Abby Bauer

The importance of high-quality colostrum as a calf’s first meal is widely known and well documented. Now, newer research and anecdotal evidence shows that the value of colostrum extends past that single meal. Many farms feed one or two servings of colostrum and then switch calves over to whole milk or milk replacer at 12 hours or 24 hours of age, noted Michael Steele during the December Hoard’s Dairyman webinar.

I’ve been lucky to attend countless agricultural conferences and meetings as an editor. An agenda full of intriguing sessions is key to gathering magazine content, but interactions during the less structured parts of the day are when the most enriching conversations often take place. Mealtimes are a prime time for dialogue. After visiting the buffet line, your next move includes a scan of the banquet hall with your lunch plate in hand, searching for a seat.

Innovation in food and beverage is relentless, yet success is anything but guaranteed. Sensory and consumer science can help bridge the divide, providing data-driven insights that lead to consumer delight. To understand how these results shape product development, let’s break down the two key disciplines at play. You can think of sensory and consumer science as two sides of the same coin, each serving distinct purposes in product development.