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.

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.

More consumers are looking for a taste of the high life and are willing to pay a premium for value-added food and beverages products.

The Chinese dairy market continues to boom fuelled by the positive health perception of dairy and expansion of consumption occasions to snacking, baking & indulgence.

Affordable nutrition products continue to be relevant globally but the trend is evolving. Increasing wealth in Asia and LATAM is driving consumers to seek the best value for money, upgrading to more nutritious products.

In the past ingredient lists were relegated to fine print on the back of consumer packaging. However, today's consumers want to know more about what goes into their food.

Today's consumers are looking for a break from the routine and stress of their lives and want to create “like-worthy” social media posts. Find out how the feel, sound and satisfaction of texture can help achieve this

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 can help support weight management by providing a satiating high quality source of protein, helping with appetite control whether you are interested in maintaining or reducing weight, as well as supporting sustained energy levels throughout the day.

Dairy protein is a high quality complete protein available in varying formats that provide high levels of all the essential amino acids. A diet rich in dairy protein, in combination with a resistance training programme, optimises lean muscle gain and provides body composition benefits.

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.