Hari Meletharayil, PhD is the vice president of product research for the National Dairy Council. He leads a range of innovative research initiatives on cheese, fermented products and dairy beverages, and synchronizes operations across multiple dairy centers and innovation labs as part of a comprehensive national network of technical centers with the shared mission of propelling dairy innovation and representing the interests of America’s dairy farmers.
With consumers demanding lower sugar without any loss of comforting flavor, the dairy food industry has made great strides in reducing sugars in dairy products
Five main approaches to decrease or remove sugar from dairy foods
include direct reduction; substitution with a lower-calorie sweetener; substitution with a non-nutritive, high-intensity sweetener; utilization of processing technologies; and leveraging food science and sensory principles to enhance sweetness without sugar.
