With record demand for yogurt and cheese, the dairy industry has responded by delivering the butterfat components to produce those products. Cobank Lead Dairy Economist Corey Geiger warns it may be too much of a good thing. In a new report, Geiger said butterfat percentages have been increasing at twice the rate of protein. That’s a concern for cheese production, which now represents more than half of the U.S. milk supply. Whey, which is a byproduct of cheese production, is enjoying a demand spurt for whey protein to be used in protein bars and other supplements. “Eight to 12 percent of Americans are on GLP-1 weight loss drugs, think Ozempic and those kinds of things,” said Geiger. “People on those weight loss drugs are craving and need to eat high-quality protein.”
