DAIRY
NEWS
New developments, products and trends to watch.
The overriding trend that seems to unite consumers globally is a quest for higher quality products and a healthy lifestyle. Coca-Cola Oceania, for example, has just launched Nutriboost, its first brand to carry 5 Stars on the Health Star Rating system. Boosted with protein, calcium, fibre and Vitamin D – the new milk drink is the perfect snack to turn to for a tasty morning or mid-afternoon treat that is nutritional, convenient and, most importantly, delicious. Nutriboost packs in plenty of nutritional punch, including protein, calcium, fibre and Vitamin D. The range will be available in two flavours, chocolate and vanilla, both with no added sugar. Nutriboost will be available from selected retailers across New Zealand and comes in 340ml recyclable bottles.
New owners for Dairyworks? Synlait Milk is planning to buy Christchurch-based cheese supplier Dairyworks for $112m, subject to Overseas Investment Office approval. The acquisition of Dairyworks would provide Synlait, which is 39% owned by China’s Bright Dairy, with another meaningful move towards the delivery of their everyday dairy strategy and complements the company’s recent acquisition of cheese manufacturer Talbot Forest, said a spokesperson. Synlait Chief Executive Leon Clement said the business was “a great strategic fit” and an important step in growing its presence in the everyday dairy category. Dairyworks would operate as a stand-alone business under the Synlait umbrella, with its chief executive Tim Carter, reporting to Clement. 28
FMCG BUSINESS - SUMMER 2019/20
Dairyworks is now based in Christchurch, where it supplies New Zealand with almost half of its cheese, a quarter of the country’s butter, as well as milk powder and the Deep South ice cream. The company was established in 2001 in South Canterbury and is one of the larger companies operating in New Zealand’s everyday dairy category. Dairyworks owns the cheese and butter consumer brands Dairyworks, Rolling Meadow and Alpine which are currently supplied to supermarkets in New Zealand and Australia.
Who makes the world’s best cheese? An organic blue cheese produced by US cheesemaker, Rogue Creamery has been named World Champion Cheese 2019 in Bergamo, Italy. Rogue River Blue now becomes the World Cheese Awards’ first ever American champion, rising to the top among a record-breaking 3,804 entries from 42 different countries. Made annually with organic cow’s milk from Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley, Rogue River Blue is cave-aged for nine to 11 months and hand-wrapped in organic Syrah grape leaves that have been soaked in pear liqueur. The cheese was championed on the International Super Jury by Brazilian judge, Bruno Cabral, who described Rogue River Blue as a “taste party”, applauding its “different sensations, balance, sweet and spicy notes”. At the end of the final judging stage, this unique blue cheese was level with a 24-month aged Nazionale del Parmigiano Reggiano Latteria Sociale Santo Stefano on 100 points, leaving it to the Chairman of the Judging Panel, Nigel Barden, to give the casting vote. In third place with