Feature commentary from Natasha D’Costa, Director of Agriculture & Nutrition (APAC) at Frost & Sullivan. Natasha shares her insights on affordable nutrition in Asia.

This month we have Shelley McMillan, Trend and Innovation Consultant at Mintel, sharing insights into the next horizon of clean label trends.

Feature commentary from Ben Jeckel, Managing Director/Dairy Consultancy and Intelligence at Blimling, providing insight into the evolving world of protein.

Feature commentary from Michael Dykes, the President and CEO of the US International Dairy Foods Association, on the continued speculation around the future of the NAFTA and the broader role of the USA in the international trade.

Feature commentary from NZMP Chief Operating Officer Kelvin Wickham on the idea of health as the new wealth and dairy’s role to play in this.

Director of NZMP Marketing, Gillian Munnik, provides insight on some of the changes in the Global Dairy Industry over 2017, with key callouts for the coming year.

Nicola Fox, Senior Manager FMCG at Nielsen, shares insights into the increased focus consumers have on health and wellness.

Natasha D’Costa, Director of Agriculture & Nutrition (APAC) at Frost & Sullivan, shares insights into the evolving trends in healthy aging and the potential opportunities in the Nutraceuticals space.

Eric Hansen, Director Global Dairy Trade reflects on the formation of GDT Marketplace platform one year on.

Shelley McMillan, Trend and Innovation Consultant at Mintel, shares insight into the opportunity for dairy in the growing snack market.

Ian Proudfoot, Global Head of Agribusiness at KPMG, shares foresight into the future of food with his article on how we eat is changing.

NZMP Global Insights Manager Roshena De Leon shares insights on the growing food intolerance market.

NZMP Key Account Manager Rachel Marshall to get her views on natural food trends in North America.

Dr. Richard Swinbourne from the Singapore Sports Institute. Richard shares insight into the growing world of active nutrition in South East Asia.

The clean label movement continues to evolve. The next wave of clean label products will need to go a step further to prove claims are truthful, challenging manufacturers and retailers to democratise transparency and traceability.

Growing consumer interest in healthy lifestyles and diets is driving increased popularity of protein. This presents new opportunities for dairy companies that are actively responding to this needs to these new users.

We have been reading up on the latest consumer trends for 2018 and have summarised into the top 5 trends you need to be aware of.

Today's digitally savvy consumers are taking their personal wellbeing into their own hands. The growing belief that diet cannot be "one size fits all" is gaining ground and expected to continue driving consumer demand across the food and beverage sector.

Life expectancy is dramatically increasing around the globe, on average of 11 years longer for men and 12 years for women compared to 40 years ago. Following a healthy diet is key to healthy ageing and this brings opportunities for dairy products to leverage the natural nutritional values in milk.

In much of the developed and developing world, increasingly busy lifestyles are driving growth of snacking occasions and fueling demand for grab-and-go convenience. Younger consumers are more likely to agree that snacking helps to keep energy levels up and that eating healthy snacks is a good way to manage weight.

Dairy protein fuels performance and feeds recovery. The type of protein consumed can also influence the body’s response to protein.

A diet containing rich amounts of dairy products - including milk, yoghurt and cheese – can help protect bone health during ageing,

Dairy protein can help support muscle mass and strength maintenance as we age.

Protein from dairy sources is an excellent way to meet the body’s protein and essential amino acid requirements, especially for people interested in quality nutrition to support exercise, healthy lifestyles, and keeping active as they age.

A diet rich in dairy protein, in combination with an exercise training programme, helps to optimise fat loss and lean muscle gain providing the desired body composition benefits.

dairy protein can help support muscle maintenance by providing a high quality source of protein that can stimulate muscle metabolism, and promote the retention and growth of muscle, especially when consumed alongside an exercise program. Dairy protein can easily be incorporated into a balanced diet throughout the day, as well as providing options for post-workout to further optimise muscle growth/maintenance.