ROSEMONT, ILL. – Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) revealed a new online hub committed to dairy research and resources.

The dairy checkoff developed the site dedicated to product innovation with the help of the DMI dairy products research and development team. DMI said the hub supports those who innovate with dairy to make products that “drive sales and trust across the industry.”

Designed as a “one-stop shop” for researchers, dairy industry leaders and students, among others, the online resource offers updates on checkoff-funded research, as well as:

• A dairy labeling guide from the National Dairy Council that includes approved nutritional claims for dairy products.

• An annual call for proposals, giving researchers access to applications that fund public dairy food research.

• Details surrounding DMI’s annual new product competition for undergraduate and graduate students who are innovating with dairy.

DMI executive vice president of product research and development Emil Nashed said the team decided to collect its research and make it easily accessible not only as a way to better understand the past, but also the needs of the present.

“This allows us to direct the industry toward research that has been conducted in the past and help the industry to generate new ideas for the future,” Nashed said.

The product R&D team at DMI regularly works with university researchers and collaborates with the National Dairy Foods Research Center.

DMI director of product research Dr. Stephanie Ropiak called it “imperative” for the hub to provide access to “all of the pieces of the puzzle,” such as pre-competitive research and resources for startups just entering the field.

“We’ve always positioned ourselves as being backed by science and that’s what this website showcases,” Ropiak said. “Our tools aim to support the dairy industry by providing the latest science.”

Supporting the industry with innovation and resources also falls in line with a goal of the dairy farmers who fund the checkoff, noted DMI vice president of product research Dr. Rohit Kapoor.

“Our dairy farmers recognize the importance of fueling innovation for the dairy industry and we are very grateful for their continued support,” Kapoor said. “This webpage is one more example of how the dairy checkoff can help the industry with comprehensive, actionable information to help people innovate, whether they’re in academics, the industry or a student.”

More details are available online at the US dairy website.