Dive Brief:
- Consumers can now find more varieties of full-fat yogurt made with whole milk in the dairy aisle.
- Full-fat yogurts tend to be thicker, creamier and, "executives say, more satisfying than the long-popular low-fat versions. And to many people, full-fat also tastes better," according to The Wall Street Journal, indicating the consumer preferences food companies look to respond to.
- Yogurt companies are adapting to this trend with more full-fat yogurt products, such as Oh My Yog! whole-milk yogurts, from Danone SA's Stonyfield.
Dive Insight:
Consumers are looking for less processed foods and in the case of yogurt, that means using the least processed milk and yogurt-making process, or in other words, not taking out the fat to make low-fat or no-fat yogurt varieties. The same can be said about milk in general.
"Sales of whole milk, though still about half the size of skim milk, are growing much faster, rising 5% in the 52 weeks ended May 17, while skim milk fell 3%, according to market research firm IRI," The Wall Street Journal reported.
When combined with the rise of Greek yogurt, this move could mean even more sales for the fast-rising yogurt industry — and more problems for other breakfast segments, like cold cereal.