Heather Anfang, vice president of Land O'Lakes and president, Dairy Foods, recently visited the company's Tulare plant in California's Central Valley to discuss local farming community impacts and how the company connects rural and urban areas. Anfang also discussed the importance of technological advances in the industry, maintaining a competitive work culture and how farmers can navigate higher costs.

Kellanova and Ingredion are among companies using AI to enhance product development, quality assurance, regulatory compliance and consumer trends forecasting. Kellanova uses platforms such as RegAsk and Tastewise to substitute ingredients, keep up with changing regulations, develop new products and streamline operations, while Ingredion uses a digital twin of its supply chain to predict and manage disruptions.

Bakery sales in March declined due to the later timing of Easter this year, with fresh bakery sales dropping 3.3% from a year ago and center-store bakery sales falling 4.3%, according to 210 Analytics. Specialty desserts and pies saw the most significant decreases, while donuts and croissants were the only fresh segments to see gains.

Kefir has become mainstream over the past five years, attracting major dairy brands such as Danone, which has attempted to buy Lifeway. The kefir market is expected to grow significantly, driven by interest in digestive health and protein intake.

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BodyArmor, owned by Coca-Cola, has revised its design, changed its nutritional labeling strategy and engaged athletes in its "Choose Better" advertising campaign as it tries to gain on Pepsico's Gatorade, along with sister beverage Powerade. The competitive landscape has grown increasingly complex for BodyArmor as new beverages such as Unwell Hydration have debuted. Hydration consumers are "evolving and we need to evolve to continue to have that edge, says BodyArmor Sports Nutrition CEO Federico Muyshondt.