Meet the people behind a2 milk, Yasso, Smári Organics, Tarte Foods, and good culture
The FoodNavigator-USA Dairy Innovation Forum is now available on demand!
If you have already registered, just log-in again on the event website (or via the link in your email) and tune in. If you have not registered, please register here to tune in.
In the first 45 minutes of the live, free-to-attend, online 60-minute Dairy Innovation Forum, we addressed the following agenda points.
1 - How difficult is it to launch a new dairy brand?
2 - What are the hottest new trends in dairy?
3 - What’s natural? And does it matter?
4 - What keeps you awake at night?
The remaining 15 minutes were devoted to Q&A where audience members put their questions to our expert panel of dairy entrepreneurs:
JESSE MERRILL: Co-founder & president, good culture
LA-based-based good culture organic cottage cheese is on a mission to inject excitement into a category that has become stale, says co-founder Jesse Merrill. “Grandma’s cottage cheese/pineapple combo just wasn’t cutting it.” good culture's 5.3oz snack pots are made from organic grass-fed milk.
SMÁRI ÁSMUNDSSON: Founder and CEO, Smári Organics
Yogurt buyers are looking for new options as the Greek yogurt market has matured, and Scandinavian products and designs are hip right now, says Smári Ásmundsson, founder & CEO of SMÁRI Organic Icelandic Yogurt. Each 6oz pot of his ‘super-concentrated’ strained yogurt contains 17-20g of protein.
JIM SMITH, Director of marketing, The a2 Milk Company
Digestive issues after drinking milk are often attributed to milk protein allergy or intolerance to lactose. But what if these have been ruled out and you are still experiencing discomfort? One company targeting these consumers is The a2 Milk Company, which believes A1 beta casein protein in milk may be to blame.
DREW HARRINGTON: Co-founder and Co-CEO, Yasso
Yasso was the world’s first frozen Greek yogurt bar on the market when it made its debut in spring 2011, and its rise since then has been nothing short of meteoric. “Put a pot of Greek yogurt in your freezer, and it freezes like a rock”, says Harrington. “So we spent a lot of time trying to get the texture right but coming up with something that was still healthy.”
WINSTON LEE: Founder and CEO, Tarte Foods
Santa Monica-based Tarte Asian Yogurt was inspired by a French-Vietnamese style of yogurt sold by street vendors and coffee shops in Southeast Asia that is made by caramelizing milk and sugar before culturing, says founder & CEO Winston Lee: “The Greek yogurt market grew rapidly but it has matured now, so retailers want to know what’s next.”
REGISTER HERE to watch the FREE event - sponsored by Glanbia Nutritionals, Treetop, and Ingredion - on demand.