Dive Brief:

• Drinking yogurts have long been popular in Europe, emerging markets are found in China, Brazil and the United States, according to Innova Market Insights. Just over 13% of dairy launches in China were drinking yogurts/fermented beverages.
• The drinking yogurts and fermented beverages category made up for 8.5% of global dairy launches in the 12 months prior to October 2015.
• The industry has been promoting the link between yogurt and health benefits as the trend dictates.

Dive Insight:

Manufacturers of drinking yogurts have created these products by connecting them to positive health aspects with terms such as probiotic, low fat, low sugar, or low calories.

Drinking yogurts and fermented beverages are also playing into the trend known as healthy indulgence. Smaller companies are combining yogurt with oats and fruits to create this. Another trend is an increase in ready-to-drink products with added protein. There is space to expand in this category where just 10% of total global products make a protein claim, according to Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Insights. Fruit, vegetables, and cultures such as kefir, and more fiber, will factor into product developments.

Smoothies comprised of yogurt combined with fruit blends are becoming popular, as are yogurt-style fermented drinks such as kefir and lassi. A recent arrival of note is Skyr, an Icelandic yogurt-style fermented dairy product available in drinkable and smoothie formats. Manufacturers are also targeting the breakfast market with drinking yogurt products.