Dive Brief:
- Daily consumption of probiotic yogurt has been found to boost the activity of vital immune cells in older people, according to a new study featured in the Daily Reporter.
- The study was conducted by Korean scientists from Yonsei University and Purmil Co., Ltd. and suggests that eating yogurt containing two probiotic strains (L. paracasei and B. Lactis) and heat-treated bacteria (L. plantarum) on a daily basis enhances natural killer (NK) cells, which are known to provide substantial defense against viral infection.
- Study subjects were healthy Korean adults over the age of 60. It is unknown whether the data can be generalized to other ethnic groups, age groups or obese people.
Dive Insight:
Yogurt has long been touted as a healthy dessert, snack and breakfast option. Now there is increasing scientific evidence to support claims that the natural ingredients in probiotic yogurt — including increasingly popular Greek yogurt — offer benefits such as boosting the immune system and fighting viral infection.
Current trends in food innovation are adding more than just healthy ingredients to the concept of food as medicine, Joel Warady, chief sales and marketing officer for Enjoy Life Foods, recently told Food Dive. "Today, innovation is about how to create a better product that will help balance an individual’s overall well-being,” said Warady.
Enjoy Life is among a growing roster of food companies highlighting the functional benefits of their products and reformulating existing products to incorporate healthful ingredients like probiotics. Enjoy Life recently added shelf-stable probiotics to its brownie mix, for example, to appeal to consumers looking to boost their immunity.
Earlier this year, Pepsico launched Tropicana Essentials Probiotics, a new variety of its popular brand made with 100% fruit juice and probiotics. Other food manufacturers are developing good-for-you foods as well like meat snacks with vegetables and granola bars with more natural ingredients.
The latest research on probiotic yogurt could very well halt a downward slide in yogurt sales by spurring innovative new releases. Manufacturers like General Mills, which has seen its Yoplait sales sour as of late, may be able to capitalize on the news of this latest probiotic yogurt study. Marketers have a prime opportunity through brand messaging — from product packaging and POS signing to traditional advertising and social media — to create consumer awareness about yogurt’s health benefits. At the same time, they need to be careful not to overextend their health marketing claims, as brands like Rice Krispies have done in the past.
Following on a long-time practice of pharmaceutical companies, food manufacturers could also consider working with medical professionals, such as physicians, nutritionists and retail dietitians to distribute product information discussing a food’s medical benefits, along with free samples or product coupons.