In addition to the incorporation into smoothies, Greek yogurt also found its way into a new product from Eat Well Enjoy Life. Officials say the new Hummus with Greek Yogurt features a garbanzo bean hummus mixed with Greek yogurt. The new line has five varieties: Classic Hummus with Greek Yogurt; Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with Greek Yogurt; Roasted Garlic Hummus with Greek Yogurt; Spicy Hummus with Greek Yogurt; and Roasted Pine Nuts Hummus with Greek Yogurt.
In the dairy case, SymphonyIRI said it expected Greek yogurt sales to account for 43% of the $4.6 billion U.S. yogurt market by the end of 2012. Nevertheless, there was one notable exit from the Greek yogurt arena; last April, Kraft Foods announced it would discontinue its Athenos Greek yogurt line.
Meanwhile, Greek yogurt giant Chobani continued its segment domination. For the record, Fast Company says Chobani boasted sales of more than $650 million in sales in 2011. In 2013, Chobani expects to continue the trend with well-publicized plans for more new products. New Chobani Flip will follow in the trend of ingredient mix-ins for yogurt. Each container’s lid can be flipped to reveal a compartment with flavored mix-ins. The 5.3oz options include Vanilla Golden Crunch (vanilla non-fat yogurt with cornflakes, honey oats and pecans); Key Lime Crumble (Key Lime low-fat yogurt with graham crumble and white chocolate); Strawberry Sunrise (strawberry non-fat yogurt with honey oats); Honey Beenana (honey low-fat yogurt with banana); Almond Coco Loco (coconut low-fat yogurt with dark chocolate and sliced toasted almonds); and Raspberry Choco Fix (vanilla chocolate chip low-fat yogurt with raspberries).
Chobani also is extending its Champions line, which is geared toward children. Champions Tubes are squeezable, on-the-go, Greek-style yogurt in four child-friendly flavors: Jammin’ Strawberry, Chillin’ Cherry, Rockin’ Blueberry and Swirlin’ Strawberry Banana.
Greek yogurt also merged with the organic trend in a new release from Straus Family Creamery. The company introduced what it claims is the market’s only non-GMO-verified and certified-organic Greek yogurt. Certified-kosher and gluten-free, the product features just two ingredients: organic milk and live, active cultures.
Greek or not, the yogurt category’s overall growth has outpaced the rest of the U.S. food industry, and U.S. sales are up 15% from 2010, according to Nielsen. A Barclays analyst report found that, of the current largest production capacity projects in the U.S. food industry, at least seven are in the yogurt sector, including two from Chobani, whose founder believes the U.S. market could double in size over the next few years. As Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya noted in a conference call, America is still considered an underdeveloped yogurt market.
That market trend data was not lost on PepsiCo. In one of the bigger news stories of the year, PepsiCo entered the yogurt category in a joint venture with the Theo Muller Group. Muller Quaker Dairy brought Europe’s Muller yogurt to the States: Muller FrutUp is a parfait-style yogurt with a light, airy fruit mousse on top. Muller Corner features a two-chamber cup with yogurt in one chamber and mix-ins, such as fruit, caramelized almonds, crunchy cereal or chocolate, in the other. The latter boasts 10 varieties, including four thicker, creamier, Greek-style yogurt versions called Muller Greek Corner.
Last but not least, consumers also seem to be attracted to the idea of simplicity. General Mills expanded its Yoplait brand into Yoplait Simplait yogurt, crafted from a combination of six simple, all-natural ingredients, including cultured, pasteurized grade-A milk, fruit, sugar, corn starch, natural flavor, and a vegetable or fruit juice, or extract or pectin.
“Consumers are continually looking for new and different ways to enjoy the refreshing goodness of yogurt,” says Rachel Ringel, associate marketing manager, Yoplait Simplait. “There has been an increasing demand for simpler ingredient lists, but one thing remains constant—taste is the most important.” The line is available in four flavors: blackberry, peach, and strawberry and peach, each containing 7g of protein per 6oz serving.
The Frozen Chosen
Also frozen, but lacking the healthful panache of yogurt, several ice cream introductions did try to capitalize on health, to a degree.
Jambo Production LLC began operations last October and launched four flavors of Jambo Protein Ice Cream: Berry Burst, Java Gym Coffee, Chai Green Tea and Chocolate Bliss, all made with organic pasture-fed cows’ whey protein and featuring no lactose, gluten, GMOs, rBGH, added sugar or preservatives.
A similar product, Thrive Frozen Nutrition, from the company of the same name, promises as much protein as an egg, as much calcium as a cup of milk and as much potassium as a banana in each 250-calorie serving. In addition, the pharmacist-developed product boasts four live strains of probiotics and 24 vitamins and minerals. It is available in four flavors: homemade vanilla, milk chocolate, chocolate fudge and strawberry.
Active D’Lites also added to its line of probiotics-powered frozen confections with Vanilla Lite Ice Cream Bars. The bars are dipped in premium, European-style chocolate and made with GMO-free natural ingredients, as well as a blend of probiotics that promise to help promote and sustain digestive health.
Attempting to capitalize on the premium ice cream trend as well, Nestle test-marketed a new line of Willy Wonka-themed upscale ice cream, with such inclusions as potato chip bark pieces, pecan pralines and nut brittle. The inclusions may have been a bit too innovative, however, as the line was discontinued in early 2013.
One of the most innovative ice cream launches during the year came from Kaurina’s. Kulfi is a frozen dessert street food from India. Similar to ice cream in appearance and taste, it is typically denser and creamier, and the line includes such authentic flavors as Kheer (the Indian version of rice pudding), Malai (fresh ground cardamom spice blended into a pure, cooked milk base) and Chikoo (the texture of a ripe pear with a hint of cinnamon)
