“The dairy industry’s momentum is real, and California is driving it forward.”
These are the first words I read from Lizzie Werber of the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB). Continue on for an insightful Q&A with the Senior Marketing Manager herself.
It’s clear that cow’s milk is having its moment. Where has CMAB seen this category gaining momentum?
On TikTok and Instagram, consumers are embracing dairy-centric content, highlighting the benefits of cow’s milk in everything from the #milktok trend to anything made with cottage cheese. While plant-based milks have dominated over recent years, for the first time in several years, cow’s milk was up .8% in the U.S., while dairy alternatives struggled to maintain their growth. Consumer purchasing has swung away from the ultra-processed items that try to mimic the original toward products that boast cleaner ingredient labels, offer everything from nostalgic to innovative flavors, and provide nutrient-dense options geared toward full-body health. As the nation’s largest dairy-producing state, no state is better equipped to meet the evolving needs of dairy consumers than California.
You mentioned that dairy sits at the center of what matters to today’s consumer, even beyond the product attributes it naturally offers. In what ways?
Responsible manufacturing, sustainability, and transparency are no longer an afterthought but now play a central role as consumers make their purchasing decisions. At the same time, they are viewing food choices as a functional tool to help achieve their personal health goals. The rise of GLP-1s and other weight loss/management tools has pushed protein to the forefront at every meal occasion, and ingredients are increasingly evaluated for their multi-functional appeal. The resurgence of categories like cottage cheese is backed by an increasing appreciation for simplicity and comfort; a recent study found that a whopping 70% of respondents would prefer to eat comfort food over high-end meals. Although they may not have been reaching for dairy as frequently in recent years, many consumers grew up eating traditional dairy items and welcome the familiarity these categories offer.
What about California makes the state so well positioned to produce excellent dairy?
California dairy farmers have long set the standard for sustainability, land stewardship, and industry-leading manufacturing practices—embodying a commitment that sets a high bar. The state’s more than 1,000 family dairy farms operate in an a ecosystem focused on maximizing sustainable production practices and in response are implementing some of the most progressive programs in the world—everything from anaerobic digesters to turn manure methane into renewable natural gas (RNG), electricity and hydrogen fuel to power homes, buildings and vehicles, to tapping into the abundant supply of byproducts from food and fiber production as feed for cows. These practices alone are reducing emissions, powering 17,000 vehicles in the state and keeping 15k tons of byproducts out of landfills each day. Water conservation runs central to the farming practices that are commonplace in California, with farmers reducing the amount of water used to produce a gallon of milk by 88% over the past 50 years.
California dairy is, without a doubt, seen as a better-for-you product. Can you speak to how this has come to be?
Health trends have always played a part in food purchasing decisions, yet today’s consumer is less interested in rigid, exclusionary diets that require an all-or-nothing perspective. Customers have a better understanding of the nuances that make up healthy choices and are putting increased importance on more wholistic qualities such as understandable ingredients and foods that deliver on flavor. The good news for today’s shoppers is that products bearing the Real California Milk seal deliver on both and are made with milk from multigenerational family farms (99% of California dairies are family owned), focused on integrating innovation with authenticity. It doesn’t get much more on-trend than that.
And here I thought my appreciation for the Golden State could not be any stronger. For more dairy industry insights, stick with Deli Market News.
