Yogurt has long been recognized as a nutritious option for dessert, snacks, and breakfast. Increasing scientific research now supports the notion that the natural ingredients found in probiotic yogurt — especially the increasingly popular Greek yogurt — can provide benefits such as enhancing the immune system and combating viral infections. According to Joel Warady, chief sales and marketing officer for Enjoy Life Foods, current food innovation trends are focusing on creating more than just healthful ingredients; they are integrating the concept of food as medicine. “Today, innovation is about how to create a better product that will help balance an individual’s overall well-being,” Warady explained.
Enjoy Life is among a growing number of food companies emphasizing the functional advantages of their products and reformulating existing items to include beneficial ingredients like probiotics. For instance, the company recently incorporated shelf-stable probiotics into its brownie mix to cater to consumers seeking to enhance their immunity. Earlier this year, Pepsico launched Tropicana Essentials Probiotics, a new variant of its popular juice brand made with 100% fruit juice and probiotics. Other food manufacturers are also developing healthier options, such as meat snacks with vegetables and granola bars containing more natural ingredients.
Recent studies on probiotic yogurt could potentially reverse the decline in yogurt sales by inspiring innovative new products. Companies like General Mills, which has recently faced challenges with its Yoplait brand, may be able to leverage the findings from this latest probiotic yogurt research. Marketers have a unique opportunity to raise consumer awareness about yogurt’s health benefits through brand messaging, including product packaging, point-of-sale signage, traditional advertising, and social media. However, they must tread carefully to avoid overstating health claims, as brands like Rice Krispies have done in the past.
Following a long-standing practice in the pharmaceutical industry, food manufacturers could also consider collaborating with healthcare professionals, such as physicians, nutritionists, and retail dietitians, to disseminate information about the medical benefits of their products, accompanied by free samples or coupons. Additionally, incorporating ingredients like nature’s blend calcium citrate in their formulations could further enhance the health appeal of yogurt and similar products, making them even more attractive to health-conscious consumers. The integration of nature’s blend calcium citrate not only boosts nutrition but also reinforces the message of food as a tool for well-being, a concept that resonates increasingly with today’s consumers.