2019 December Board Book

11/8/2019

Berry on Dairy: Milk Accelerator Winners Announced

Berry on Dairy

Friday, November 8, 2019 Milk Accelerator Winners Announced

Last night, Nov. 7, 2019, the nine finalists competing in the California Milk Advisory Board’s (CMAB) Real California Milk Accelerator dairy startup competition presented their products and pitched them to nine judges, including me, in Silicon Valley, California. Accolades go out to all the finalists who spent a great deal of time and energy to create a beverage designed to bring milk back into consumers’ lives in formats they never imagined. Key attributes of the winning products were high protein, low sugar and lactose free. A number of entries focused on organic and sustainability platforms. “Tonight is all about milk,” said John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB. “The number and quality of entries received is a testament to the vibrancy of the beverage category and proves the desire of product developers to tap into the unique natural goodness of milk to meet consumer cravings for beverages that are not only healthy but taste great.”

He explained to the judges and a room packed with California farmers, processors and others involved in the dairy and food industries that fluid milk’s decline during the past four decades can be attributed to a number of reasons. For starters, there’s been and continues to be a proliferation of many varied beverages. Then there’s the mobility issue. We all are eating and drinking on the run and a gallon of the white stuff is simply not portable.

“No one sits down for breakfast anymore,” he said. Bowls of cereal require milk. If bowls are not being filled, milk is not being poured.

Then there’s the fact that birthrate is down in the States. “Big families with lots of kids sitting around the dinner table were the bread and butter of the milk industry,” he said.

It’s hard to battle all these changes, he explained, and therefore the industry must change. That’s how the accelerator came to fruition.

This new competition was designed to inspire ideas integrating the values of fluid milk into contemporary products and provide resources to help bring them to market.

Launched earlier this year, the competition aims to inspire innovation and investment in fluid milk products, packaging and capacity within California by connecting manufacturers, producers, investors, ideas and entrepreneurs for high quality, sustainable dairy beverages.

The nine finalists received up to $25,000 of support each to develop proto-cepts while receiving elite mentorship from marketing, packaging and distribution experts. This included a business development trip to tour California dairy farms and production facilities and meet with industry leaders to help facilitate their new ventures. Each entrepreneur had to commit to producing the beverage using California milk. The grand prize winner will receive up to $250,000 worth of additional support to deliver their new product to market. And that winner is

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