Posted: January 2, 2013 at 5:06 pm
By News Editor
Chobani will release several new products for 2013. The company introduces Chobani Flip and Chobani Champions Tubes to its line.
Chobani Flip follows the trend of ingredient mix-ins for yogurt. Each container’s lid can be flipped to reveal a side compartment with flavored mix-ins. The 5.3-ounce containers come in these flavor pairings: Vanilla Golden Crunch — vanilla nonfat yogurt with cornflakes, honey oats and pecans; Key Lime Crumble — Key Lime low-fat yogurt with graham crumble and white chocolate; Strawberry Sunrise — strawberry nonfat 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.
New to the Champion’s line are Tubes, squeezable on-the-go authentic Greek-style yogurt geared towards children. It comes in four kid-friendly flavors: Jammin’ strawberry, Chillin’ cherry, Rockin’ blueberry and Swirlin’ strawberry banana.
Source: Dairy Foods
Posted: December 5, 2012 at 2:42 pm
By News Editor
Dairy Foods has selected Chobani, based in Norwich, N.Y., as the 2012 Processor of the Year! Dairy Foods will present the award during the International Dairy Food Association’s Dairy Forum, Jan. 27 to 30, 2013 in Orlando, Fla.
Selection was based on:
• Market leadership position
• New product development
• Marketing initiatives
• Plant expansion
• Community involvement
Source: Dairy Foods
Posted: November 2, 2012 at 5:55 pm
By News Editor
Commonwealth Dairy, a joint venture between Ehrmann USA Holding’s, a U.S. subsidiary of Ehrmann AG, and Commonwealth Yogurt has announced a $12-million expansion. The Vermont company produces Greek yogurt and a branded product, Green Mountain Creamery.
The expansion will add 23,000 square feet to the facility to house a new processing line, new warehouse space, a new filling machine, fermentation tanks, wastewater treatment improvements and new whey processing and packaging equipment.
The new processing line will be used solely for packaging yogurt cups for children, said Tom Moffitt, Commonwealth Dairy’s President and CEO.
Source: Brattleboro Reformer
Posted: August 16, 2012 at 7:11 pm
By News Editor
Yesterday, N.Y.’s Governor Cuomo held the first “Yogurt Summit” where he announced plans to ease expansion regulations for dairy farmers.
Governor Cuomo announced plans that would allow dairies to grow beyond 200 cows without facing a stringent set of regulations. Currently any dairy operation in the state with more than 200 cows must obtain a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) permit. If regulations are eased as anticipated, this limit will be raised to 300 cows.
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, 501 farms in New York hold a CAFO permit. Each of these permits comes at a cost to the producer ranging between $50,000 and $150,000 according the New York Farm Bureau.
At current production levels, despite being the fourth largest state for milk volume, New York does not anticipate it will be able to meet the demands of its expanding processing industry. Within the state, there are 29 yogurt plants. Fage and Chobani have already expanded production in rural counties. PepsiCo too, has made a move to get in on the action, launching a joint venture with a German company to open a plant in Batavia, N.Y.
Source: Hoard’s Dairyman; by Amanda Smith, Associate Editor
Posted: August 3, 2012 at 3:34 pm
By News Editor
Yoplait Simplait is a new yogurt with just six ingredients.
“Consumers are continually looking for new and different ways to enjoy the refreshing goodness of yogurt,” Yoplait Simplait associate marketing manager Rachel Ringel said. “There has been an increasing demand for simpler ingredient lists, but one thing remains constant — taste is the most important.”
Yoplait Simplait will be available nationwide this month in four flavors — strawberry, vanilla, peach and blackberry — and has a suggested retail price of 90 cents per single-serve cup.
Source: Drug Store News
Posted: August 1, 2012 at 7:28 pm
By News Editor
Muller brand yogurt is now available from retailers in 17 locations in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.
Markets include Buffalo, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Hartford/New Haven, Providence, Harrisburg, Norfolk/Portsmouth, Greensboro, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Richmond, Roanoke and Washington, D.C.
Muller “Corner,” “Greek Corner” and “FruitUp” are “premium yogurt products that have never before been available to U.S. consumers,” according to a news release from Pepsico, Muller’s partner in Project Wave.
“It started rolling out a couple of weeks ago. Product will be shipped from the Muller dairy facility in Germany until the Batavia facility is open next year,” Pepsico spokesperson Heather Gleason stated in an e-mail.
Flavors and varieties of Muller Corner include blueberry, strawberry, crispy crunch and chocolate flakes. Greek Corner features yogurt with names such as honeyed apricot and carmelized almonds.
FruitUps include peach passion fruit, strawberry, cherry, lemon, raspberry and blueberry. The fruit is added to the top of the yogurt container so it can be scooped out, swirled or mixed, according to the news release.
Source: The Daily News Online
Posted: July 23, 2012 at 6:09 pm
By News Editor
Chobani Inc. will receive up to a $1.5 million grant to help expansion. The N.Y. state Jobs Now program will fund the grant.
The $88.5 million expansion involves acquiring 100 acres next to the facility and building an 80,000-square-foot addition. The project is expected to create 450 new full-time permanent jobs.
Greek-style yogurt, which takes more milk to produce than traditional yogurt, has become an economic engine upstate. Chobani buys 25 million gallons of milk a week from local farmers, creating an annual economic impact of $300 million, according to Dairy Management Services.
Source: Albany Time’s Union
Posted: April 30, 2012 at 3:02 pm
By News Editor
Chobani Greek Yogurt is planning to open offices in Charlotte, N.C. that will be home to their North American Sales Headquarters.
“Not only is Charlotte my favorite city, it’s a great fit for Chobani,” said Kyle O’Brien, Executive Vice President of Sales, Chobani Global Holdings, Inc. “It’s home to talented people as well as amazing networking opportunities and cultural amenities. Plus we’re excited to get involved in the Charlotte community.”
As part of its long-term growth plans in the Charlotte market, Chobani plans to expand its current sales force from 17 to approximately 60 positions by the end of 2013. The average salary for the new positions will be approximately $70,000 and will include retail analysis, trade marketing sales support and direct sales jobs.
Chobani’s “Nothing but Good” philosophy, which includes supporting local farmers, job creation and community outreach, will be instrumental at their new site as the company begins to form roots in the Charlotte community.
Source: WKTV.com
Posted: April 17, 2012 at 2:03 pm
By News Editor
Kraft Foods Inc. is discontinuing its Athenos line of Greek yogurt after barely two years.
The Northfield, Ill.-based company did not specify why it decided to end the line last month. Athenos Greek yogurt was launched in the fall of 2010, with full national distribution by early last year.
Greek yogurt has surged in popularity in recent years in large part because of its nutritional benefits. Fans also say they like the texture, which is richer than the variety that dominated the U.S. market for so long The thickness is achieved when whey is strained from the yogurt, leaving a creamier yogurt high in protein and low in fat.
A report by Citigroup Global Markets found that Greek yogurt now accounts for a quarter of the $4.1 billion in annual yogurt sales. The nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 Greek yogurt brands — Chobani and Fage, respectively — have both been expanding their plants as a result of the growing popularity.
“Although we had a loyal following of Athenos Greek yogurt fans, we have decided to refocus our efforts on innovating new products,” Kraft said in a statement. The company declined to say whether sales failed to meet expectations.
Kraft is in the process of preparing to split into two publicly traded companies. One will focus on its international snack brands while the other will concentrate on its North American grocery business.
Source: Bloomberg Businessweek
Posted: March 2, 2012 at 3:36 pm
By News Editor
The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) has named Chobani the official packaged yogurt provider to the USOC and Team USA through 2014. The top yogurt brand in the United States represents not only a new sponsor, but also a new category addition, for the USOC.
“Through its ongoing commitment to creating healthy products and promoting healthy lifestyle choices, we know Chobani will be a great partner in the effort to support the competitive aspirations of current and future Team USA athletes,” said Lisa Baird, chief marketing officer for the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based USOC, which serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States.
Under the agreement, Chobani products will bear the Team USA and Olympic rings logo. The brand’s SKUs will also be made available to every athlete living or training at official U.S. Olympic Training Centers in Colorado Springs’ Chula Vista, Calif.; and Lake Placid, N.Y.
“We know that Chobani plays an important role in the diets of so many people — from America’s top athletes training to perform at the highest levels, to those consumers looking to live a healthful lifestyle,” noted Hamdi Ulukaya, president, CEO and founder of Chobani, a brand of Norwich, N.Y.-based Agro-Farma.
“[W]e expect [Chobani] products to become a significant part of the Team USA athlete diet,” added Alan Ashley, the USOC’s chief of sport performance. “Chobani will play an important role by providing high-quality protein to our athletes, especially in the recovery phase, when the addition of protein has muscle-building effects.”
Source: Progressive Grocer
Posted: February 26, 2012 at 9:40 am
By News Editor
Famous ice cream maker, Ben & Jerry’s, has introduced a delicious new line of Greek Frozen Yogurts.
The four new flavors include:
- Strawberry Shortcake: Strawberry Greek Frozen Yogurt with Shortbread Pieces
- Raspberry Fudge Chunk: Raspberry Greek Frozen Yogurt with Fudge Chunks
- Banana Peanut Butter: Banana Greek Frozen Yogurt with Peanut Butter Swirls
- Blueberry Vanilla Graham: Blueberry & Vanilla Greek Frozen Yogurt with Graham Cracker Swirls
“They’re refreshing, they’re fruity, and they are exactly the taste that fans expect from Ben & Jerry’s,” said Kirsten Schimoler, one of the Flavor Gurus behind the development of Greek Frozen Yogurt. Schimoler, 25, proudly boasted the R&D team’s efforts: “It’s nice to have a wholesome indulgence that fits within my personal eating habits AND tastes great.”
The product, still regarded as an indulgent dessert, reaps the benefits of containing real Greek yogurt.
The four flavors are being released this month in pints as well as select flavors in mini-cups at retailers nationwide. The 300 Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops across the country will feature Greek Frozen Yogurt as well as a variety of menu items including smoothies, parfaits and other treats this spring.
Source: Ben & Jerry’s
Posted: January 23, 2012 at 7:22 pm
By News Editor
Chobani, the maker of Greek yogurt in upstate New York, thinks that the Greek yogurt trend has just gotten started.
Its plant already pumps out 1.5 million cases of the thick yogurt every week, and pallets are stacked four stories high in the chilled warehouse. But like other Greek yogurt makers, Chobani is expanding.
Greek yogurt now accounts for a quarter of the total yogurt market after a dizzying growth spurt that is especially apparent here in the heart of upstate New York. The nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 Greek yogurt brands — Chobani and Fage, respectively — are both expanding plants within 60 miles of each other, and another company is building a plant in western New York. The expansions come as the big U.S. yogurt makers are focusing on Greek products, too.
While the quick growth has some hallmarks of a food fad — think cupcakes or bubble tea — the long-term investments point to a widespread industry belief that many Americans will continue to like their yogurt a bit richer.
“I personally do not believe that the yogurt story has started yet. I believe the yogurt story in this country is about to start,” Chobani’s founder, Hamdi Ulukaya, said during an interview in his office. “The magnitude hasn’t started yet.”
The company said production will increase from 1.5 million cases a week to more than 2 million when the current $134 million expansion is completed this year. Another $128 million Chobani plant being built 2,000 miles west in Twins Falls, Idaho, will add still more.
About 60 miles northeast, the Greek company Fage (pronounced FA’-yeh) is in the early stages of doubling the capacity of its 3-year-old plant in Johnstown, N.Y. to about 160,000 tons of yogurt annually.
The NPD Group, a consumer marketing research firm, reports that Greek yogurt appeals most to adult females and that it’s more popular in smaller and higher-income households.
“I think that you’re going to see a very high level of innovation in the yogurt category generally and in Greek yogurt specifically over the next 6 to 12 months,” General Mills chief executive officer Kendall J. Powell told a conference call with analysts last month.
Source: Copyright 2012 Associated Press, Wall Street Journal
Posted: December 29, 2011 at 7:20 pm
By News Editor
Chobani yogurts are now available outside the U.S. Beginning last month, the Norwich, N.Y.-based yogurt maker began exporting to select markets in Australia and Canada.
“Our regional launch in the Greater Toronto Area and New South Wales is the first step towards making Chobani available nationwide in both Canada and Australia,” says Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO and founder of Chobani.
In Australia, seven flavors (Peach, Blueberry, Strawberry, Vanilla, Mango, Passion Fruit, and Pineapple) are available in Woolworths stores throughout New South Wales.
In Canada, five flavors (Black Cherry, Strawberry, Peach, Plain and Pomegranate) are available at a variety of Loblaw banner stores in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton. Loblaw Cos. Ltd. will serve as the test market retail partner in the Greater Toronto Area for a one-year period.
Next year, Chobani will open a second production facility in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Source: The Gourmet Retailer
Posted: December 27, 2011 at 6:21 pm
By News Editor
General Mills has introduced its first lactose-free yogurt under the Yoplait brand in the US.
The company said Yoplait Lactose Free contains 50% the daily value of calcium in every cup, is 99% fat free and includes vitamins A and D.
“For the millions of Americans who live with lactose intolerance, Yoplait Lactose Free yogurt delivers worry-free consumption with the great taste expected from Yoplait,” General Mills added.
Yoplait Lactose Free will be available in major US grocery stores at the end of January for a suggested retail price of US$0.90 per cup.
Source: Just-Food, Katie Smith
Posted: November 28, 2011 at 9:43 pm
By News Editor
New findings published in the journal BMC Medicine suggest that regular consumption of a vitamin D-fortified yogurt drink improves cholesterol levels and biomarkers of heart disease, in diabetics.
Sakineh Shab-Bidar and colleagues at the National Research Institute and Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology and Tehran University of Medical Sciences said not having enough vitamin D affects the inner lining of blood vessels, endothelial cells, eventually leading to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
In a double-blind trial, researchers investigated the effect of vitamin D on the glycemic status, cholesterol levels and endothelial biomarkers of diabetics. Patients were given either a plain yogurt drink or the same drink fortified with vitamin D, twice a day for 12 weeks.
Patients who had taken the vitamin D yogurt also had improved cholesterol levels with lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein, the “bad,” cholesterol and an increase in high-density lipoprotein, the “good,” cholesterol.
All the improvements in cholesterol seemed to be due to the reduction in insulin resistance, the study said.
“Most of our patients were deficient in vitamin D at the start of the trial but the fortified yogurt drink elevated most of their levels to normal,” Abolghassem Djazayery said in a statement. “However, even amongst those who took the vitamin D supplement, about 5 percent remained deficient at the end of the 12 weeks. These people did not show the same improvements. Nevertheless for most diabetics with vitamin D deficiency this is an easy way to improve their outcome.”
Source: UPI.com
Posted: November 7, 2011 at 10:10 am
By News Editor
Agro Farma, the parent company of Chobani yogurt have announced that their new Chobani plant location is Twin Falls, Idaho.
Company officials joined state and local leaders Thursday to announce plans to build a $100 million production facility and add 400 jobs to the local economy, the Times-News reported.
Agro Farma founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya said the decision to move to the Magic Valley was tied to the region’s milk production capacity and trainable workforce. Idaho is the nation’s third leading dairy producer, with the majority of those dairy farms centered outside cities like Twin Falls and Jerome.
The Twin Falls Urban Renewal Agency and city council members approved an agreement earlier Thursday helping pave the way for the new facility.
Under terms of the deal, about $4.3 million in urban renewal money will go toward acquiring land, and almost $13 million more will go toward infrastructure including water lines, wastewater improvements and utilities. The city will chip in $6.75 million in tax dollars for wastewater pretreatment and sewer line improvements.
The plan is to have the facility open sometime next year, with wages for workers starting at $14 per hour.
Company officials said Twin Falls was among sites in Nevada and California that were also considered as it sought a location for a production site in the western half of the country. Headquartered in Norwich, Agro Farma is New York’s largest dairy manufacturer, and it launched the Chobani brand in 2007.
Source: Idaho Statesman
Posted: June 14, 2011 at 3:23 pm
By News Editor
Greek-style yogurt is the new food trend these days, and that’s been good news for dairy farmers, particularly those in New York.
A decade ago, the domestic market for Greek yogurt, a thicker, more protein-laden version of traditional mass-market yogurt, barely existed. Within the past five years, however, it has exploded, and that’s been great news for New York’s dairy farmers. That’s because it can take three pounds of milk to make one pound of yogurt.
“It’s a milk-rich product,” said one industry spokeswoman.
Fage, which began flying its yogurt in from Greece in 1998, suspected the market was big enough to justify a plant in the United States. That plant opened in Johnstown, N.Y. in 2008. Meanwhile, another Greek-style yogurt plant, operated by Norwich-based Agro Farma, began producing Chobani Greek yogurt at a former Kraft Foods plant in South Edmeston, N.Y., in 2007.
Today, Chobani says it has become the best selling yogurt in the United States. Fage says it isn’t far behind, ranking fourth. The boom comes despite their steeper prices.
And dairy farmers are scrambling to meet demand.
“For the first time in over a decade, we have reason to be optimistic about dairy in the state of New York,” said Julie Suarez, director of public policy for the New York Farm Bureau.
Both companies, meanwhile, have plans to expand.
Production of yogurt in New York increased by 57 percent from 2004 to 2010, according to figures from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. But the amount of milk used in manufacturing yogurt statewide quadrupled, rising from 149 million pounds in 2004 to 665 million pounds in 2010, reflecting the relative gains by Greek-style yogurt.
While Chobani labels its products “Greek yogurt,” Fage officials say their company, based in Athens, produces true Greek yogurt. Whether Greek or Greek style, the yogurt’s production is a boon for dairy farmers.
“Greek-style yogurt uses a lot of milk,” said Jessica Ziehm, spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. “It uses three to four times the amount of milk that regular yogurt requires.”
And the result has been popular with consumers.
“What people are enjoying most about Greek yogurt is the flavor and the rich texture,” said Mona Golub, spokeswoman for Price Chopper supermarkets. But she said the health benefits also are a strong selling point.
It’s natural, with no artificial flavors or ingredients, and it has little or no fat or cholesterol. Referring to Chobani, she said the probiotics — beneficial bacteria that help digestion — are another attraction.
And Greek-style yogurts are typically low in sodium.
Full story here.
Source: Times Union
Photo Credit: Cooking in Pajamas Blog
Posted: April 11, 2011 at 11:57 am
By News Editor
A South American dairy products company, Alpina Foods, plans to build its first U.S. yogurt plant in Batavia, N.Y., as part of a $15 million project.
Alpina has nine plants in South America and plans to build a 28,000- square-foot factory in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park as part of its plan to establish a physical presence in the United States.
Julian Jaramillo, Alpina’s chief executive officer, said the company picked Batavia over other potential sites in several different states because of its proximity to a supply of milk from local farmers, as well as the skills of local workers.
“It is an optimal location,” Jaramillo said.
Alpina will receive an extensive package of incentives from state and local agencies, ranging from benefits under the state’s Excelsior Jobs Program, along with $750,000 from a grant program operated by the state Office of Community Renewal. National Fuel Gas Co. and National Grid also have agreed to help pay to extend utility lines to the new plant. The project also will receive property, sales and mortgage tax breaks through the Genesee County Economic Development Center and other aid from the Town of Batavia.
Alpina executives said construction on the new plant is expected to begin in August, with operations beginning by May 2012.
The region’s milk producers, combined with a location that offers easy access to major markets along the East Coast and Midwest, give Western New York a competitive advantage in the agriculture business, said Dean Norton, president of the New York Farm Bureau.
Alpina, which also makes cheese, baby food and dessert products, runs nine facilities across Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador and has annual sales of nearly $740 million. The company’s headquarters in the U. S. is in Miami.
Source: Buffalo News, By David Robinson
Posted: March 25, 2011 at 2:17 pm
By News Editor
A new yogurt manufacturing facility, The Commonwealth Dairy, has opened in Brattleboro, Vt.
The 39,000 square-foot plant will produce different yogurt formulations for other companies under a private label, as well as its own all-natural “Green Mountain Creamery” brand.
Thirty-three-people work at the plant, which is capable of using 110 million pounds of milk to produce 70 million pounds of yogurt a year. Production is expected to begin within the next few weeks.
The Brattleboro Reformer says the plant is the only private label and co-pack yogurt producer in New England.
Source: Brattleboro Reformer
Posted: December 20, 2010 at 8:32 pm
By News Editor
French yogurt company Yoplait has announced the acquisition of Quebec-based yogurt company Liberte.
The Quebec dairy product company, which posted $175 million in sales in 2009, has been owned by the U.S-based Swander Pace Capital private equity firm since 2003. It sells 90% of its products to the Canadian market and also exports to the U.S.
Financial details of the sale haven’t been released but Yoplait apparently won’t be cutting staff at the newly acquired company.
“Everyone here will stay,” said Liberte marketing director Frederique Delagrave. The company currently has some 560 employees, half of whom work in Quebec.
In a statement Wednesday, Yoplait said the acquisition was part of its international growth strategy.
“Fresh dairy products will have sustained growth, especially outside Europe and in new market segments, and we intend to position Yoplait accordingly,” said Yoplait president Lucien Fa.
Liberte, which has its head office in the Montreal region, is one of the leading Canadian producers and distributors of natural and organic yogurts. It also processes organic milk and goat milk in Quebec.
Yoplait is the world’s biggest yogurt producer after Danone. French private equity firm PAI recently announced it would sell its 50% stake in the company.
Source: Toronto Sun
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