Keeping in mind the health aspects of yogurt, the trend of flavoured yogurt, for the first time mixed with strawberry started in the 40s in the US. Frozen yogurt was introduced in the 90s and started gaining in the 2000s in the European countries. One could mistake it for an ice cream, but these were yogurts with low fats, churned in a soft serve machine with berry infused flavours.
Health-consciousness was already a rage among the Europeans in the 2000s, like the introduction of organic farming for chemical-free fruits and vegetables. This was the time when plain favoured yogurts were quick frozen to replace the ice creams. This consciousness took time to reach India. The consumers in India slowly started understanding the side-effects of the food habits they had inculcated under the influence of the Western culture.
Now the revolution of desserts and indulgence into some guilt-free dessert coming form the West started to throw its impact on the Indian masses. This was the right time to enter this product space due to the uniqueness of the concept. However, it seemed quite challenging as the category was completely new to the market. It was then when Cocoberry launched its first store in February 2009 and became India’s first and premium frozen yogurt chain that offered the ultimate frozen dessert experience.
History of flavoured frozen yogurts
Dessert manufacturers had for long, researched with an array of ice cream flavours and styles. However it was health guru Gayelord Hauser who pushed yogurt into the limelight when he proclaimed it a wonder food in his book "Look Younger, Live Longer," published in 1950. Sales of yogurt skyrocketed, increasing its production in the 60s.
In the 1970s, frozen yogurt's opening into the dessert market was a distinctive disappointment; consumers complained that it tasted too much like yogurt. Despite the initial reaction, manufacturers modified and refined their frozen yogurt recipes to reinvent the dessert, and the increasingly health-conscious populace of the 1980s finally accepted the low calorie dessert. Frozen yogurt was soon available in a variety of flavours throughout the US. It proved to be just as versatile as ice cream, served in cones and cups, with toppings, on crepes, waffles, and banana splits. Frozen yogurt offered a tangier flavour than ice cream and had more depth in flavour and texture.
The making of the frozen yogurt…
Frozen yogurt gets its sole flavour from strains of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilous. The yogurt culture comprises all the strains of bacteria in the product and makes up about 1% of the ingredients.
The production of frozen yogurt is quite similar to ice cream, with the exception of yogurt culture; they are prepared out of similar components. Two of the most important elements in frozen yogurt are water and air. Air is integrated into the mixture to add volume. Water exists in the liquid elements of the mix and is considered the continuous phase, which goes from liquid to a partially solid state. Frozen yogurt is never completely frozen; it simply contains ice crystals. Milk Solids, Not Fat (MSNF) makes up between 8 and 14% of frozen yogurt. The protein element increases the smoothness, viscosity, and compactness of the frozen dessert and makes it more resistant to melting.
Sugar makes up between 15-17% of the ingredients. Sucrose, in the form of cane or beet sugar, is generally the primary sweetener, though other sweeteners are often combined. Sugar not only adds sweetness to the yogurt but also improves the body and viscosity and increases the concentration of total solids (TS) in the product. Total solids add body and texture as well as food value, since solids take the place of water in the mixture. Egg solids may be used for solids with the added benefit of decreasing the amount of time necessary for freezing the mixture.
Range of flavours available in the market, experimentations
Ever since its introduction in the market there has been a lot of addition in the flavours of the frozen yogurts. The line of the frozen yogurt is extended by flavours like raspberry, strawberry, peach and blueberry. Besides the flavours of the yogurt, the toppings on the yogurt are what make it delicious. There are various kinds of topping available in the market that make the yogurt experience worthwhile. The list of topping in the market is endless. Collectively there are 100 garnishes to choose from — go from fresh fruits to the trademark Oreo cookies. Weight-watchers can skip fattening jujubes and chocolate sprinkles and opt for freshly cut fruits, cereals and dried fruits. Flavours like strawberry lemon sorbet, mango pinacolada, vanilla, salted caramel, blackberry lemon mint tart, orange tart, blueberry tart, raspberry tart, guava pineapple tart, green apple tart, peach tart, lychee tart and so on. Fresh fruits like mango, grapes, kiwi, pineapple, and cherry give these frozen yogurts the mouthwatering taste. Considering the rising popularity we and various other players in the market have been experimenting with the flavours and toppings and introduced the chocolate flavour. Besides we use toppings like cookies, gems, chocolate strands, white chocolate chips, walnuts, almonds and butterscotch crispies. The Innovations in flavours will continue for the patrons of frozen yogurt to savour.
Innovations in frozen yogurt
The frozen yogurts have now gone beyond just the frozen yogurt and introduced its delicious and healthy parfait in a wide variety. The parfait from Cocoberry consists of ingredient like fruit, granola and yogurt that result in having a non-fat and healthier product with a richer flavour profile. The parfait in Cocoberry is served on transparent glass, looks colourful and tempting and can be a very good breakfast option. This is another first of its kind and refreshing option from Cocoberry. Parfait is extremely popular in the Western countries and this is the first time we have introduced the same across our stores. I am sure, like all our earlier introductions, this is also going to be appreciated by our customers. Cocoberry Parfait comes in five different varieties - mango, blueberry, kiwi, raspberry and blackberry in two sizes: small & large.
Popularity of frozen yogurts in India
The frozen yogurt started gaining popularity in the last couple of years after it was introduced by Cocoberry and the Indians started realising the health benefits of yogurt. The makers of frozen yogurt claim that these sweet treats are sin-free because frozen yogurt is a healthy dessert option. Cocoberry's frozen yogurt comes in fruit flavours like strawberry and blackberry. They also offer fresh berry toppings, which are rich in antioxidants, and the yogurt itself contains probiotics. Yogurt is one of the safest foods because of its acidic nature. It is scientifically proven that probiotic bacteria like Lactobacillus, which are present in yogurt, help prevent travellers' diarrhoea and it is beneficial to have yogurt after completing a course of antibiotic medication, if you are going through one.
Marketing and expansion of the business
For plunging into the business of frozen yogurt and marketing the product in the Indian territories, this is the right time. According to a survey conducted by Tata Strategic Management Group, the size of the Indian health and wellness food market will rise to Rs 550 billion by 2015, from an estimated Rs 101 billion in 2010 - a growth of 35-37 per cent. But the success of these chains depends upon factors like location, menu, and toppings on offer. The players are adopting various tactics to market the frozen yogurt. They are ready to tweak their standard menu based on Indian tastes. Although the basic concept and most of the menu items would remain the same, it would include yogurt flavours and smoothies based on local taste and toppings, which would be more popular and suit the Indian markets. The Indian market is very large and attractive but at the same time very diverse in terms of geography, languages, taste palate and purchasing power. Therefore franchising makes it easier to get capital and human resources, and the speed of expansion is also much better in this model, than opening up company outlets. It is going to be a tough competition among the players as their target audience would be the same. Eventually, it will come down to who is located where. Different areas will evoke different responses.
It seems that the coming months are going to be exciting for the companies as well as the young health-conscious breed, as the world of colours and flavours beckons like never before.
