The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) has officially announced a line-up of eight finalists for its 6th Real California Milk Excelerator. According to certain reports, the ongoing edition of the program happens to have a focus on health and wellness, a topic where it looks to optimize the nutritional benefits of real dairy. The effort features startups with products designed to improve digestion, boost cognitive function, provide balanced nutrition, support hydration, and deliver sustainable, as well as convenient solutions for busy lifestyles. Talk about the companies who made the cut, we begin from Smearcase. Headquartered in Dover, Smearcase is best known for delivering first ever cottage cheese-based ice cream, which by the way, also comes bearing a meaningful collagen content. More on the same would reveal how this ice cream boasts the most protein per pint of ice cream at 40 grams, and in case that wasn’t quite enough, we must also mention how it doesn’t have any artificial gums or sweeteners. The next finalist in line is Stellify/Insymmetry LLC. Hailing from Yorba Linda, California, Stellify provides a low-calorie, functional, dairy-based energy and wellness shot, which is essentially made with reduced-fat lactose-free milk for lactose-intolerant individuals. As for specific ingredients, the stated shot features natural caffeine from coffee cherry, theobromine, and L-theanine. Joining the mix is Drink Todo, a brand coming from Grand Island, New York. Drink Todo basically brings to the fore a high protein and high fiber breakfast smoothie designed to provide a convenient and nutritious solution for busy individuals. You see, the smoothie packs together 25 grams of milk protein, 6 grams of dietary fiber, all while simultaneously boasting essential vitamins and minerals to offer a complete meal in every bottle.
“The Real California Milk Excelerator continues to push the boundaries of dairy innovation, and this year’s focus on health and wellness is particularly exciting,” said John Talbot, CEO of CMAB. “We are committed to supporting these startups as they develop and bring their health-focused innovations to market.”
Then, we have Voyager Milk. With its origins in Boca Raton, Voyager Milk has made a name for itself by providing the only USDA organic whole milk for toddlers, milk which is markedly produced in a convenient stick-pack format. Alongside that, there would be Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. Based out of Point Reyes, California, the company’s hero product is Curd Cup, which features a premium 6 ounce single serving cottage cheese with global savory flavors. All in all, the snack in question is understood to be a clean-eating option with protein, calcium, and good fat to help preserve your energy. Another finalist making up CMAB’s milk accelerator cohort is Pluff. You see, Pluff is a brand largely popular for its high-protein dessert. The stated desert, on its part, is made using a combination of Greek yogurt, heavy cream, cottage cheese, and whey protein, all of it blended and whipped together.
In the last two of CMAB’s eight finalists, we have Projo. Projo’s excellence is actually rooted in its instant coffee blend of organic Arabica coffee, marine collagen, organic coffee fruit extract, digestive enzymes, and 100% whole milk. Given the ingredients, the brand is able to support health and wellness. Rounding up the line-up is TruJoy Yogurt, which delivers at your disposal an elevated frozen Greek yogurt made using simple, natural and timeless ingredients. This translates to how the company provides its customers a robust nutritional profile, featuring protein and probiotics, alongside a clean label.
To keep the trend alive, each of these finalists will receive a cash stipend, but as a new introduction, they will also gain access to a program of elite mentorship from successful founders, investors, leading corporate executives, and experts from across design, marketing, sales, manufacturing, distribution, farming, and processing industries. Apart from that, one more novelty of this year’s edition talks to its plan of ending with in an exclusive look at the future o dairy category during the “Future of Dairy Expo” on November 14.
