The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center is pleased to announce the Innovation in Dairy Processing & Packaging Grant Awards.
Projects from this grant will help dairy processors gain knowledge or implement systems that support informed, long-term business investments with beneficial environmental and/or economic impacts.
Four dairy businesses from across three states were selected for awards. Each project seeks to have regional impacts that may benefit the Northeast dairy sector through access to novel environmentally friendly packaging, and new R&D capabilities. Individual award amounts will range from $145,600 to $350,000 with a total of $895,838 in overall funding.
The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center was established in the 2018 Farm Bill and is funded through the USDA-AMS. The first extension of the 2018 Farm Bill ensured NE-DBIC funding for specific grants through 2027. Until a new Farm Bill is authorized, and depending on funding levels, this particular grant will not be offered again.
The following businesses have been selected for awards:
Oakridge Creamery, Connecticut – $231,406 to pilot plastic-free milk packaging in the form of 8-ounce aluminum cans. These cans will be filled with low sugar, low fat, lactose-free, and high protein flavored milks that meet school dietary rules and market demand. The Creamery will install new processing equipment for the aluminum packaging, which is not common in the region. The new packaging will be piloted at six schools in the Ellington School system and at select stores.
This project seeks to support the Northeast dairy industry with a potential new packaging option, increased consumption of milk in schools, and decreased packaging waste. The results will be shared in a report in collaboration with the New England Dairy Association.
University of Maine, Maine – $350,000 to create a new type of cellulose based packaging for cheese that is fully recyclable and industry ready. The project goal is to develop a prototype sustainable packaging option that doesn’t use plastic or PFAS-coated materials, and that effectively maintains cheese quality. The project team will work with experts from UMaine’s Paper Process Development Center, Sappi North America (a packaging company), Pineland Farms (a cheese producer), Dairy Extension Specialists, and the Maine Cheese Guild.
Cornell University, New York – $168,832 to develop a commercial system for collecting the milk protein alpha-lactalbumin during the cheesemaking process. This protein holds significant importance in the manufacturing of infant formula, as it’s similar to the protein found in human milk. Specialized dairy protein ingredients are more valuable than regular whey powder, and through this project, Cornell will provide cheesemakers with technical assistance to help them isolate alpha-lactalbumin and expand their markets to include infant formula manufacturers in the United States.
UltraPhil, New York – $145,600 to add an aseptic dosing system to their Ultra-High temperature (UHT) processing plant. This type of system is needed for ingredients that cannot withstand the processing temperature of UHT, such as flavors and enzymes for lactose-free milk.
Fully aseptic dosers like this do not currently exist at the pilot scale. This system will allow processors to test new products at a small scale, opening R&D opportunities to small dairy businesses. With this doser, UltraPhil aims to help dairy processors develop innovative products, increasing milk and dairy ingredient use throughout the region.
