Yili Group launches probiotic LGG yoghurts in China
The yoghurt is being made in its Beijing plant and production is due to start at other Yili plants in the near future.
21/03/06 Valio partner Yili Group is launching a plain sweetened yoghurt containing LGG in March in China. The yoghurt is being made in its Beijing plant and production is due to start at other Yili plants in the near future. Yili LGG yoghurt is available in 125g, 200g, 500g and 950g packages and there is also an LGG drinking yoghurt in 200g daily-dose bottles. LGG fruit yoghurts are to follow soon.
Mainland China is probably the world’s fastest developing yoghurt market and grew by a staggering 40% in 2005.
Valio Ltd licenses its patented probiotic bacterium LGG, as well as Evolus technology to lower blood pressure, and technology for producing lactose free milk products. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is the world’s best researched probiotic strain with more than 300 studies published.
Research and Development has a fine tradition at Valio, dating back to Nobel Prize winner A. I. Virtanen who was Director of the Valio Laboratory from 1921-1970. It was there that he made his great inventions, AIV butter salt and AIV silage.
Yili (Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd.) is the largest dairy company in China. Turnover in 2005 was approximately 12 billion RMB or € 1.2 billion (2004: 8.7 billion RMB). Yili sells UHT milk, milk powders, infant foods, ice cream, processed cheese and yoghurt throughout the whole of China. Yili is the country’s number one producer of UHT milk and ice cream and the second largest producer of milk powders. Valio has been supplying demineralised whey powder (DEMI) to Yili for several years now.
