The Milk Producer - January 2009 - (Page 20)

Jan Processor Spotlight:New Template 12/17/2008 4:24 PM Page 1 PROCESSORSPOTLIGHT By Sharon Laidlaw Sweet success Silani Sweet Cheese goes full speed ahead with launch of omega-3 cheese products dash of dare, a pinch of determination and a spoonful of excitement, mixed with a dose of hard-working staff and you’ve got a recipe for success, according to Joe Lanzino, chief executive officer of Silani Sweet Cheese Ltd. Having successfully launched a new line of omega-3 cheeses across Canada, Lanzino says it if weren’t for those ingredients, the idea to make the cheese would have never got off the ground. He has a firm conviction in taking risks and putting all his effort behind something he believes in. In other words, he says, “you either go big or go home.” Silani’s omega-3 cheese products began popping up on store shelves by late 2008. However, Lanzino only got word a few months earlier from Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) that omega-3 milk was available to make cheese. It was “a very quick process … nothing short of amazing, a whirlwind of activity,” says Lanzino. Silani makes omega-3 cheese from milk from cows fed with feed containing omega-3 and selenium. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid, considered crucial to human health. Since it is not produced by the body, humans must get it from food. Research suggests omega-3 may help prevent a variety of health conditions, such as heart disease, and has also been shown to lower cholesterol and blood pres- A sure, reduce prostate and breast cancer risk and contribute to weight loss. Much of this research can be attributed to Cambridge, Ont.-based animal feed suppliers Omega Nutrel Inc. and Grand Valley Fortifiers Ltd. Lanzino is excited at the prospect of his omega-3 cheese products setting a new trend in healthy food alternatives, but says he is being cautiously optimistic. “Launching the omega-3 cheeses required extra courage to go forward and so fast,” says vice-president of operations Ishwar Saxena, who has close to 40 years of dairy industry experience. “Other people were nervous about getting into this market, but Joe saw a real opportunity for success and success and with his determination and entrepreneurial spirit, we just went for it.” What started as a small, familyowned company in 1954 has developed to become the fastest growing cheese company in the province, employing about 150 people. Located in Schomberg, Ont., the company is now run by three of the original founders’ grandsons—Lanzino, along with his brother and vice-president Vince and their cousin Mike Talarico, who serves as president. “Silani is taking a lead role in being proactive about our industry by bringing new ideas to market,” says Nissim Avraham, DFO’s ethnic marketing specialist. “They have come up with something that is truly unique and sustainable.” By hiring a public relations firm to launch a full-fledged multimedia campaign to promote Silani’s omega-3 products, Lanzino hopes to break new barriers and open doors in markets they traditionally could not get into. “We believe this is going to create a whole new market for cheese. We’re focused on the health attributes of the product. It’s ideal for the health conscious individual … that is our key message,” he says. An industry leader, Silani has been acknowledged by Dairy Farmers of Canada as the first company to produce mozzarella and ricotta in the country. Silani’s omega-3 cheese products are available across Canada. 20 | January 2009 | MilkPRODUCER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - January 2009

The Milk Producer - January 2009
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Dairy Update
DFC Promotion
Processor Spotlight
Farm Finance
Take Steps to Reduce Feed Costs
Research
Feed Management
Applied Science
Markets
New'n'Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - January 2009