Posted: June 28, 2010 at 5:00 pm
By News Editor
Yakult, a drinkable probiotic yogurt brand, will be building a production plant in the U.S. This is the first American factory for the Tokyo-based Yakult Honsha Co. The plant is planned in Fountain Valley, Calif.
The facility, which will produce around 250,000 bottles of Yakult per day, is expected to begin operations in 2012.
“We are looking forward to the completion of the Yakult California factory since it will allow us to provide our product to more people across the country,” said executive vice president and COO Teruo Tabuchi. “Fountain Valley is ideal because it is in close proximity to Los Angeles, which is our biggest market now.”
Yakult USA will subsequently look to expand the drink’s coverage in the country beyond its current markets of California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico.
The company will continue to import the beverage from Guadalajara, Mexico, the closest plant to US borders, until the factory opens.
Source: Just-Drinks
Posted: May 12, 2010 at 6:47 pm
By News Editor
The good news – kids love yogurt, and are snacking on it in higher numbers! Grab a yogurt today!
While fresh fruit remains the most-consumed kids snack, refrigerated yogurt showed the largest growth in number of units consumed per child last year as compared with 2008, according to a kids’ snack category growth ranking released by The NPD Group.
Yogurt wasn’t the only healthier snack showing growth. Fresh fruit ranked third in per-capita consumption growth, and string cheese/pre-packaged cheese cubes or shapes ranked fourth, according to NPD’s SnackTrack, which continually monitors the consumption of snack foods both at home and out-of-home.
However, potato chips showed the second-largest consumption growth among kids’ snack categories.
And the categories ranking fifth through 10th in consumption growth were, in order: hard candy, ice/fudge/cream pops, chewy candy, corn chips, donuts, and snack pies/pastries.
Source: MediaPost News; Karlene Lukovitz
Posted: April 28, 2010 at 6:59 pm
By News Editor
A new yogurt facility broke ground in Brattleboro, Vermont this week. Commonwealth Dairy yogurt ompany will make yogurt for other companies under private label and will sell its own all-natural “Mountainberry” brand product.
“This is an exciting and critical milestone in the evolution of our project” stated Dieter Dobousek, Commonwealth Dairy’s vice president and chief technical officer. “It has taken over two years to get to this point, and everyone involved in the project is excited to finally see some real activity on the site.”
The biggest selling point for Commonwealth Dairy’s yogurt is it will be branded with the Vermont Seal of Quality, said Dobousek, which means 85 percent of its milk will come from the Green Mountain State.
Though no contracts have yet been signed, Commonwealth expects to get its milk supply from St. Albans Cooperative Creamery and Agri-Mark.
Because Commonwealth will be purchasing a large amount of Class II milk, which is used to produce ice cream, frozen desserts, yogurt, eggnog, cottage cheese, and cream cheese, the demand should drive prices up for Vermont dairy farmers.
The new 40,000-square-foot building will have an output capacity of 50 million pounds — or 130 million cups — of yogurt annually. To do so, it will need 32.5 million pounds of skim milk and 400,000 pounds of butterfat annually.
To achieve that, the factory will need up to 24,000 gallons of milk every day from 3,000 cows.
Source: Brattleboro Reformer
Posted: January 25, 2010 at 8:51 pm
By News Editor
The Dairy Council of California is encouraging Americans are eating more of the food trend of the decade: yogurt!
Yogurt was named the food trend of the decade by Harry Balzer, Vice President with the market research firm NPD Group.
“It’s very convenient. It’s very individualized …” said Balzer of yogurt in a Jan. 1 interview with National Public Radio. “This is just for you. It’s your own flavor. It has a health halo certainly surrounding it. It really does define what I think America wants from its food supply.”
Plain or flavored, served in a cup, a tube or a tub, yogurt provides calcium, potassium and high-quality protein. Some yogurts are fortified with vitamin D, which promotes calcium absorption and bone health. Yogurt is also a good option for people who have trouble drinking fluid milk. The “live active cultures” in yogurt feed on lactose, milk’s natural sugar, making yogurt an excellent choice if you’re lactose intolerant.
According to consumption research conducted by Dairy Council of California, families with children and adults in their 30s eat the most yogurt, with adults eating less in their older years. There’s plenty room for growth within the yogurt category, according to registered dietitian Andrea Garen.
“Americans have certainly embraced single-serving flavored and frozen yogurts, but plain, unflavored yogurt is still fairly foreign,” said Garen, Project Manager with Dairy Council of California. “Yogurt is a versatile food ingredient used around the world, particularly in Greek and Indian cuisine.”
Garen recommends traditional recipes like Chicken Souvlaki, Cucumber Yogurt Soup, Tandoori Chicken or Raita for introducing plain yogurt in your diet. Its tangy flavor also works well in salad dressings, dips and other recipes. Kids enjoy adding their favorite fruits like strawberries, mangos or bananas to plain yogurt sweetened with honey, maple syrup or vanilla.
Source: Dairy Council of California
Posted: December 29, 2009 at 5:55 pm
By News Editor
Chick-fil-A will introduce a yogurt parfait, right in time for all of those New Year’s resolutions to eat healthy!
The new Yogurt Parfait includes slices of fresh strawberries, covered in creamy, vanilla yogurt topped with either Chick-fil-A’s own Harvest Nut Granola blend or Chocolate Cookie Crumbs. Topped with granola, the Yogurt Parfait has 240 calories and 5 grams of fat, and the cookie crumb option brings the parfait down to 200 calories with 4.5 grams of fat. Both choices also are trans-fat free. Initially promoted as a breakfast option, the parfait will be offered throughout the day and starts at $2.25.
The low-key item isn’t expected to supplant Chick-fil-A’s mainstay chicken. But it’s a sign the company is evolving along with its customer base, said William “Woody” Faulk, vice president of brand strategy and design.
Diners want a broader range of nutritional choices, he said. The yogurt parfait may fill a need among customers who have been to the doctor and have been encouraged to adjust their diets. In that environment, “all-fried, all the time is not sustainable” for a restaurant chain, said Faulk.
So, the eventual draw of low-fat yogurt among Chick-fil-A’s customers remains to be seen. In any case, the company envisions additional healthy offerings. But new roll-outs will probably follow the company’s philosophy of menu permanence, meaning new items will be few and far between.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Jeremiah McWilliams & PR Newswire
Posted: October 13, 2009 at 5:25 pm
By News Editor
Here’s a new product worth talking about: Yoplait® Yogurt Chips. Did you know that as a dairy producer you helped to launch this new product, which use both yogurt and milk, through your dairy checkoff investment? Dairy Management Inc., in partnership with General Mills, owner of the Yoplait® brand, helped to developed this new line of frozen fruit and yogurt smoothies. The yogurt chips use a breakthrough technology to develop a yogurt product that is blended with fruit and eight ounces of fluid milk.
The smoothies were developed to help meet consumer needs for nutritious and convenient dairy products that also taste good. The smoothies, which can be found in the frozen fruit section in grocery stores nationwide, are available in three flavors — Strawberry Banana, Strawberry Mango Pineapple and Triple Berry.
“Sales of yogurt and smoothie products have been a shining star for the dairy category in recent years,” said Paul Rovey, Arizona dairy producer and chair of Dairy Management Inc.™, which manages the national dairy checkoff. “Checkoff-funded dairy ingredient marketing efforts work with key food and beverage manufacturers to assist in the development of new products that drive volume by highlighting the nutrition, functionality, versatility and good taste of dairy ingredients.”
General Mills, in collaboration with national and local dairy promotion organizations, is rolling out the frozen fruit and yogurt smoothie products in grocery stores across the nation this fall. The launch also will include in-store sampling events to boost sales. Consumer research indicates that, once consumers tried the smoothies, they became regular customers. The smoothies will result in an estimated 120 million pounds of additional milk volume used each year.
Editor’s Note: The Yoplait trademark is owned by Yoplait Marques Internationales SAS (France) and used under license by General Mills. General Mills proudly owns and operates the Yoplait yogurt business in the United States.
Posted: June 1, 2009 at 10:37 am
By Amanda Nolz
Today is June 1, and I probably don’t have to remind any of you that today launches the first official day of June Dairy Month. In honor of this celebratory month, I found an interesting column written by Roxie Rodgers Dinstel in the News Miner that is worth highlighting. The column is titled, June is dairy month, so drink milk for your health, and while it notes the benefits of milk, it also provides some great ideas for summer dairy treats just for kids. Enjoy!
Raise a glass of ice-cold milk and toast the dairy farmers across America who make it possible to enjoy an abundance of fresh, dairy-licous products like milk, cheese and yogurt, every day. Besides the great taste, three servings of dairy provide calcium and eight additional nutrients that help keep bones strong and bodies fit.
Milk is big business today in many nations, particularly those in Europe and North America. Thirty-five countries produce 85 percent of the world’s supply. Cows are major sources of milk, although the milk of sheep, goats, horses, water buffalo, camels, donkeys, reindeer and llamas also is consumed by humans. We all drink milk, eat cheese and dine on yogurt. But sometimes, it can be just a little boring. Here are three ways to make your dairy more fun.
Link here for cool ideas for summer dairy treats using yogurt, pudding and of course, ice cream!
Posted: March 30, 2009 at 8:57 pm
By News Editor
Dairy Crest has taken a big step in easing its debt position by selling its 49% stake in yogurt group Yoplait Dairy Crest for £63.5m.
Following the sale, the dairy products group now expects its net debt at year end to be about £435m. Dairy Crest, whose brands include Country Life butter and Cathedral City cheese, said the sale was also consistent with its policy of focusing on core brands.
Trading remains in line with previous statements, the group said. The retail environment remains tough, Dairy Crest said, adding that it has been using promotions to grow volume.
Sales of Country Life butter, which has been helped by an advertising campaign featuring John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten of the band the Sex Pistols), and Clover are up by 25% to 30%, it said.
Cathedral City sales have increased approximately 10% by volume and 20% by value over the year, Dairy Crest said.
Speaking at a presentation for analysts, chief executive Mark Allen said Dairy Crest had not been adversely affected by a move to own label products as recession-hit consumers seek value. Volumes are down 4% in own label dairy products, but Dairy Crest has been lifting volumes, he said.
He added that the company had not had to use promotions more than anticipated, with 68% of goods sold at full price. The firm is coping with a decline in milk production in the UK by reducing the amount used as an ingredient in its products, he said, adding that it will reduce the total amount used by about 50m litres this year.
Posted: February 28, 2009 at 6:16 pm
By News Editor
Dannon announced this week that it will stop using milk from cows treated with rBST in its yogurts by the end of 2009.
Dannon’s decision comes on the heels of rival Yoplait’s announcement that it would eliminate rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) from its product line.
The companies were pressed to halt the use of rBGH milk after more than 200 hospitals around the country — including Kaiser Permanente, Legacy Good Samaritan and OHSU in Portland, Good Shepherd in Hermiston and Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver — pledged to serve rBGH-free products to their patients, staff and visitors.
The rBGH-free initiative was spurred by Health Care Without Harm, an international coalition that promotes ecologically sustainable health care that doesn’t harm people or the environment. The Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility also supported the initiative.
Posted: February 10, 2009 at 7:11 pm
By News Editor
General Mills has announced that it will stop using milk from cows treated with rbST in its Yoplait yogurt by August of 2009. The company claims the move is motivated by consumers wanting the change.
“While the safety of milk from cows treated with rBST is not at issue, our consumers were expressing a preference for milk from cows not treated with rBST, and we responded,” Becky O’Grady, General Mills’ vice president of marketing for the Yoplait brand, wrote in a statement.
The hormone, sold under the brand name Posilac, was first marketed by Monsanto in 1994. The drug was purchased by a division of Ely Lilly last year.
Farmers use the hormone in their herds because it increases milk production by about one gallon per day per cow. It’s approved for use in cows by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which says studies show it is safe for human consumption.
General Mills, based in Golden Valley, had net sales of $14.9 billion in its most recent fiscal year.
Posted: September 29, 2008 at 11:17 am
By News Editor
Applegate Farms, has introduced Yogurt Cheese with probiotics. The product is a pre-sliced cheese that contains probiotics, beneficial microorganisms in the form of live active cultures.
Applegate Farms new yogurt cheese is made from yogurt that is certified with “live and active cultures,” having at least 100 million bacteria per gram at the time of manufacture. There are three main probiotic strains found in Applegate Farms Yogurt Cheese: Lactobacillus acidophilus; Bifidobacterium bifidus and Lactobacillus casei. Because these active cultures are not heated after fermentation, they retain their integrity throughout the cheese-making process.
“More and more studies are suggesting that digestive wellbeing will trump heart health as the number one health concern. The consumer is becoming increasingly aware of the decline in nutritional health and is constantly seeking easy and sensible ways to incorporate better foods and more nutrients in their diet, “said Steve McDonnell, Founder/CEO, Applegate Farms.
Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms in the form of live active cultures. They are friendly bacteria that live in the digestive system and are believed to have a number of health benefits while making it difficult for harmful pathogens to survive.
Posted: September 3, 2008 at 8:27 pm
By News Editor
Wendy’s Restaurants has announced that it will now be selling Nestle Nesquik milk and squeezable tubes of yogurt into all its 5,900 U.S. restaurants.
Wendy’s launched its Kids’ Meal Choices program in 2005 to let customers replace traditional sides like french fries and soft drinks with mandarin oranges, yogurt and milk, the company said.
The Nesquik milk will include white and chocolate 1-percent fat milk served in plastic bottles, eliminating Wendy’s 2-percent milk line. The “Squeezerz” yogurt tube will replace the chain’s yogurt cup, the company said.
“This is the first time that we’ve created a fortified white milk product and we’re pleased to debut it at Wendy’s alongside our chocolate-flavored milk,” Cathy Dean, brand manager for Nestle Nesquik, said in a release.
The restaurant chain initially served milk in cardboard containers and in 2004 rolled out its plastic milk bottles. The chain sells about 40 million bottles per year, said Wendy’s spokesman Bob Bertini. He did not disclose sales figures for the milk bottles or yogurt.
Posted: May 5, 2008 at 3:43 pm
By News Editor
Stonyfield Farm has been chosen as the Manufacturer of the Year for Global Supply Chain Excellence. The award is given by the World Trade Magazine to manufacturers whose approach to supply chain management would be an inspiration to others. Previous winners include: Procter & Gamble, Ford, IBM and Texas Instruments.
The thing to know about Gary Hirshberg, the Chairman/President of Stonyfield Farm, is not that his ryderorganic yogurt company has grown from a local New Hampshire home-spun operation into a fast-growing $300 million a year enterprise; nor that the company is driven by an environmental mission to which the business model must conform. Rather, it is the factoid in his Wikipedia entry that says he scored the first touchdown in the history of inter-collegiate Ultimate Frisbee.
It is such exuberance that characterizes what at first glance seems an unlikely CEO (or, as his card reads, CE-Yo as in yogurt) heading an unlikely company. Both are committed to aggressively forging the way toward a carbon neutral supply chain strategy—one, most emphatically, which enhances profit rather than hampers it.
At first glance, Stonyfield Farm hardly belongs in this league. It obviously operates on a much smaller, predominately domestic scale (although since being 80 percent bought by Group Danone in 2001, the product line is beginning to enter Europe on a small scale). Nor is its inbound supply chain, with the exception mostly of berries and sugar, international. “At the beginning,” recalls Steve Inamorati, VP/Supply Chain and Logistics, “we had to source everything ourselves because there weren’t a lot of organic sources. Ideally, now we’d like to be out of sourcing, but we still need to verify the ethics and organic practices of our vendors.”
So why did we choose Stonyfield? Because the company has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to social responsibility since its inception and, in so doing, constitutes a strong case for the unanticipated financial benefits that accompany that commitment. As climate change becomes ever more destructive, business faces challenges. Managers are already being asked to respond, to adapt operating practices to new criteria, which help off-set the cost of social externalities—like pollution and environmental destruction—while still growing the enterprise. Stonyfield Farms affords a compelling example of how this can be done.
Posted: April 20, 2008 at 12:27 pm
By News Editor
The Wisconsin Dairy Products Association (WDPA) is looking for a few good judges for their annual World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest. The contest, held in conjunction with the World Dairy Expo, is in its sixth year. Do you have what it takes to be a judge? Then be sure to get your resume to the WDPA by May 23, 2008!
This year’s contest will have 55 different categories, encompassing a wide range of dairy products that include, cheese, butter, milk, ice cream, yogurt, whey, cottage cheese, sour cream, whipping cream and more.
WDPA is issuing a “call for judges” for the championship dairy product contest. WDPA is seeking judges for these products:
Cheese and Butter – 10 judges needed
Yogurt – 2 judges
Ice Cream and Sherbet – 2 judges
Whey Products – 2 judges
Cottage Cheese, Sour Cream and Sour Cream Dips – 2 judges
Fluid Milk and Cultured Buttermilk – 2 judges
Interested parties should send their resumes to Wisconsin Dairy Products Assn, 8383 Greenway Blvd, Middleton, WI 53562.
Posted: April 3, 2008 at 6:20 pm
By News Editor
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA) has announced the recall of Stonyfield Farm brand non-fat blueberry yogurt products due to possible contamination.
The Londonderry, N.H., company said it initiated its voluntary recall because of the possibility of glass fragments in the product. Being recalled are 6-ounce containers of fat free blueberry yogurts carrying one of following product codes printed along the cup bottom that start with the following dates: “Apr 14 08,” “Apr 15 08,” “April 25 08,” or “Apr 26 08.”
The yogurt is sold at natural food and grocery stores nationwide. Consumers are instructed to return opened and unopened containers to their retailers for a refund. Consumers with questions can contact the company at 800-776-2697.
“Our first priority has always been and always will be the welfare of our consumers,” says Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm President and CE-Yo. “While we continue to investigate these complaints and believe that the risk of injury is extremely remote, we feel that this voluntary measure is the prudent and responsible step at this time.”
Posted: March 5, 2008 at 5:33 pm
By News Editor
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis will be starring in new ads for the Dannon yogurt Activia. The company plans to air commercials in two phases, with the second phase encouraging viewers to submit their “Acitivia Story”.
One of the spots shows Curtis relaxing on a couch with a newspaper. “First the bad news,” she says, showing the headline, and explaining that 87% of Americans suffer from digestive issues like irregularity. “Now the good news,” she says, showing a container of Activia. Tag: “Today, for tomorrow.”
Jeffrey Rothman, Activia brand director, says the target is primarily women because they suffer from digestive problems more frequently than men. “However, digestive health is an issue that impacts virtually everyone. And, we feel campaign has the power to influence everyone,” he says.
Rothman says that in the first phase Curtis helps the everyday person get comfortable with talking about digestive health as she discovers Activia. “In the second phase, she will be actively recruiting real people to submit their ‘Activia Story.’ It will be primarily executed on TV and online,” he says.
Posted: January 25, 2008 at 9:14 pm
By News Editor
Wells Dairy, Inc., Le Mars, Iowa, has announced its decision to sell it yogurt facility in Omaha, Nebraska to Mexican company called Grupo LaLa. Late last month the company also announced that it is selling milk plant to Dallas-based Dean Foods Co.
Today, it announced the sale of its yogurt facility in Omaha to a Mexican company called Grupo LaLa. Grupo LaLa has more than 27,000 associates throughout the U.S., Mexico and Latin America. The Omaha plant has about 115 employees who both companies say will be offered an opportunity to stay.
Posted: January 14, 2008 at 5:56 pm
By News Editor
Dannon will introduce new yogurt offerings that will have benefits beyond basic nutrition, including probiotics. The two new products are called Light & Fit 0% Plus and DanActive Light, a new version of DanActive that has fewer than half the calories.
The two products, hitting stores this month, are the latest manifestation of the company’s “high-health strategy,” a concept of providing consumers with yogurt with benefits beyond basic nutrition. Previous efforts in that vein include probiotic yogurts Activia (in 2006), DanActive (2007) and Dannon Activia Light (2007).
“Our strategy focuses on the absence of negatives, in terms of calories, and the presence of positives, that is, the addition of nutrients and vitamins in diets,” said Andreas Ostermayr, CMO, Dannon, White Plains, N.Y.
Light & Fit 0% Plus ads launching next month will focus on “making every calorie count and adding nutrients into diets, rather than simply reducing calories,” said Ostermayr. Young & Rubicam, New York, handles.
The seven-SKU Light & Fit 0% Plus line retails between $2.59 and $4.69 for four- and eight-packs, and sports 60 calories per 4-oz. cup. “Consumers often have to sacrifice taste when eating light products,” said Ostermayr. “Our objective was to create a great tasting light yogurt that doesn’t taste light.” To achieve that goal, Dannon decided to go with a new proprietary blend of sweeteners that includes aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium and fructose.
A longtime runner-up to General Mills’ Yoplait in the U.S., Dannon appears to be benefiting from its focus on healthier yogurt. Activia has grown 48% to $181.3 million in sales, per IRI, for the 52-week period ending Dec. 2. DanActive experienced 185% growth, recording sales of $60 million during that period. Dannon Activia Light (2007) had 197.5% growth with sales of $57 million.
Posted: November 28, 2007 at 9:37 pm
By News Editor
Cabot Creamery Cooperative–best known for its Cheddar cheese–has begun marketing Cabot Greek Style Yogurt. The product is currently available only in Shaw’s Supermarkets, a division of Supervalu with locations primarily in the Northeast, and Publix supermarkets in Florida.
Six-ounce packages will initially come in four flavors: Peach, Strawberry, Vanilla Bean and Honey. A 32-ounce plain size is also available. The company had initially planned on targeting the culinary and cooking markets for the product, but discovered through research that some people were looking at it as an indulgent snack, Davis says. Thus, the flavored varieties.
Greek-style yogurt has been increasing in popularity over the past year. This summer, Fage–an 81-year old brand–broke its first advertising in the U.S. with a two-page ad in New York Magazine. On the left side of the layout were fashion accessories like a watch or a strand of pearls, while on the other side was a picture of a white, creamy substance with an impression of the accessory embedded in it.
Posted: November 19, 2007 at 7:05 pm
By News Editor
Yogurt has fast become a “super” food in 2007 – and one doctor in Denver, Colo. is reminding consumers that yogurt can help improve immunity.
Foods available at the grocery store that claim to boost immunity are a simple matter of eating good bacteria to fight bad bacteria and viruses. Foods with pro-biotics can improve immunity and perhaps digestion, Dr. Dave Hnida reports.
Several studies show people who eat yogurt every day producer more infection fighting cells and have stronger immune systems than those who don’t eat yogurt.
As long as it says live and active cultures on the label, any yogurt should do the trick, Hnida says.
There are some products and special yogurts that have concentrated amounts of a special good bacteria that can also really improve the immune system. Lab studies seem to prove that those claims hold water.
«Past Entries
Yakult, a drinkable probiotic yogurt brand, will be building a production plant in the U.S. This is the first American factory for the Tokyo-based Yakult Honsha Co. The plant is planned in Fountain Valley, Calif. 
