHEIM, Calif. —Mr. Cheese O’s, an all-natural O-shaped cheese snack, was unveiled by Sonoma Creamery at last week’s 2014 Natural Foods Expo West held here.

Sonoma Creamery, an artisan cheese company based in California’s wine country, makes hormone free, 100 percent natural, gluten-free cheeses. The new snack comes in four variet-ies — Original, Cheddar, Tuscan Herb and Sweet Chili. Each has 10 grams of protein per 1-ounce bag, using organic quinoa and other ancient grains.

Mr. Cheese O’s will be available in the deli section of national grocery and convenience store chains starting this

June. The 1-ounce packs have a sug-gested retail price of $2.99.

“As parents, how can we trust snack products that use ingredients with names we can’t even pronounce?” says John Crean, CEO, Sonoma Creamery. “In a space that’s dominated by not-so-good-for-you products, and being a dad myself, I’m proud that our new Mr. Cheese O’s product is an extra tasty, crunchy real cheese snack with a clean label and all natural ingredients that parents can feel good about giving their kids — and maybe saving a few for themselves, as well.”

For more information, v is -it http://mrcheeseos.com. CMN

Horizon expands outside the dairy case with the introduction of new Mac & CheeseBROOMFIELD, Colo. —Horizon, a national organic dairy brand, recently announced the launch of six new Hori-zon Mac & Cheese products. The new line marks an important step in the brand expanding outside of the dairy case, company officials say.

“Horizon Mac & Cheese is an ideal option for families who love the taste and convenience of macaroni & cheese, but want to trade up to options with organic ingredients that are free of high fructose corn syrup, artifi cial fl avors, colors and preservatives and that are made with non-GMO ingredients,” says Mike Ferry, Horizon president. “It is gratifying to expand the trusted Horizon brand beyond the dairy case with these new macaroni & cheese products to offer busy families more choices when it comes to a staple loved by kids and parents alike.”

All of the new Horizon Mac & Cheese products fall on the organic spectrum and are regulated by the USDA’s Na-tional Organic Program, and the labels on the new products clearly designate which are organic and which are made with organic, company officials note. The organic varieties carry the USDA

Organic Seal and contain at least 95 percent certified organic ingredients, while the made with organic products contain at least 70 percent certified organic ingredients. All Horizon Mac & Cheese products are produced without genetically modified ingredients and all are made with real, Horizon organic cheese.

Horizon Mac & Cheese products are available in six new varieties. USDA-Certified Organic Horizon Mac & Cheese varieties include Shells & White Cheddar Cheese and Macaroni & Mild Cheddar Cheese. Pasta Cows & Mild Cheddar Cheese, Shells & White Cheddar Cheese, Macaroni & Mild Cheddar Cheese and Horizon SuperMac & Cheese — Macaroni & Mild Cheddar Cheese are made with organic ingredients.

Horizon Mac & Cheese products will join Horizon’s existing organic dairy offerings to complement the brand’s products. Available in grocery stores nationwide, Horizon Mac & Cheese products can be found near similar products in dry grocery aisles.

For more information, visit www.horizonfamilyfavorites.com. CMN

Comté launches newly designed U.S. website NEW YORK — The Comté Cheese Asso-ciation has re-launched its U.S. website, featuring a new design and expanded content. The website is now oriented to both American consumers and members of the trade, with recipes, videos, news and information about the Comté region and its production.

“Comté’s presence has grown consid-erably in the U.S. over the past decade, and we hope that our new website gives consumers, as well as members of the trade and the media, helpful informa-

tion about the many facets of the world of Comté,” says Nicki Sizemore, Comté, United States.

American consumers can now access an array of Comté recipes and serving ideas in English, watch cooking videos, learn about upcoming events and more. Members of the trade have access to the Comté POS and training materials, as well as the importer and distributor list, and purchasing and receiving tips.

To view the new website, go t o w w w. c o m t e - u s a . c o m . C M N

Middlefi eld Cheese releases new UrsarioMIDDLEFIELD, Ohio — Middlefi eld Cheese has debuted its new Ursario Swiss cheese. It is made from pas-teurized Grade A milk and kosher ingredients.

Ursario is robust and exciting for all generations with exceptional nutri-tional value, according to Middlefield.

Middlefield offers six varieties of Swiss cheese. Each is filled with cal-cium and protein, is lactose-free, low sodium and contains zero trans fat. The texture and structure of its line varies from cheese to cheese.

For more information go to www.middlefieldcheese.com. CMN


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NEWS/BUSINESS

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CME Group receives regulatory approval to launch European exchange in April CHICAGO — The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group this week announced it has received approval from the United Kingdom’s Finan-cial Conduct Authority (FCA) for a London-based derivatives exchange.

CME Europe Ltd. will be a Recog-nized Investment Exchange and will launch April 27. The exchange has received approval to list its first com-modity products and plans to launch a full suite of FX futures products on the same date, subject to final regulatory approval of certain operational clear-ing conditions. The initial commodity products to be listed on the exchange include biodiesel, which have previ-ously been cleared as swaps on CME Clearing Europe.

“Our European customers are increasingly looking for ways to manage risk and access liquidity in a local jurisdiction,” says Terry Duffy, CME Group president and executive chairman. “CME Europe now allows us to better serve our customers in the region as we expand our business with relevant products. In addition, the combined move to central clear-ing and London serving as the center of global foreign exchange trading will mean our new exchange is well-positioned to serve all of Europe.

William Knottenbelt, Senior Man-aging Director, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) for CME Group, adds that the exchange’s global growth strategy continues to be focused on organic growth.

“The launch of clearing for over-the-counter interest rate swaps through CME Clearing Europe last year, our new European Trade Repository this year and now the upcoming launch of CME Europe further develop our international strategy,” Knottenbelt says. “Opening in London will mean we can further expand our new product offerings within Europe in addition to extend our footprint within the growing Asia Pacific region.”

A complete list of products, mem-bers and product specifications can be found at www.cmegroup.com/europe/. Clearing services for CME Europe will be provided by CME Clearing Europe. CMN

GENEVA — The World Health Orga-nization (WHO) recently launched a public consultation on its draft guide-line on sugars intake. When finalized, the guideline will provide countries with recommendations on limiting the consumption of sugars to reduce public health problems like obesity

World Health Organization seeks public consultation on draft guidelines for sugars intakeand tooth decay.

WHO’s current recommendation, from 2002, is that sugars should make up less than 10-percent of total calorie intake per day. The new draft guideline also proposes that sugars should be less than 10 percent of total calorie intake per day, but it further suggests that a reduction to below 5-percent of total calorie intake per day would have additional benefits. WHO notes that 5-percent of total calorie intake is equivalent to round 6 teaspoons of sugar per day for an adult with a normal body mass index (BMI).

The suggested limits on intake of sugars in the draft guideline apply to all monosaccharides (such as glucose and fructose) and disaccharides (such as sucrose or table sugar) that are added to food by the manufacturer, the cook or the consumer, as well as sugars that are naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.

The draft guideline was formulated based on analyses of all published scientific studies on the consumption of sugars and how it relates to excess weight gain and tooth decay in adults and children.

Comments on the draft guideline will be accepted via the WHO website through March 31. Anyone who wishes to comment must submit a declaration of interests. An expert peer-review process will take place over this period. Once the peer-review and public consultation are completed, all comments will be reviewed, and the draft guidelines will be revised if necessary and cleared by WHO’s Guidelines Review Committee before being finalized.

For more information, visit www.who. int /nutr i t ion/sugars_public_consultation/en/. CMN


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2-DAY AUCTION - S/S Processing & Packaging

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CHANGESContinued from page 1

For more information please visit www.cheesemarketnews.com

NEWS/BUSINESS

96 percent of all employers and are not subject to the ACA employer shared responsibility mandate.

According to a statement issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), large fi rms, defi ned as 100 employees or more, have to cover at least 70 percent of their workforce starting in 2015 and 95 percent in 2016 and beyond.

“This fi nal regulations phase in the standards is to ensure that larger em-ployees either offer quality, affordable coverage or make an employer respon-sibility payment starting in 2015 to help offset the cost to taxpayers of coverage or subsidies to their employees,” says Mark H. Mazur, assistant secretary for tax policy, U.S. Department of the Treasury.

The delay is viewed as a respite by some for businesses struggling to imple-ment, or understand, the ACA legislation.

“I’m pretty pleasantly astounded by what I’ve seen on fi rst read here,” says Neil Trautwein, vice president and lob-byist, National Retail Federation. “This is really the antithesis of the botched rollout of the exchanges, and I think they have tried mightily to smooth the impact of the penalty-mandate structure on the business community.”

The ACA is arduous for midsize businesses, but the delay will give them more time to adjust to these regulations. There is more relief than frustration, says Mollie Berman, director of compliance, C.T. Hellmuth & Associates, a benefi ts broker in Chevy Chase, Md.

There are some who disagree and fi nd the extensions, delays and altercations to the ACA to be damaging.

“It’s absolutely astonishing that the federal government is selectively enforcing the law as it sees politically expedient,” says John Doak, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner. “The continual changes are confusing the people we

care about most — the consumers and the insurance carriers who serve them. The industry is in a continuing spiral of adjustments to these changes that undermines their business plans and their ability to serve their customers.”

Many employers are frustrated. The defi nition of a midsize business, or one forced to comply with ACA, as 50 employ-ees is outrageously low, Trautwein says.

The National Small Business As-sociation (NSBA) recently released its 2014 Small Business Health Care Survey dealing with how the ACA is impacting businesses.

“Widespread confusion over the Affordable Care Act still exists among the majority of small fi rms,” says Jeff Van Winkle, chairman, NSBA. “Small businesses report spending on average 13 hours and $1,274 per month — and that’s just on the administrative side of understanding the law itself.”

Trautwein echoes this sentiment about the businesses infl uenced by this delay. “They are in an awkward posi-tion because of their size. They might not have a defi ned human resources function and have to rely on others in order to meet compliance needs,” he says. “It is really challenging and the frustrations are real; I’ve spent a lot of time explaining these provisions.”

“We were helping our clients prepare for much of last year,” Berman says. “In addition to new obligations, these midsize businesses have to indicate on the return they fi le with the IRS for 2015 if they are eligible for the delay to comply in 2016. So they still have to do all the work.”

Partially maintained in the recent ruling is how businesses determine if they require compliance with ACA by how they calculate their employees.

If a company has less than 100 employees, but has 50 or more FTE employees it will be required to provide insurance to employees following the ACA guidelines. Full-time employees are

defi ned as working 30 or more hours per week or 130 hours per month.

“It has created obstacles to folks who want to work more and can’t because they will be held under the 30-hour limit,” Trautwein says. “It is an uneasy overlay to employee-employer relations and not something the economy will easily absorb.”

Part-time employees also infl uence a company’s FTEs. To calculate total FTE employees, part-time employee’s monthly hours must be added up and divided by 120, resulting in additional FTEs. If the resulting total of FTEs is 50 or more, a company is subject to the employer mandate.

Among other exemptions, the recent rule stated that employers won’t have to cover seasonal workers, classifi ed as those employed less than six months. This change simplifi ed the previous, more complicated rule on seasonal employees.

The U.S. Treasury Department is still expected to release guidance specifi -cally addressing short-term employees who are reasonably expected to work at least 30 hour per week and who are hired into positions expected to continue for less than 12 months, but not on a seasonal basis.

For dairy industry business entities holding two or more plants, most likely the employees would be combined to decide the total count of FTEs. Whether or not this is applicable to employers with more than one business is decided on a case by case basis.

The ACA requires companies with 50 or more employees to pay for part of the premium for minimal levels of health coverage, or they are assessed a penalty. The penalty is approximately $2,000 per FTE after the fi rst 30 FTEs. If a dairy company with 50 FTEs did not insure its employees, it would assess a potential yearly penalty of $40,000, which is not tax-deductible.

In addition to the insurance and premiums provided, insurance must

meet the “bronze” level of coverage as defi ned by ACA. The insurance must cover at least 60 percent of medical expenses incurred by an employee, and the employee must not be required to pay more than 9.5 percent of their income.

If a company is below the 50 FTE threshold, it is not required to provide health insurance. However, if a com-pany elects to, ACA offers a tax credit for some employers who provide the minimum level of insurance. The size of the credit depends on the size of the business, income and other factors. The credit is not a tax deduction, but would be subtracted directly from taxes owed.

The U.S. Treasury Department says fi nal regulations will be issued shortly that aim to substantially streamline re-porting requirements for employers that offer highly affordable coverage to all or virtually all of their full-time employees. If employers decide not to offer insur-ance to their employees, an employer shared responsibility payment beginning in 2015 will be paid by those employers to help offset the costs to taxpayers of their employees getting tax credits through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Because of their size, it will be a challenge for midsize businesses to un-derstand and implement these changes. “I suggest businesses talk to brokers and consultants,” Berman adds. “There are so many new obligations and they need to make sure they understand in the changes and requirements. There are many companies who are unaware.”

Trautwein seconds this approach. “If I were in their shoes I would get some outside help,” he says. “These provisions are fi endishly complicated. I would not recommend trying to sol-dier through this on their own.” CMN

Fonterra to cease selling MPC-70 on GlobalDairyTrade AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Fonterra recently announced that beginning in April it will no longer offer milk pro-tein concentrate (MPC-70) for sale on GlobalDairyTrade (GDT), its internet-based sales platform.

The removal of MPC-70 from GDT is a result of reduced volume availability due to higher-priority opportunities in other products, Fonterra says, noting the annual offer volume of the product on GDT has declined from 12,000 metric tons at the auction launch in 2012 to less than 4,500 metric tons in the most recent season.

As a result, MPC-70 has become Fon-terra’s smallest product by volume sold through GDT, accounting for only 0.5 percent of the total volume sold on the auction platform, the cooperative says.

The fi nal trading event for pur-chase of MPC-70 through GDT will be April 15. Fonterra confi rms that all of its other products currently offered on GDT will continue to be available through the platform. CMN




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that the EU’s predatory approach to GIs is causing internationally,” says Errico Auricchio, CCFN chairman and president of BelGioioso Cheese Inc., Green Bay, Wis. “Producers everywhere — whether in the United States, Costa Rica, Guatemala or Germany — have the right to use names that have been in the public domain.”

The International Dairy Foods Associa-tion (IDFA) says protecting the ability of U.S. cheesemakers to use common cheese names is one of its top priorities, and that TTIP is an opportunity to lift trade barriers, not impose new ones.

“IDFA commends the 55 U.S. senators who have taken a strong stance against the European Union’s efforts to hinder our use of common food names,” says IDFA President and CEO Connie Tipton. “These lawmakers understand the importance of lowering trade barriers and fi ghting the kinds of restrictions that have the capacity to stall job growth in the United States and limit our expanding dairy export market.”

The American Cheese Society (ACS) says it hopes TTIP will respect and value the hard work of cheesemakers around the globe.

“To best serve cheesemakers and con-sumers, a common sense approach must

apply to names in long-standing common usage,” says Greg O’Neill, ACS president and co-owner of Chicago’s Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine. “After building the awareness, appreciation and availabil-ity of such cheeses, it would be detrimental to eliminate the broad, universally-under-stood language of cheese.”

The Offi ce of the USTR on Tuesday published a fact sheet on its website, www.ustr.gov, describing in detail the admin-istration’s specifi c goals and objectives in the TTIP negotiations. The fact sheet outlines how this agreement, if successfully concluded, will benefi t American workers, businesses of all sizes and consumers. USTR also invites members of the public to submit comments on the negotiations via e-mail to [email protected].

The fact sheet notes that U.S. negotia-tors seek to eliminate all tariffs and other duties and charges on trade in agricultural, industrial and consumer products be-tween the United States and the EU, with substantial duty elimination on entry into force of the agreement, transition periods where necessary for sensitive products, and appropriate safeguard mechanisms to be applied if and where necessary. USTR notes that U.S. food and agricultural exports to the world reached an all-time high in 2013 of more than $145 billion.

“In that year, we sent just over $10 billion of agricultural exports to the EU, a fi gure that can and should be much higher,” USTR says. “Our goal in TTIP is to help U.S. agricultural sales reach their full potential by eliminating tariffs and quotas that stand in the way of exports.”

USTR also says it seeks to eliminate or reduce non-tariff barriers that decrease op-portunities for U.S. exports, provide a com-petitive advantage to products of the EU, or otherwise distort trade, such as unwar-ranted sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) restrictions that are not based on science, unjustifi ed technical barriers to trade, and other “behind-the-border” barriers. CMN

TTIPContinued from page 1

dairy product had not been processed in accordance with its risk management program; and

• Failing to notify the MPI Direc-tor General as soon as possible that exported dairy product was not fi t for intended purpose.

Fonterra Thursday released a state-ment saying that it accepts the charges arising from MPI’s investigation into the events leading up to last year’s precau-tionary recall. Maury Leyland, Fonterra’s managing director of people, culture and strategy, says Fonterra has cooperated fully with MPI throughout the investiga-tion and accepts responsibility for the allegations made in the charges, adding that they are consistent with the fi ndings of Fonterra’s operational review and independent board inquiry.

“We have previously detailed issues relating to the decision to reprocess the original WPC-80, and being slow about esca-lating information — which are refl ected in the charges laid by MPI,” Leyland says.

“The WPC-80 event caused us to exam-

ine in detail what happened, why it hap-pened, and what we must do to minimize the risk of it ever happening again,” he adds. “We are making good progress on implementing the necessary improvements the operational review and independent board inquiry identified. We are also working with the government to progress all the recommendations of its review of New Zealand’s dairy food safety regulatory framework, undertaken last year.”

In August 2013, Fonterra recalled some of its WPC-80 after tests indicated potential botulism contamination. (See “Fonterra customers recall products with WPC due to fear of botulism con-tamination” in the Aug. 9, 2013, issue of Cheese Market News.) Later it was confi rmed that the recalled WPC-80 did not present a health risk. However, the recall of the WPC-80, which was used in products by several international companies, had a widespread impact on sales. Paris-based dairy giant Danone earlier this year fi led a lawsuit against Fonterra and terminated its existing supply contract with the New Zealand cooperative. Fonterra has said it will vigorously defend itself in any proceed-ings from the Danone suit. CMN

pounds in last month’s report. Fat-basis exports in 2013 totaled 12.4 billion pounds, the report says.

The skim-solids export forecast is unchanged from last month’s 38.2 billion pounds as lower lactose and weaker-than-expected early year sales of nonfat dry milk (NDM) offset gains in cheese, USDA says. Imports on a skim-solids basis are forecast at 5.3 billion pounds, up from last month’s forecast of 5.2 billion pounds, due to strong demand for milk protein concentrates.

USDA has upped its price projections from last month’s report based on strong demand and price strength to date.

Cheese is forecast to average $1.860-$1.920 per pound in 2014, up from the forecast of $1.815-$1.885 in last month’s report. The cheese price averaged $1.7683 in 2013.

The butter price is forecast to aver-age $1.605-$1.695, up from last month’s forecast of $1.550-$1.650. The NDM price forecast is $1.825-$1.875, up from $1.785-$1.845 in last month’s report. Dry whey is forecast to average $0.580-$0.610, up from $0.560-$0.590 last month.

As a result of increased product prices, the Class III price forecast is up to $18.95-$19.55 per hundredweight vs. $18.35-$19.05 in last month’s report. The Class IV price is forecast to average $20.35-$21.05, up from $19.80-$20.60 in last month’s report. This brings the all-milk price forecast to $21.40-$22.00, up from $20.85-21.55. In 2013, the all-milk price averaged $20.01. CMN

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MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) board recently approved a fi nal draft rule for ATCP 82, which makes changes to the state’s rule governing milk haulers.

Hearings on the rule were held Jan. 15 in Eau Claire, Wis., Jan. 16 at the DATCP head- quarters in Madison, Wis., and Jan. 17 in Green Bay, Wis.

The rule approved by the DATCP board proposes adopting a provision of the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) that allows bulk milk weighers and samplers to make partial collections of milk from

Wis. approves fi nal draft rule on milk haulersbulk tanks on dairy farms under certain conditions. (See “Wisconsin ag board approves scope statement for proposed changes to milk hauling rules” in the July 26, 2013, issue of Cheese Market News.)

Currently, ATCP 82 essentially requires bulk milk weighers and samplers to empty a bulk milk tank each time they collect milk from the farm.

The final draft rule now goes to the governor and the Wisconsin legislature for review. If there are no objections, Ag Secretary Ben Brancel will sign the fi nal order and transmit it for publication. CMN


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NEWS/BUSINESS

FOODEX Japan

CHIBA PREFECTURE, Japan — Rogue Creamery President and CEO David Gremmels, right, presents a selection of handmade cheese from Rogue Creamery, Central Point, Ore., to U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy at FOODEX Japan. FOODEX, the largest food trade show in Asia, was held March 4-7 at Maku-hari Messe and featured products from more than 78 countries. Rogue Creamery led a contingent of Oregon artisan producers presenting in the U.S. pavilion in coordination with the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association. CMN

Photo courtesy of Rogue Creamery

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The N.Y. State Cheese Manufacturers Association recently announced the results of its Cheese Judging Contest held during its annual meeting here last week.

Janene Lucia, extension specialist with the Department of Food Science at Cornell University, says the contest is a casual opportunity for conference attendees to test their cheese judg-ing skills. The contest consists of six blind samples of Cheddar for judging. A panel of experienced judges rank each of the six cheeses based on flavor, body and texture, and the top three individuals who rank the cheeses

N.Y. State Cheese Manufacturers Associationannounces Cheese Judging Contest results

closest to the judges’ scores are the award winners.

First place in the contest was awarded to Tim Elmer of Great Lakes Cheese with a score of 95.8.

Steve Funk of DSM Food Special-ties was awarded second place in the contest with a score of 93.2, and Lisa Stanger of Millerbernd Process Systems was awarded third place with a score of 88.8.

Honorable mentions also were awarded to Philip Brown of DuPont Nutrition and Health, with a score of 86.9, and John Burger of DSM Food Specialties with a score of 86.2. CMN

WASHINGTON — USDA recently finalized changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to further improve the nutrition and health of the nation’s low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children. The changes — which increase access to fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lowfat dairy — are based on the latest nutrition science, the agency says. The announcement marks the completion of the first comprehensive revisions to the WIC food packages since 1980.

“The updates to the WIC food package make pivotal improvements to the program and better meet the diverse nutritional needs of mothers and their young children,” says Agri-culture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The foods provided by the WIC program, along with education that focuses on the critical role of breastfeeding and proper nutrition, help to ensure that every American child has the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong.”

Along with a more than 30 per-cent increase in the dollar amount for children’s fruits and vegetables purchases, the changes also:

• Provide yogurt as a partial milk substitute for children and women;

• Expand whole grain options available to participants;

• Allow parents of older infants to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables instead of jarred infant food if they choose; and

• Give states and local WIC agen-cies more flexibility to meet the nutritional and cultural needs of WIC participants.

The revisions reflect public com-ments submitted in response to the first major changes in more than 30 years that were published as interim requirements in December 2007, which updated regulations governing

USDA’s fi nal rule for WIC food packages authorizes yogurt as a substitute for milk

WIC foods to align them more closely with updated nutrition science, rec-ommendations of the National Acad-emies’ Institute of Medicine and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the federal government’s benchmark for healthy eating and nutrition.

WIC provides low-income preg-nant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 with nutritious, supplemental foods. The program also provides nutrition and breastfeeding education and re-ferrals to health and social services. More than 8.5 million participants receive WIC benefits each month. Recent research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified changes to the WIC food packages as a contributing factor in the decline in obesity rates among low-income preschoolers in many states, USDA says.

The International Dairy Foods As-sociation (IDFA) says the changes are a victory for the organization and its members as they include increased access to lowfat dairy, allowing yogurt as a partial milk substitute.

“IDFA is pleased that USDA has continued to align the WIC program with the Dietary Guidelines for Ameri-cans, which recognize yogurt as ‘an appropriate equivalent milk product’ consumers can choose to obtain the recommended two-to-three servings of dairy each day,” says Clay Hough, senior group vice president, IDFA. “In fact, a pilot study conducted by IDFA member General Mills and several other organizations has shown that adding yogurt to the WIC program can help to increase dairy consumption and improve nutrient intake among participants.”

In addition to the yogurt substi-tution, USDA no longer will require a medical waiver for soy milk dis-tribution. The rule also encourages companies to reformulate products to use lower levels of sodium. CMN


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