Not that additional flavor was confined to milk. Other dairy products benefited from an extra boost, as consumers found horseradish white cheddar cheese and equally adventurous ice cream offerings. All the while, packaging played a similarly important role in new products, as lunchbox-ready and squeezable items saved time for harried consumers.
Indulgence has returned with a vengeance, though some ice cream varieties have attempted to add a more healthful slant. Whole Foods Market, Plano, Texas, for instance, added all-natural ice cream to its private label line. Meanwhile, Turtle Mountain, Junction City, Ore., continued efforts to establish a foothold for soy in the ice cream sector, extending its Purely Decadent Soy Delicious line of flavored desserts to include cherry nirvana, praline pecan, chunky mint madness, purely vanilla, peanut butter zigzag, chocolate obsession and cookie avalanche flavors. All were touted as organic and free of cholesterol, lactose and milk.