Dairies are awash in organic milk as consumers jump to alternatives

As the very shoppers who drove demand for organic milk turn to plant-based alternatives, organic dairy producers are left figuring out what to do with an oversupply. Sales of organic milk fell 2.5 percent in 2017, according to Nielsen data, while milk substitutes saw a 2.9 percent growth in sales. Retailers are shifting shelf space to nondairy alternatives; dairy cooperatives are cutting prices paid to farmers; and producers are looking to cut capacity or turn excess milk into other products, like cheese or yogurt. Read more at The Wall Street Journal (subscription)…

Data science and the meal-kit subscription business model

Supply chain issues and forecasting challenges are just some of the issues that meal kit companies like Blue Apron and Plated face. One way Plated is approaching those issues is by building a comprehensive IT and analytics operations team, developing taxonomies of food and doing a whole lot of testing. Read more at Forbes…

Nature’s Path packaging takes a bold new direction

With its bright new look, the organic breakfast and snack food company hopes to show consumers how its products differ from others. Bold colors and imagery focus on the visual aesthetics of the food, while the phrase “always organic” has been added to the front of pack, and the back of pack tells the family-owned company’s story and mission. Read more at Packaging Digest…

Food producer highlights small-business innovation

Small companies are leading the way in developing niche markets for socially responsible products and services. Vitala Foods, maker of free-range eggs, is one of those companies in British Columbia. “When you do take good care of the animals it’s a mutually beneficial outcome where, I think, the animals are more comfortable, they’re producing a higher-quality product and are potentially more productive, which is rewarding for both the animal and the farmer,” says founder Bill Vanderkooi. Read more at Business Vancouver…

Tasty Bite aims to double capacity every three years

Preferred Brands International, maker of the Tasty Bite brand of ready-to-service sauces and frozen products, was acquired by Mars Food in the fall, and the company says it’s prepared to scale up and take on new markets. Read more at The Hindu…