Arla Foods Ingredients Develops Greek-Style Yogurt Concept

10 Sep 2014 --- Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a new ingredient concept that makes it easy to produce delicious, healthy, convenient and environmentally friendly Greek-style yogurt smoothies that are rich in both protein and real fruit.

Nutrilac YO-8075 is a natural whey protein, derived from cow’s milk. It gives manufacturers the ability to use their existing equipment to formulate a fat-free smoothie that is 50% Greek yogurt, 50% fruit and which has a protein content as high as 7.5%.

Greek yogurt continues to captivate consumers for its combination of great taste, texture and high protein content. Per capita consumption has doubled in the past decade according to NPD Group data, and US sales are set to hit $9.3 billion by 2017, up from $7.3 billion in 2012 (Packaged Facts) – demonstrating that this is a trend that is here to stay. Fruit also continues to enjoy enduring popularity as an ingredient that adds a ‘health halo’ to a product, making it the perfect partner to protein.

Using the new Nutrilac protein to make Greek-style yogurt smoothies is very cost-effective and ‘green’ because the process generates high yields and zero acid whey, which is the controversial waste product associated with traditional Greek yogurt making. The protein is supplied by Arla Foods Ingredients ready to produce a Greek-style yogurt base that can be combined with a wide range of fruit ingredients – or even vegetables – in one straightforward step.

Torben Jensen, Category Manager for Functional Dairy Proteins at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “Dairy and fruit smoothies are really popular with busy consumers because they’re tasty, filling and healthy. However, the products on the market today typically offer a protein content of about 1%, which is too low for the growing number of people who are keen to add more protein to their diet for health reasons. This means there is a significant opportunity in the marketplace to offer next-generation smoothies that are also very high in protein. The launch of this new Nutrilac protein means companies can now create 7.5%-protein Greek-style yogurt smoothies that taste great and are easy to drink on the go – tapping into the trends that really make modern-day consumers tick.”