The new Morrisons listings highlight the ever-growing consumer demand for food and drinks with clear health benefits and further consolidates Bio&Me’s success story, building on existing listings with Boots, Co-op, Holland & Barrett, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, and Whole Foods.

The yogurts have recently been given a fresh new look to dial up their kefir credentials, and for Morrisons Daily shoppers, each single serve pot will also include a wooden spoon to aid easy on-the-go consumption.

Each Bio&Me ‘Good for Your Gut’ Kefir Yoghurt is brimming with live and active cultures, over 60 billion of them and four times more than any other yoghurt in the UK. They also contain 18 different culture strains too, including Dr Megan’s personal favourites, BB-12 and LGG, which are two of the world’s most studied. The all-natural yoghurts also contain no added sugar, artificial sweeteners, thickeners or emulsifiers, and are low in lactose, high in protein, as well as being a source of calcium, B12, B2 and phosphorus.

70% of our immune system lies in the gut, and gut health has been linked to the health of many other organs, including the heart and brain. Based on Dr Megan’s scientific research, the brand believes that people and microbes thrive on variety and deliciously good food.

Extending its kefir yoghurts listings further consolidates Bio&Me’s position as a trusted brand in the gut health sphere, where it’s also known for its gut-loving granolas, porridges, mueslis and recently-launched flapjack bars. The business hit £10 million retail sales in 2023 and is on track to deliver £14 million this year.

Jon Walsh, Bio&Me co-founder and CEO of the Chester-based business says: “We are delighted to be launching into Morrisons and introducing our brand to a whole new raft of health conscious consumers. Our live kefir yoghurts launched into the market in 2021, and have seen fantastic growth in 2024 already, up +66%, and outperforming the likes of Yeo Valley, Biotiful and The Collective[1]. Digestive health yoghurts and drinks are having a bit of a moment, and we hope our pots will quickly become Morrison shoppers’ go-to kefir brand of choice, whether they’re looking for a convenient pot they can take into the office, or our larger pot to consume at home.

Our success is testament to the belief and support from key retailer buyers across the board. We are incredibly grateful to them, and this significant new listing with Morrisons will help propel Bio&Me to even greater heights.”

Dr Megan Rossi, Bio&Me co-founder, says: “At Bio&Me, we’re on a mission to make looking after your gut health as easy and as accessible as possible. As a dietitian and a scientist, I’m interested in delivering great tasting food that also truly delivers on its health claims. This is what Bio&Me is all about. I’m excited to be introducing Morrisons customers to these tasty, gut-loving pots of goodness.”

[1] Circana 52 week value growth, 17 Feb 2024

The post Bio&Me lands first Morrisons listings with Kefir Live Yoghurts appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

The yogurt market in the US is experiencing robust growth due to increasing health consciousness among consumers. With rising health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and allergies, there is a strong focus on nutrient-dense, healthy diets, according to the report. Consumers are shifting towards more natural products and seeking added value. Superfruits, such as acai, goji berry, noni, pomegranate, and grapes, are incorporated into Greek yogurt for their antioxidant, vitamin, and mineral properties. Diet quality, healthy behaviour, and self-serve models are popular trends. Flavors, toppings, and quantities vary, with frozen yogurts, dietary requirements, and ice cream also in demand. Non-dairy yogurt, including plant-based options like almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, and cashew milk, cater to lactose intolerance, milk allergies, and veganism. Flexitarians and those following a plant-based diet also contribute to the market’s growth.

The US yogurt market is subject to rigorous regulations, including permit and import-export rules, product labelling, and new product launches, enforced by authorities such as the US FDA. In June 2021, the FDA amended the standard of identity for yogurt, affecting low-fat and non-fat yogurt. Dairy and non-dairy yogurt production and sales require extensive documentation and registration, Technvaio reports.

That being said, the yogurt market in the US is a significant sector within the dairy industry, with consumers showing a strong preference for this nutritious and versatile food product. The market caters to various consumer segments, including children, adults, and the elderly. Yogurt is consumed for its probiotic properties, which support a healthy gut and boost the immune system. The market offers a wide range of flavours, from traditional to exotic, and various types, such as Greek, Icelandic, and skim milk. Consumers can choose between conventional, organic, and lactose-free options. Yogurt is used in various applications, including as a standalone snack, in smoothies, and as an ingredient in baking and cooking. The market is driven by factors such as increasing health consciousness, changing consumer preferences, and innovative product offerings.

The post US yogurt market sees growth appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Ben Kinsey, technical account manager at Novonesis (formerly Chr Hansen), was first up, looking at “Maximising productivity in yogurt manufacture with natural biosolutions.” He noted that there are new combined cultures for yogurt production, in satisfying what consumers are looking for in yogurt. The combination of Chr Hansen’s 150 years of microbial expertise and Novozymes’ 80 years in enzymes, means more opportunity for the processor on the microbes front.

“Consumer surveys show what people are looking for in yogurt. Flavour and price are the most important in Scandinavia, while natural is a crucial theme for the UK buyers. Overall, preservatives are disappearing from the yogurt market,” Kinsey says.

Typical dairy cost pressures include the milk and powder prices, climate regulation, raw materials costs and availability, energy costs, retail margin pressure, labour costs and availability, he observes. “A key aspect for us in texturising cultures, is making the raw materials go further. We offer YoFlex Premium texturising cultures and FreshQ bioprotective cultures – both enable longer shelf life and lower contamination, with less scrappage.”

Overall yogurt texture depends on three factors: starter culture, milk composition and the manufacturing process. YoFlex Premium 11 is the most recent culture in the company’s range, with the highest texture development and robust post-acidification control. “It offers improved texture, increased mouth thickness and gel firmness, a mild flavour profile, and this flavour helps reduce the need to add sweetness. It also has reduced post acidification, which increases filling temperatures,” Kinsey notes.

It is also quite advanced, as many producers are still using texturising cultures that are lower than the company’s earlier versions, he says. “Premium 11 offers less processing time, fewer complications and reduced recipe costs.”

The new format also addresses the changes in pH from the point of packing to the end of life. “Traditional yogurt cultures often have an acid development. The post-acidification profile of Premium 11 is more stable over its shelf life versus Premium 1.0, and this is more important with the requirements for longer shelf life in yogurts,” Kinsey states.

Another new item is FreshQ Premium, which combines one-pouch cultures with biofermentation. “A product based on Premium 11, with added FreshQ12, reduces the need for expensive skim milk powder in the yogurt recipe. A yogurt with a protein content of four per cent with Premium 1.0, delivers same texture with less powder in FreshQ Premium 11. When we drop protein content down to 3.8 per cent, we still get the same results and same mouthfeel,” he adds.

He observes that bioprotective cultures inhibit yeast and mould, through the control of manganese, which is essential for both starter cultures and yeast and mould. “Certain lactic acid and bacteria strains can absorb manganese through a transporter. FreshQ mops up the spare manganese to reduce the availability of the nutrient to yeasts and moulds, and it still available when consumed,” Kinsey points out.

“We have done a lot of work on protective cultures, with a lot of challenge testing, to demonstrate the performance of FreshQ on the products. We are quite proud of our yeast and mould collection,” he chuckles.

“A look at the typical yogurt shelf across global markets underscores the fact that there is no normal shelf life. In UK, there is a fairly short shelf life of 25 days. In other markets, for example, the US, it is up to 55-75 days – some countries have longer transport links. For Turkey it is 21 to 52 days, while in Brazil, it is 50-55 days. A significant extension of shelf life is possible. It’s about stability of the yogurt, and a longer life can expose other things in yogurt. This shows you what is possible and how producers can be maximising shelf life,” Kinsey says.

When looking at yogurt, and its packaging in one to two-kilogram buckets, the contaminants can show themselves very quickly, he observes. “It’s all about reducing the risk of contamination, so consumers are not throwing away the yogurt and continue to use it,” Kinsey concludes.

Impact for fermented creams

Kirsten Lauridsen, principal designer for IFF in Braband, Denmark, discussed “Opportunities within starter cultures for fermented creams impacting flavour formation, fermentation time, texture creation and extending shelf life.”

She stated the role of the starter culture is to control acidification, provide texture creation, flavour production, gas formation (optional) and taste stability. “Milk is a very good base for fermentation, and by converting lactose into lactic acid, it turn liquids into something we will be eating with a spoon,” Lauridsen notes.

There are fairly big temperature variation around fermented creams, from 20-34ºC, she said, depending on what type it is – kefir, buttermilk, etc. All have different optimal temperatures. Acidification conditions are also critical for flavour. Flavour and gas production in the product depends on minor differences in temperatures.

Depending on the product, what is the optimal temperature? For a firm/thick texture – increase fermentation temperature, and for a glossy appearance and velvety texture, decrease fermentation texture. For fermented creams, the taste stability can also be short compared to yogurt. The taste profile changes over two to three weeks’ time, she observes.

Hybrid alternatives

Emer Mackle of Salutivia and Maor Dahan of ChickP, were speaking on plant powered hybrid yogurt and fermented cream trends and innovation. Mackle observes that while the dairy alternative market is expected to reach $4.08 billion in 2029, consumers aren’t necessarily willing to eliminate dairy from their diets, and plant-based products’ taste and texture don’t meet their expectations. Thus, dairy hybrids, with plant proteins blended into dairy products, may be the answer. Hybrids combine familiar textures and health benefits, plus taste, and may be an emerging market opportunity, Mackle stated.

Dahan explains what ChickP was, a 90 per cent chickpea protein isolate, suitable for dairy and dairy alternative products such as yogurt, barista milk, cheese and cream cheese. Unlike other plant proteins such as soy and pea, the chickpea product is very mild, with an easy to mask taste. Its base colour is white, and it needs less water and fertiliser than other crops. The company is testing 50/50 products currently with as little preservative as possible.

Equipment

Carin Cronström, line solutions manager for chilled and fermented dairy applications at Tetra Pak, discussed, “Future proofing yogurt production – reducing your costs and environmental footprint.”

She notes that while she spends most of her days thinking about the amazing world of yogurt, most consumers know very little about the effort it takes to make these products. “There are so many process steps from intake to fermenting to add flavours to send off to the supermarket,” she states. “There is an innovative spirit for new products on the market, but not much innovation on the processing side. However, there is a window of opportunity to do something differently. Consumers and governments are asking us to put a more sustainable food system in place. For the average family, the top priority is economic, but the want good products, good quality and a wide variety.”

Tetra Pak offers a way to run a plant in the most optimal way, PlantMaster.

“If we want to make a big difference, we also must make some big changes. For example, OneStep technology is a new way of preparing yogurt milk,” she says.

“It’s quite different from how you’re doing yogurt today.” She notes it comes with a 40 per cent lower investment cost, 30 per cent lower running costs, 50 per cent lower water consumption, and 25 per cent lower emissions.

Conventionally, milk comes into the dairy, is heat treated and put into silos. It is then sent to the mixing station, where ingredients are added. Tetra Pak looked at every step and asked, is it really necessary to do every step for high quality yogurt?

It thus integrated a separator, mixer and standing unit into the yogurt milk pasteuriser. Dry ingredients are prepared in batches and continuously added to skim milk at the high shear mixer. The raw milk goes to pasteuriser, and then is aerated, homogenised and heat treated in yogurt fermentation tank.

“When taking away the mixing station and tanks, and having continuous mixing, the system needs to be on target every time, integrated into one unit,” she states. It is more complicated and needs to have a very clever control system. The Tetra Pak Pasteuriser D flows, levels, controls, concept from raw milk to yogurt milk in one step. It can be applied to all kinds of yogurt products and is patent pending.

Harry Flannery and David Cole, of Watson-Marlow Fluid Handling Technology Solutions

detailed how two out of five consumers are interested in yogurts to replace traditional desserts. With yogurt manufacturers, viscosity is the biggest aspect to maintain through the process, and better process equipment can reduce costs, and the need for additions to make up for process losses. By using a Certa pump, there is a 20 per cent loss of viscosity versus a 30 per cent loss with traditional pumps. The pump itself is very gentle, prevents aeration and foaming and can handle up to 255,000 litres per hour, eight million cP and 15 bar, with up to 50 per cent less power consumption versus other pumps.

John Kirwin, sales and marketing director at Penmann, detailed the benefits of rapid cooling on yogurt and fermented creams. In 1995, the company was approached by Muller to design an inline palletised cooling system. Now, it has installed Arla cream cooling tunnels, along with static coolers for smaller dairies. Its Clauger rapid cooling cell has seen 150 installations, with 3,500 units globally.

Simon Gregory of Food Works SW took a few minutes to explain the venue. It opened in April 2020 to support businesses. North Somerset Council built it as a food and drink forum, and a not-for-profit arena for technical food support, such as product development, easy access to information events, workshops, seminars on packaging, meet the buyer, food safety, shelf life, etc. It offers 12 purpose-built premises, which are all occupied at the moment, including a gelato, vegan cheese, and ready meals maker. The setup is opening a trial and pilot dairy as well, with more homogenisers coming in, to handle everything from pilot launches to scaling up of production.

Vincent Corden, general manager at CEM UK, examined the “Rapid component analysis of yogurt and fermented cream.” He states the firm provides tech for testing, and instrumentation for protein fat analysis. “It’s about making standard lab processes safer and easier,” he says.

Discussing the company’s offerings, its Sprint machine is for protein. It manages this is in under four minutes, and tags only the amino acids found in proteins, and ignores all sources of non-protein nitrogen. It provides the advantage of speed and accuracy of just looking at protein. The other instrument, the Oracle, is a rapid fat analysis instrument. It is radio frequency pulsed for total fat results and the entire sample is measured the company has a dairy specific report for Oracle’s accuracy and is operating in over 10,00 sites globally.

Quality is for everyone     

Chris Edwards, OBE, head of quality at Müller Yogurt & Desserts and former president of the SDT), was up last and looked at “Operationalising quality in yogurt for tomorrow.”

He observes, “People are often concentrating on where value is added but it’s on the line where it is actually added. It is interesting as when you visit a plant, there is the same laboratory you saw 20 years ago. In healthcare labs, it’s a different world, and the level of digitisation and automation there is phenomenal,” he points out.

In quality, it’s about the difference in speed. Everyone in a plant is in in the area of quality control and getting the right stuff out the door. Without the right information, you won’t get to the actual solution for a quality issue in a plant,” Edwards says. He stated that there is a lack of skilled people, for laboratory analysis work. “The food industry is bigger than the football leagues, but we don’t attract people to it.”

On the traditional testing front, there is a 48-hour gap from production line to release to the distribution network. “It is quite staggering how much it costs us if we don’t get the supply on the shelf,” he notes. This includes shelf-life testing, micro and pH taste panels, and other incubation. With spoilage issues, if it is caught but there is a supply chain disruption, it means frustration and additional work.

There has been a change, with accelerated shelf-life testing, which means 27 hours versus 48 hours, and release after 27 hours. In the end, it is about getting the pots out the door, and how well and safely it gets done. “We need the confidence in our lines, with people at the top of the list. Yes, we need standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs), but still need people to think about the product,” he points out.

There are several questions for operators to ask themselves: “How is that operationalised? Are we capability focused? Are all our efforts focused on that line?” It is about embracing technological advancements, and implementing robust SOPs, staff training and skill development. “We need tech to support us in advancing improvements. It’s about staff training for the future, not just looking at data and writing it down. Do they know what the problem means, and what the numbers are saying? It’s about regular audits and inspections by people on the line, to make sure they know their lines. We need to look at supplier collaboration and ingredient control as part of a continuous improvement culture.

“Digitisation is about converting data into digital formats, while digitalisation is about converting the manufacturing processes into a more digital format. Digital transformation is converting all the aspects of the business and connecting these aspects together to improve the productivity of the firm continuously,” he notes.

“It depends on where that data comes from. I want it to come from the line, not the lab. Data is really important, so make sure you have a lab that supports the operations. It’s about embracing tech advancements, because if we don’t do this, we will forever be behind, and the cost of quality will always be seen as a cost.”

Nick Edwards, the president of the Society, ended by stating, “We need operators who understand their process and make changes as production goes along.”

The post The culture of yogurt appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Ben Kinsey, technical account manager at Novonesis (formerly Chr Hansen), was first up, looking at “Maximising productivity in yogurt manufacture with natural biosolutions.” He noted that there are new combined cultures for yogurt production, in satisfying what consumers are looking for in yogurt. The combination of Chr Hansen’s 150 years of microbial expertise and Novozymes’ 80 years in enzymes, means more opportunity for the processor on the microbes front.

“Consumer surveys show what people are looking for in yogurt. Flavour and price are the most important in Scandinavia, while natural is a crucial theme for the UK buyers. Overall, preservatives are disappearing from the yogurt market,” Kinsey says.

Typical dairy cost pressures include the milk and powder prices, climate regulation, raw materials costs and availability, energy costs, retail margin pressure, labour costs and availability, he observes. “A key aspect for us in texturising cultures, is making the raw materials go further. We offer YoFlex Premium texturising cultures and FreshQ bioprotective cultures – both enable longer shelf life and lower contamination, with less scrappage.”

Overall yogurt texture depends on three factors: starter culture, milk composition and the manufacturing process. YoFlex Premium 11 is the most recent culture in the company’s range, with the highest texture development and robust post-acidification control. “It offers improved texture, increased mouth thickness and gel firmness, a mild flavour profile, and this flavour helps reduce the need to add sweetness. It also has reduced post acidification, which increases filling temperatures,” Kinsey notes.

It is also quite advanced, as many producers are still using texturising cultures that are lower than the company’s earlier versions, he says. “Premium 11 offers less processing time, fewer complications and reduced recipe costs.”

The new format also addresses the changes in pH from the point of packing to the end of life. “Traditional yogurt cultures often have an acid development. The post-acidification profile of Premium 11 is more stable over its shelf life versus Premium 1.0, and this is more important with the requirements for longer shelf life in yogurts,” Kinsey states.

Another new item is FreshQ Premium, which combines one-pouch cultures with biofermentation. “A product based on Premium 11, with added FreshQ12, reduces the need for expensive skim milk powder in the yogurt recipe. A yogurt with a protein content of four per cent with Premium 1.0, delivers same texture with less powder in FreshQ Premium 11. When we drop protein content down to 3.8 per cent, we still get the same results and same mouthfeel,” he adds.

He observes that bioprotective cultures inhibit yeast and mould, through the control of manganese, which is essential for both starter cultures and yeast and mould. “Certain lactic acid and bacteria strains can absorb manganese through a transporter. FreshQ mops up the spare manganese to reduce the availability of the nutrient to yeasts and moulds, and it still available when consumed,” Kinsey points out.

“We have done a lot of work on protective cultures, with a lot of challenge testing, to demonstrate the performance of FreshQ on the products. We are quite proud of our yeast and mould collection,” he chuckles.

“A look at the typical yogurt shelf across global markets underscores the fact that there is no normal shelf life. In UK, there is a fairly short shelf life of 25 days. In other markets, for example, the US, it is up to 55-75 days – some countries have longer transport links. For Turkey it is 21 to 52 days, while in Brazil, it is 50-55 days. A significant extension of shelf life is possible. It’s about stability of the yogurt, and a longer life can expose other things in yogurt. This shows you what is possible and how producers can be maximising shelf life,” Kinsey says.

When looking at yogurt, and its packaging in one to two-kilogram buckets, the contaminants can show themselves very quickly, he observes. “It’s all about reducing the risk of contamination, so consumers are not throwing away the yogurt and continue to use it,” Kinsey concludes.

Impact for fermented creams

Kirsten Lauridsen, principal designer for IFF in Braband, Denmark, discussed “Opportunities within starter cultures for fermented creams impacting flavour formation, fermentation time, texture creation and extending shelf life.”

She stated the role of the starter culture is to control acidification, provide texture creation, flavour production, gas formation (optional) and taste stability. “Milk is a very good base for fermentation, and by converting lactose into lactic acid, it turn liquids into something we will be eating with a spoon,” Lauridsen notes.

There are fairly big temperature variation around fermented creams, from 20-34ºC, she said, depending on what type it is – kefir, buttermilk, etc. All have different optimal temperatures. Acidification conditions are also critical for flavour. Flavour and gas production in the product depends on minor differences in temperatures.

Depending on the product, what is the optimal temperature? For a firm/thick texture – increase fermentation temperature, and for a glossy appearance and velvety texture, decrease fermentation texture. For fermented creams, the taste stability can also be short compared to yogurt. The taste profile changes over two to three weeks’ time, she observes.

Hybrid alternatives

Emer Mackle of Salutivia and Maor Dahan of ChickP, were speaking on plant powered hybrid yogurt and fermented cream trends and innovation. Mackle observes that while the dairy alternative market is expected to reach $4.08 billion in 2029, consumers aren’t necessarily willing to eliminate dairy from their diets, and plant-based products’ taste and texture don’t meet their expectations. Thus, dairy hybrids, with plant proteins blended into dairy products, may be the answer. Hybrids combine familiar textures and health benefits, plus taste, and may be an emerging market opportunity, Mackle stated.

Dahan explains what ChickP was, a 90 per cent chickpea protein isolate, suitable for dairy and dairy alternative products such as yogurt, barista milk, cheese and cream cheese. Unlike other plant proteins such as soy and pea, the chickpea product is very mild, with an easy to mask taste. Its base colour is white, and it needs less water and fertiliser than other crops. The company is testing 50/50 products currently with as little preservative as possible.

Equipment

Carin Cronström, line solutions manager for chilled and fermented dairy applications at Tetra Pak, discussed, “Future proofing yogurt production – reducing your costs and environmental footprint.”

She notes that while she spends most of her days thinking about the amazing world of yogurt, most consumers know very little about the effort it takes to make these products. “There are so many process steps from intake to fermenting to add flavours to send off to the supermarket,” she states. “There is an innovative spirit for new products on the market, but not much innovation on the processing side. However, there is a window of opportunity to do something differently. Consumers and governments are asking us to put a more sustainable food system in place. For the average family, the top priority is economic, but the want good products, good quality and a wide variety.”

Tetra Pak offers a way to run a plant in the most optimal way, PlantMaster.

“If we want to make a big difference, we also must make some big changes. For example, OneStep technology is a new way of preparing yogurt milk,” she says.

“It’s quite different from how you’re doing yogurt today.” She notes it comes with a

40 per cent lower investment cost, 30 per cent lower running costs, 50 per cent lower water consumption, and 25 per cent lower emissions.

Conventionally, milk comes into the dairy, is heat treated and put into silos. It is then sent to the mixing station, where ingredients are added. Tetra Pak looked at every step and asked, is it really necessary to do every step for high quality yogurt?

It thus integrated a separator, mixer and standing unit into the yogurt milk pasteuriser. Dry ingredients are prepared in batches and continuously added to skim milk at the high shear mixer. The raw milk goes to pasteuriser, and then is aerated, homogenised and heat treated in yogurt fermentation tank.

“When taking away the mixing station and tanks, and having continuous mixing, the system needs to be on target every time, integrated into one unit,” she states. It is more complicated and needs to have a very clever control system. The Tetra Pak Pasteuriser D flows, levels, controls, concept from raw milk to yogurt milk in one step. It can be applied to all kinds of yogurt products and is patent pending.

Harry Flannery and David Cole, of Watson-Marlow Fluid Handling Technology Solutions

detailed how two out of five consumers are interested in yogurts to replace traditional desserts. With yogurt manufacturers, viscosity is the biggest aspect to maintain through the process, and better process equipment can reduce costs, and the need for additions to make up for process losses. By using a Certa pump, there is a 20 per cent loss of viscosity versus a 30 per cent loss with traditional pumps. The pump itself is very gentle, prevents aeration and foaming and can handle up to 255,000 litres per hour, eight million cP and 15 bar, with up to 50 per cent less power consumption versus other pumps.

John Kirwin, sales and marketing director at Penmann, detailed the benefits of rapid cooling on yogurt and fermented creams. In 1995, the company was approached by Muller to design an inline palletised cooling system. Now, it has installed Arla cream cooling tunnels, along with static coolers for smaller dairies. Its Clauger rapid cooling cell has seen 150 installations, with 3,500 units globally.

Simon Gregory of Food Works SW took a few minutes to explain the venue. It opened in April 2020 to support businesses. North Somerset Council built it as a food and drink forum, and a not-for-profit arena for technical food support, such as product development, easy access to information events, workshops, seminars on packaging, meet the buyer, food safety, shelf life, etc. It offers 12 purpose-built premises, which are all occupied at the moment, including a gelato, vegan cheese, and ready meals maker. The setup is opening a trial and pilot dairy as well, with more homogenisers coming in, to handle everything from pilot launches to scaling up of production.

Vincent Corden, general manager at CEM UK, examined the “Rapid component analysis of yogurt and fermented cream.” He states the firm provides tech for testing, and instrumentation for protein fat analysis. “It’s about making standard lab processes safer and easier,” he says.

Discussing the company’s offerings, its Sprint machine is for protein. It manages this is in under four minutes, and tags only the amino acids found in proteins, and ignores all sources of non-protein nitrogen. It provides the advantage of speed and accuracy of just looking at protein. The other instrument, the Oracle, is a rapid fat analysis instrument. It is radio frequency pulsed for total fat results and the entire sample is measured.

the company has a dairy specific report for Oracle’s accuracy and is operating in over 10,00 sites globally.

Quality is for everyone    

Chris Edwards, OBE, head of quality at Müller Yogurt & Desserts and former president of the SDT), was up last and looked at “Operationalising quality in yogurt for tomorrow.”

He observes, “People are often concentrating on where value is added but it’s on the line where it is actually added. It is interesting as when you visit a plant, there is the same laboratory you saw 20 years ago. In healthcare labs, it’s a different world, and the level of digitisation and automation there is phenomenal,” he points out.

In quality, it’s about the difference in speed. Everyone in a plant is in in the area of quality control and getting the right stuff out the door. Without the right information, you won’t get to the actual solution for a quality issue in a plant,” Edwards says. He stated that there is a lack of skilled people, for laboratory analysis work. “The food industry is bigger than the football leagues, but we don’t attract people to it.”

On the traditional testing front, there is a 48-hour gap from production line to release to the distribution network. “It is quite staggering how much it costs us if we don’t get the supply on the shelf,” he notes. This includes shelf-life testing, micro and pH taste panels, and other incubation. With spoilage issues, if it is caught but there is a supply chain disruption, it means frustration and additional work.

There has been a change, with accelerated shelf-life testing, which means 27 hours versus 48 hours, and release after 27 hours. In the end, it is about getting the pots out the door, and how well and safely it gets done. “We need the confidence in our lines, with people at the top of the list. Yes, we need standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs), but still need people to think about the product,” he points out.

There are several questions for operators to ask themselves: “How is that operationalised? Are we capability focused? Are all our efforts focused on that line?” It is about embracing technological advancements, and implementing robust SOPs, staff training and skill development. “We need tech to support us in advancing improvements. It’s about staff training for the future, not just looking at data and writing it down. Do they know what the problem means, and what the numbers are saying? It’s about regular audits and inspections by people on the line, to make sure they know their lines. We need to look at supplier collaboration and ingredient control as part of a continuous improvement culture.

“Digitisation is about converting data into digital formats, while digitalisation is about converting the manufacturing processes into a more digital format. Digital transformation is converting all the aspects of the business and connecting these aspects together to improve the productivity of the firm continuously,” he notes.

“It depends on where that data comes from. I want it to come from the line, not the lab. Data is really important, so make sure you have a lab that supports the operations. It’s about embracing tech advancements, because if we don’t do this, we will forever be behind, and the cost of quality will always be seen as a cost.”

Nick Edwards, the president of the Society, ended by stating, “We need operators who understand their process and make changes as production goes along.”

The post The culture of yogurt appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

The packaging solution is a pre-made spouted pouch, including closure. The strawberry flavour of Chamyto yogurt was the first DPA product to be packaged in SIG’s spouted pouch packaging. The partnership with DPA Brasil will also include packaging for Chamyto fruit vitamin yogurts, Chambinho Recreio and Ninho Lancheirinha.

Vanessa Lima, marketing manager at DPA Brasil, notes, “It is important to us to offer parents and caregivers a product line that contributes to children’s independence, and the packaging provides this. The Chamyto yogurts themselves remain unchanged and retain their taste, quality, and nutritional value.”

Chamyto yogurt in spouted pouches from SIG is available in the leading supermarkets in Brazil.

The post SIG partners with DPA Brasil for Chamyto appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

These ranged from opportunities within starter cultures for fermented creams, to looking at plant-dairy hybrid possibilities, to handling fluids, rapid cooling and component analysis of fermented products. 

Plus, we got an opportunity to network and chat with some our favourite people in the industry, those dairy technologists, and the suppliers who help get the products made. It is always a good session out with you all.  

Chris Edwards OBE, the former president of the Society of Dairy Technology and the head of quality at Müller Yogurts & Desserts, was the last speaker and it was a very interesting  way to end the day – it gave the assembled a lot to think about. 

I think his points about how some of the things one sees in a plant are the way they were 20 years ago, and what they are doing to shorten the time span between production and distribution now, while still maintaining quality, are very relevant. He is right on the front lines of yogurt processing in his job. 

Which is really why we are pulling things together as an industry, and the Society, for its part, is driving to get the information and education to the sector. We will have a smaller footprint than ever, use the data more efficiently, in order to use our ingredients and to provide better products for consumers, all the while keeping the food chain safe and secure. In a way, it is an exciting time to be working in the industry, as we saw at the SDT Spring Conference. An ancient product, yogurt, being made for the modern age.  

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
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The post The science of yogurt appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Firstly, the market is leaning towards healthier and more nutritious yogurt products. As consumers attach greater importance to the nutritional value of yogurt, demands for nutrition have also evolved. Consumers are not merely satisfied with traditional fortified yogurts with protein and calcium supplements. They now have more advanced and specific demands regarding high concentrations of calcium and protein, the content of the original raw milk, clean labels, as well as fortification with dietary fibers and vitamins. We also see a rapid growth in the market penetration of yogurt products featuring low fat content, zero sucrose, and more balanced taste and texture.

Secondly, yogurts are becoming more delicious overall. Good taste and texture are key to attracting long-term consumers who are increasingly interested in product innovations in taste and texture. Through satisfying consumers’ taste buds and boosting their mood, tasty yogurt products are delivering emotional value to consumers.

Thirdly, more functional yogurts have emerged in the market. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, health issues related to immunity, digestion, sleep and physical ability have been attracting more public attention, with mental stress and weight management as main concerns of younger consumers between 16 to 24 years old. In addition to growing consumer recognition of the importance of

digestive functions, consumers have also become increasingly attentive towards the types and viable counts of stains in yogurt products.

Fourthly, yogurt products are becoming more accessible and more convenient to consume. A more diversified distribution network has come into play where, in addition to such traditional distributors as supermarkets and convenient stores, emerging warehouse membership clubs, new forms of retail business models including online purchase and doorstep delivery services, e-commerce platforms and community group buying have greatly enhanced the accessibility of yogurt products. In terms of packaging, consumers are now provided with a variety of options. For example, medium-sized (about 400g) yogurt products are value-for-money and fit in a breakfast or meal replacement scenario, while portable small PET packages and stand-up pouches are useful when consumers are on the go.

Q. What is driving the demand for yogurt products?

As living standards health awareness improve, consumers are attaching greater importance to the health and nutritional values of food. Meanwhile, as China’s aging population grows, there is a steady demand for dairy products, especially those that enhance nutrition intake and digestion promotion. Furthermore, Gen Z consumers, who are becoming China’s main driver of consumption, value not only nutrition and health, but also the overall sensory experience, especially taste and texture.

Yogurt products tend to be consumed at breakfast, as afternoon snacks or after meals, addressing various consumer needs. For instance, they make perfect nutrition supplements, reduce hunger, satisfy the appetite, and improve gut digestion. Furthermore, the refreshing taste and healthy product image help meet consumers’ emotional needs for health meanwhile boosting their mood.

Benefiting from the improvement of cold-chain-based supply chains, the development of logistics, and emerging commercial models like Online-to-Offline (O2O) commerce, yogurt products now can be distributed to low-tier markets across China and reach more consumers through diversified distribution channels. This has in turn spurred consumer demand for yogurt products.

Also, the growing popularity of ready-made yogurt in recent years has promoted the visibility of the entire yogurt product category among more consumers, and reinforced consumers’ habits of yogurt consumption in new consumption scenarios.

Q. What trends do you believe will continue to emerge in 2024?

One of the trends that will continue is that Yili will strive to better serve consumers’ demands for nutritious food. A good example is the increased

popularity of high-protein yogurt products. In 2024, the Chinese market will see more new yogurt products featuring higher protein and raw milk content, as well as more diversified yogurt products adopting innovative production technologies.

Another hot trend is sugar reduction in yogurt products to cater to the demand of a large group of consumers. On top of zero sucrose, more yogurt products boasting both health benefits and taste are expected to appear in 2024. Clean labels will also continue to be emphasized. Chinese consumers appreciate the “zero additives” label, as it both addresses their concerns over food additives, and also preserve more original flavours. According to a survey conducted by Mintel in 2023, safety of ingredients and formulas has become the primary consideration of Chinese consumers when they purchase food and beverages.

In addition, we see a continuing growth in the demand for food that satisfies consumers’ emotional needs, including yogurt products. In 2024, in parallel with trends in other beverages, especially beverages consumed on the go such as milk tea, consumers are expected to welcome innovation on taste and textures of yogurt products, such as layered yogurt, yogurt with toppings and various trendy flavours.

Q. Which flavours and styles of yogurt product are proving to be particularly popular with consumers? And why?

Classical flavours including strawberry, peach, jujube and oatmeal are consumers’ all-time favorites. Meanwhile, a series of composite-flavour products, such as fruits + grains or mixed fruits are also popular in China. This high consumer acceptance can be explained by the fact that these combinations are not new additions to the market.

Packaging preferences are determined based on consumer habits in different regions. Instead of the eating yogurt with a spoon commonly seen in Europe and North America, Chinese consumers prefer yogurt drinks in packs of small bottles, bags or larger bottles, as these types of yogurt drinks are considered to be value-for-money in China. At the same time, we have also observed a growth in spoon-eating yogurt products in the Chinese market, which can be attributed to the increase of consumption during breakfast time as a nutrition supplement, and as meal replacements.

Q. What are some of the latest innovations you have seen?

The yogurt market is showing diversified innovations. In terms of nutrition and function related innovation, fortification with vitamins (such as Vitamin C, D, and B6) and dietary fibres has become a popular trend. Meanwhile, proprietary probiotics or special types of probiotics are also introduced to more innovative products for promoting easy digestion, intestinal health and immunity. Examples are yogurt products with active probiotics, edible probiotic

crystals and Yili’s “space probiotic strains.” Ambient yogurt products have also seen breakthroughs in terms of probiotics. For example, each package of the newly launched AMBPOMIAL probiotic yogurt contains one billion CFU active probiotics.

New yogurt products also tend to cater to consumer demands for innovative texture and taste. A wide range of innovative textures are now available, such as layered yogurt, yogurt with toppings, plant-based yogurt, fruit yogurt, yogurt with succulent popping boba, and sparkling yogurt. In terms of taste, besides new fruit and grain flavours, new yogurt products also feature innovative combinations of fruit and vegetables, and even salty or spicy flavours.

On top of being portable and convenient, innovative yogurt packaging can improve consumer experience with interesting designs and enhanced digital features that allow consumers to acquire product information and participate in interactive activities. Examples include canned yogurt, inkless eco-packages, plant-based eco-packages, portable DIY yogurt cups with multiple packs of toppings, scented packages, and smart packages with unique traceable product codes.

Q. How is the yogurt category changing?

Yogurt products are playing more roles in our diets. As dairy products with high nutritional and functional values, yogurt products promote digestion and a healthy balance in intestinal flora, catering to the concepts of a balanced diet and weight management. Delicious yogurt can be a quick fix to relieve stress and offer emotional value in daily life. A pack of thick and creamy yogurt with lots of toppings is more filling, offering a quick energy boost that suits fast-paced lifestyles.

From the perspective of product development, the taste, texture, and packaging of yogurt are getting more innovative and diversified. More advanced manufacturing processes and technologies are introduced in market continuously, as well as shelf-life extension technologies were continuously expanded to extend selling time.

Finally, distribution channels have become increasingly important to product innovation in the yogurt category, and to the improvement of the market influence of various yogurt makers. E-commerce, WeChat, TikTok and other online distribution channels have greatly expanded the online customer base. The emergence of new retail, warehouse membership clubs and snack shops has intensified the competition at the end market, giving retailers more bargaining power and enabling them to develop their own brands. All these changes have imposed new challenges to the yogurt category as the industry tries to restructure its value chain.

Q. How can technology enhance the future of yogurt?

Innovation in product formulation, functional ingredients, manufacturing technology, packaging technology, smart production and “Internet+” will continue driving future development of the industry in response to consumer demands.

Focus has been placed on research and application of new ingredients and formulas, such as the addition of fruit and vegetable fiber, prebiotics or protein fortification, to improve the nutritional value and functionality ingredients. With functional ingredients, research efforts have been placed on the development of probiotics, vitamins, minerals, functional raw materials, and other healthy ingredients to meet the demands of consumers for healthy and functional products. In terms of process innovation, researchers seek to improve the traditional yogurt manufacturing process by improving the selection of probiotic strains, controlling fermentation conditions and processing procedures, to help develop innovative and market-leading products.

Looking at packaging innovation, efforts have been made on new packaging materials and packaging designs to help the industry develop sustainably and enhance product image and consumer experience.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and AI technologies are also being utilised to realise intelligent monitoring, data analysis and automation of the yogurt production process. Furthermore, digital technologies are being applied to online sales of yogurt products, logistics and distribution, and consumer surveys to satisfy the personalized purchasing needs of consumers, expand sales channels and improve consumer loyalty.

Q. What are you doing to innovate in this area?

Research on probiotic strains with IIPR: After years of extensive research, Yili’s proprietary probiotic strain BL-99 has been applied in the Yili Yixiao yogurt. Another proprietary probiotic strain K56 has been applied in Meiyitian active lactobacillus drinks, helping promote intestinal health.

Research on sugar reduction technology: The Changqing zero-sucrose series flavoured probiotic drinking yogurt is a product that benefits from the sweetness toolkit of Yili Group’s digital management system. Through research on the characteristics and combination of various sugar substitutes, and scientific experimental design and data evaluation, the R&D team managed to develop a combination of maltitol and steviol glycosides to achieve zero sucrose in the products while achieving a sweet-sour balance and removing the usual unnatural taste of sugar substitutes. At the same time, the product formula uses seasonal fresh fruits such as strawberries from Dandong, Liaoning Province, yellow peaches from Shiqiao, Jiangsu Province and raw oats harvested near 41°N latitude, striking a balance between health benefits and taste.

Research on encapsulation technologies: The Joyday Heart Fun Multi Fruit Yughurt series of flavoured fermented milk products have achieved a technological breakthrough that allows an even distribution of fruit toppings and chocolate in the product. The R&D team conducted research on water-insoluble encapsulation of three-layered chocolate beans and developed a “three-step” technique to produce a chocolate jam with chocolate beans. Packaged in a portable cup with a large-diameter straw, consumers can enjoy three kinds of delicious topping in every single sip of the yogurt.

The Changqing popping boba series of flavoured fermented milk products utilises encapsulation technology to coat grains such as purple rice and oatmeal to make popping boba. By processing raw materials and promoting the processing technology, the R&D team managed to enhance the texture and taste of the popping boba and ensure their stability in yogurt. The product features purple rice from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, blueberries from Changbai Mountain, raw oats harvested at 41° north latitude, aloe vera, and grain popping boba with large fruit cubes.

Research on layered filling techniques: Through the combination of a three-step layered filling technique and traditional fermentation techniques, the R&D team managed to tackle the issues of scattered jam, low visibility of jam in yogurt, and insufficient fermentation of yogurt in the bottom of jam of curdled yogurt products. The entire production process takes 21 steps. Upon completion of filling, the yogurt is fermented inside each cup for four hours. At the bottom of the yogurt cup, blueberries and strawberries which are clearly visible through the transparent PP cups, making the product more appealing to consumers.

High protein: The Changqing premium protein artisan yogurt is a sugar-controlled yogurt product featuring high protein content. It adopts the RO membrane technology to concentrate milk to achieve a protein content of 5g/135g, which is 1.6 times higher than that of ordinary yogurt, without adding extra protein powder and other ingredients. The product contains 0 sucrose and 0 sugar substitute, emphasising the natural sweetness of raw milk. While controlling the sugar content, the product is rich in nutrients. The coconut flavoured Changqing yogurt contains only 4% sucrose, which is half of the level of ordinary yogurt.

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The test results show that event-related placements work. On average, all ten test stores with Arla Skyr achieved at least a double-digit increase in sales during the test period compared to the previous weeks.

In addition to yogurt, other product groups also benefited from the combined offer, including fruit, cereals and nuts.

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The largest share was in extended shelf life (ESL) types with a fat content of 3.5% and above. Around 69.6 million kg of this variety were produced, which means a production increase of 5.7% or 3.8 million kg compared to 2020.

For pasteurised organic drinking milk (fresh milk) with a fat content of 3.5%, production shrank from 25.6 million kg to 21.2 million kg.

The general trend away from fresh milk production towards ESL milk production continues unabated. The same trend towards ESL can be observed in the organic cream and cream products category. A total of 8.4 million kg of organic sweet cream and organic sour cream were produced.

In the case of pasteurised organic sweet cream with a fat content of more than 29%, a sharp drop in production (-29%) can be observed, whereas organic sweet cream ESL with over 29% fat content recorded a strong increase in production (+ 42.5%).

The yogurt and acidified products made from organic milk also recorded an increase in production (+4%) compared to 2020 and thus amounted to 35.8 million kg in 2021.

Kefir was once again particularly popular. Production growth was 10.4% and the total volume of kefir production last year was 4.5 million kg.

The production of organic cheese was 2.8 million kg or 10.1% higher than the amount produced in 2020. Last year 30.8 million kg of organic cheese was produced.

A particularly strong increase in production was observed for organic raw milk mountain cheese. Here the increase was 1.2 million kg or 44.3%.

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As the only brand offering gourmet dairy products for all ages alongside dairy-free options, The Collective’s new campaign emphasises how they can provide something delicious to eat for everyone, and entices all those in search for healthy, luxurious food items that don’t compromise on taste, to join the Yog Squad.

The nationwide campaign, which includes Out-Of-Home (OOH), digital media and shopper marketing, will be supported by an integrated, Above-the-Line approach, running across 1222 UK sites, reaching millions and via digital channels.

This initial launch will be followed by two subsequent bursts of activity to increase brand awareness, with refreshed packaging set to be implemented later this year to ensure visual alignment across all of The Collective’s products while also encouraging families and friends to set up their own Yog Squads.

Being a B Corp, continuous improvement has always been part of The Collective’s DNA, and the campaign’s squads will enable the coming together of communities that appreciate naturally great-tasting food as well as enabling these groups to act as wider forces for good, for instance, volunteering support for local charities and beneficial initiatives.

Commenting on the launch, Emma Gooden, head of Marketing of The Collective UK, said: “We are incredibly excited to be launching our first ever Masterbrand Campaign in the UK. At The Collective, we are on a mission to deliver taste and exciting eating experiences for everyone – with ranges for adults, kids and now dairy free too,  we are inviting everyone to join The Collective and be part of our yog squad!”

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Consumers can choose from either creamy dessert yogurt meets crunchy hazelnuts, or finely sweet strawberries with chocolate chips.

The new Nöm Cremix varieties hazelnut and strawberry chocolate will be available in 180g cups.

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“Yogurt makers have been waiting 40 years for the FDA to update and modernise the yogurt standard of identity. Today, the FDA issued a notice telling us to keep waiting—and threw in a whole lot of uncertainty, to boot.

“Last July, IDFA forcefully objected to the FDA’s final rule to amend and modernize the standard of identity for yogurt released in June. In December, IDFA sent a letter to Dr Woodcock, acting commissioner for FDA, reiterating our request for a hearing with FDA to resolve the industry’s objections, along with providing manufacturers sufficient time for compliance. Today, after eight months of waiting, FDA issued a notice staying certain provisions of the yogurt standard of identity final rule. IDFA was able to leverage unique formal rulemaking procedures available to the dairy industry to object and, ultimately, prompt a stay of certain provisions that are detrimental to our industry. Without this lever, an impractical final rule would have gone into effect, damaging yogurt makers, throwing retail establishments into confusion, and limiting choice for consumers. While a stay is helpful at this stage, IDFA’s efforts to reform the yogurt SOI will continue into an inexplicable fifth decade.

“IDFA remains deeply disappointed in the FDA process that led to the yogurt SOI final rule. After 40 years since FDA first issued standards for yogurt, IDFA and our yogurt members are back to where we started several decades ago, beseeching the FDA to work with yogurt makers to make commonsense updates to a category that has been waiting more than four decades for modernisation. Without standards that have been modernized, manufacturers are unable to meet consumer demands for innovative and nutritious yogurt products.  With many significant provisions stayed, IDFA will continue to work on the yogurt SOI with an aim to ensure FDA continues to move forward in responding appropriately to IDFA’s objections in a timely manner.”

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The dairy company has identified a gap in the category for an exotic flavoured yogurt with a smooth texture.

Müller Corner Creations G’Dairy is a creamy yogurt, with a three-in-one smooth fruit blend in the corner – a mixture of mango, passionfruit and coconut.

The launch is part of the dairy company’s strategy to focus on its core range of branded yogurt by prioritising and producing quality products that consumers will love, and investing in them, in order to target category growth.

Müller Corner Creations G’Dairy is a source of protein, it is made with real fruit and contains no artificial preservatives, sweeteners or colours. The product is made in Shropshire, with milk from British farms.

It is available in six packs in Asda now, with Morrisons and Sainsbury’s to follow. The RRP is £3.

The launch is being supported by social media and PR.

Müller Corner Creations G’Dairy is the latest launch in the Creations range which also includes Müller Corner Raspberry Creations.

Justin Cook, chief executive officer at Müller Yogurt & Desserts said: “When researching what products Müller Corner shoppers wanted, we noticed that they desired products that transported them to adventurous and beautiful countries like Australia, with exotic but familiar flavour combinations.

“We also identified a gap in the market for a creamy yogurt, with exotic fruit flavours and a smooth texture. As we look to create millions more Müller moments, we are confident that Müller Corner Creations G’Dairy will help us do exactly that.

“Our approach is to prioritise and produce quality products that we know consumers will love. By doing so, we will bring excitement to our much loved core range of branded yogurt and desserts, as we target category growth.”

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Rich in protein and calcium, yogurt is a staple food around the world. However, in Europe alone, 20% of dairy products are lost or wasted every year – totaling 29 million tonnes[1]. DSM research confirms that most yogurt waste, approximately 9%, happens after consumers have purchased the product[2]. Decreasing dairy loss and waste in the home can have a significant positive impact in the long-term, both environmentally and economically.

Extending the shelf life of popular dairy products is an effective way to cut down on food waste. A key contributor to yogurt spoilage during shelf life is microbial contamination, in particular mold and yeast contamination, and presents a complex challenge for manufacturers. At the same time, shelf life needs to be carefully balanced with taste, texture, pricing and labeling requirements, while not affecting existing manufacturing processes. Maintaining natural positioning is also cru-cial for manufacturers. Natural is the top claim for new yogurt launches globally and more than 30% of yogurt launches had “natural” claims in the last five years[3].

DSM’s new DelvoGuard cultures were designed with these challenges in mind. The new additions to the range provide manufacturers with protective cultures that prevent yeast and mold growth in yogurt products resulting in a longer shelf life, without sacrificing taste or texture. The extended range includes DelvoGuard 302 and DelvoGuard 303 which offer protective properties that pre-vent or delay the growth of spoilage organisms by days or even weeks, even during challenging sit-uations such as cold breaks in the supply chain. Also in the range, DelvoGuard 304 and DelvoGuard 305 have a lower post-acidification impact while still providing protection against mi-crobial spoilage. All DelvoGuard bioprotective cultures are easy to use and process – delivered as convenient 1-bag Direct Vat Cultures (DVC) they can be added into the production process at the same time as the starter culture.

“This is an extremely strong generation of bioprotective cultures,” comments Karoline Kjaerulff, global business development manager, Fresh Fermented Solutions at DSM Food & Beverages. “Evolving consumer tastes mean natural yogurts with reduced sugar, less fat, and no additives are leading the pack. At the same time, food waste is a priority across the industry. The new DelvoGuard cultures help manufacturers enjoy the best of both worlds by keeping yogurts fresher for longer while maintaining a great taste and texture. This offers an exciting possibility for brands to improve their consumers’ experience while also taking meaningful sustainability steps to reduce waste throughout the supply chain.”

This latest launch is part of DSM’s ongoing efforts to support the dairy industry in its journey to decarbonise their value chain, reduce food loss and waste and reach ambitious sustainability targets. This is achieved while improving the both the taste and the texture of products, so producers and consumers can enjoy it all. With its strong presence across the value chain, DSM takes a full ecosystem approach to making sustainable dairy a reality.

For more information on how DSM can help extend the shelf life of yogurts, visit: DSM DelvoGuard.

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The business has redesigned its ‘suckies’ packaging, dialling up its colourful style to make the products stand out more on shelves, drive brand recognition, and increase their appeal to children without losing the visibility of key health credentials for parents.

‘Alfie the Dog’, the mascot for the children’s range, has been given a new look and features more prominently on the pouches, while the back of the packs also include fun facts, jokes, tongue twisters and riddles.

Made with all natural ingredients, including British whole milk yogurt and real fruit, the products are a great healthy snack for children throughout the day, according to the company. They provide a source of protein and live cultures and are gluten-free and vegetarian, catering to a range of nutritional needs and supporting a child’s balanced diet.

HFSS compliant

Though The Collective’s current ‘suckies’ range is already HFSS compliant and all sugars are naturally occurring from milk and fruit concentrates, the business will be launching a new no-added sugar range later in the year in line with emerging consumer trends.

The Collective aims to ensure all of its products meet official Government guidance on sugar consumption, but maintains that no-added sugar does not mean having to compromise on taste.

The new range contains less than 6g of sugar per 100g pack and includes immunity boosting vitamin D, as well as helping to strengthen children’s teeth and bones.

The new no-added sugar ‘suckies’ will be available in three flavours: strawberry & banana, banana & cocoa, and mango & peach.

National marketing campaign

The relaunch of the kids’ range, is supported by a national media campaign aligned to in-store activity. The plan, which includes Out-Of-Home (OOH), digital media and shopper marketing, is part of The Collective’s biggest ever marketing campaign and goes live mid-February.

The Collective has also ramped up marketing activity on its gourmet yogurt pots with a campaign running at key OOH sites nationwide, across shopper marketing and on social channels throughout February.

Commenting on the relaunch, Tor Hunt-Taylor, marketing director of The Collective UK, said, “At The Collective, we’re proud to be market leaders on innovative product compositions and packaging formats and are committed to continually evolving to meet emerging consumer lifestyle trends. Great taste will always be our number one priority, and while we’ll never ask consumers to compromise on this, we are always looking for new ways to ensure our products provide meaningful health credentials, particularly within our children’s range.

“We believe this unique balance is driving the success of the range and we’re confident that the expansion of our offering will further increase market penetration as we provide exciting, new options to appeal to an even broader audience.”

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The campaign includes an advert airing from 24 January until 7 March on TV, on demand and YouTube. To drive further trial of the big pot range, the brand is offering shoppers a ‘try me free’ offer [1] which allows Gut Glory shoppers to receive a full refund by filling out an online claim form. 

A mixture of in-store activation and digital marketing will take place with Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, featuring digital 6-sheets, retailer aisle fins, and online digital banners. The campaign will also feature across social media and influencer collaborations. 

Through the creation of a new brand with an irreverent tone and a contemporary and simple design, Müller intends to add excitement and inspiration to the digestive health yogurt segment.

Gut Glory is a creamy yogurt which contains live cultures, it is a source of calcium [2] and is made in Shropshire, England, using milk from British farms.

The Gut Glory range is available in two pack sizes. Shoppers can choose 450g big pots, available in Salted Caramel and Strawberry with fibre and four pack single flavour 125g pots, in Strawberry, Rhubarb and Peach & Mango with fibre.

Justin Cook, chief executive officer of Müller Yogurt & Desserts said: “As we accelerate the development of our business, we intend to set the pace in the categories we serve and innovate to expand our reach, and with Gut Glory, there is a unique growth opportunity for an exciting and contemporary gut-health brand. 

“We have developed a modern gut health brand that doesn’t just focus on the science, and our campaign reflects this. 

“Our research suggested that potential new shoppers were put off by existing gut health options that were too functional, clinical or scientific, so our campaign is bold, irreverent, animated and fun, which should really help Gut Glory stand out from the crowd.”

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IFF developed the first Yo-Mix Prime series to offer full acidity control, delivering products with premium texture, stable pH and consistent quality through shelf-life. The new Yo-Mix Prime 801 and 802 cultures in the freeze-dried format as well as Yo-Mix Prime 830 and 840 cultures in frozen format offer consumers the ultimate mild taste experience. They are also available as part of the texture modulation toolbox, providing manufacturers the flexibility to offer a wide variety of texture to consumers.

According to IFF, consumers will be able to enjoy affordable and healthier products, due to the cultures’ ability to control acidity and enhance the sweetness perception, allowing manufacturers to formulate yogurts with less added sugar.

With this launch, IFF now offers a total of six highly phage-robust cultures under the game-changing Yo-Mix Prime umbrella. “After the successful launch of Yo-Mix Prime 800 and 900, we knew we wanted to deliver even more flexibility for manufacturers to offer a wide variety of texture experiences to consumers,” said Charlotte Debare, global product line manager for Yo-Mix. “These new cultures deliver the same benefits as the original series, but the new texture modulation toolbox will offer producers a flexible and easy way to experiment with different textures based on what their customers prefer” she added.

IFF produces cultures that deliver sustainable innovations across a wide variety of food and beverage products. To learn more about the Yo-Mix Prime series of cultures and other solutions, visit: www.dupontnutritionandbiosciences.com/products/yo-mix-prime-yogurt.html.

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On average 57% of consumers worldwide regularly buy yogurt, although individual country rates vary from 32% in Indonesia to 78% in Spain. Furthermore, 29% of consumers increased their consumption of yogurt in 2020, largely for health reasons, while 60% said their consumption levels were stable and just 11% said that they had decreased.

Asia is the largest market with 43% of yogurt value sales. It is also seeing the most growth. The region is home to the top two individual countries in terms of value, with China a clear leader and Japan taking second place ahead of Brazil and the US.

The rising popularity of non-dairy yogurt has had a considerable impact on the category, with 25% of consumers globally now eating plant-based spoonable yogurt and 22% enjoying plant-based drinking yogurt. Perhaps unsurprisingly, spoonable non-dairy yogurt is the most active sub-category in terms of innovation, seeing new product launch activity grow by 9.6% (five-year CAGR to the end of Q3 2021). This compares with just 0.2% for the yogurt category as a whole.

Key themes driving innovation are largely the same for both dairy and non-dairy, but each of these is tending to create its own path. There is a strong focus on highlighting organic status, sourcing, clean label and provenance, with animal welfare issues increasingly important in dairy and sustainability under the spotlight for non-dairy alternatives.

Health is a driving factor, particularly added wellbeing attributes such as probiotics, immune support and digestive benefits. Protein and fiber content remain important, along with sugar and fat reduction and free-from formulations, while research also indicates that consumers would be prepared to pay more for added health benefits.

With 20% of consumers in Innova’s survey being influenced by ‘made with real ingredients’ and ‘natural’ claims when buying yogurt, simple and clear ingredient lists will continue to be an area of focus.

Other potentially rewarding directions for new products exist in the sensory arena through the development of new flavour combinations and improved texture/mouthfeel, particularly for low, light and non-dairy options. While fruit flavours dominate global product launches, and more complex confectionery and dessert-style offerings are also increasingly popular, there is growing activity in vegetable flavours. This trend is moving beyond Asia where vegetable and savoury tastes in traditionally sweeter food categories are already well established. Vegetables such as beetroot and carrot are widely used for colouring in yogurt preparations, but they are now being increasingly selected as main flavours along with a raft of more locally and regionally-sourced produce and ingredients.

Category Insider: Dairy & Non-Dairy Yogurt is a new report from Innova Market Insights. It assesses areas such as sales, trends, new product development and consumer responses to identify insights into the current and future direction of this food category.

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I would say most days we have yogurt, and this includes my husband. In fact, there are issues if “his” yogurt is not available (fruit on bottom). We devote a whole shelf to these products.

When my son comes home from school, pots disappear as snacks. If his friends come over, more yogurt goes – teenage boys are just impressive in their capacity to eat. So, what looks like an overabundance at the beginning of the week is cleared out by the end of the week anyway.

I use the empty pots for putting in seeds in the spring. That becomes another source of irritation when my husband wanders into the cellar (my suggestion is, don’t go into the cellar). However, I do know that the suppliers of yogurt pots are working on reducing plastic and getting more recycled content into the chain. There are also yogurts in glass pots, which are often reused for all kinds of things in the house.

Needless to say, I am vindicated over and over on our devotion to the fermented products, as their nutritional benefits keep being proved. For example, we saw news in the Times this morning, according to a study by the University of South Australia and published in the International Dairy Journal that by eating yogurt, one can lower one’s blood pressure, with Greek yogurt being cited as especially helpful.

Another reason to enjoy yogurt. Yum!

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

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