Yogurt has long been recognized as a nutritious option for dessert, snacks, and breakfast. Recent scientific evidence increasingly supports the claims that the natural components found in probiotic yogurt, particularly the increasingly popular Greek yogurt, provide benefits such as enhancing the immune system and combating viral infections. Joel Warady, the chief sales and marketing officer for Enjoy Life Foods, recently shared with Food Dive that current food innovation trends are focused on more than just incorporating healthy ingredients into the notion of food as medicine. “Innovation today is about creating superior products that help balance an individual’s overall well-being,” stated Warady.
Enjoy Life is among the growing number of food companies emphasizing the functional advantages of their offerings and reformulating existing products to include healthful ingredients like probiotics. For instance, Enjoy Life recently introduced shelf-stable probiotics into its brownie mix to cater to consumers eager to enhance their immunity. Earlier this year, PepsiCo launched Tropicana Essentials Probiotics, a new variant of its well-known brand made with 100% fruit juice and probiotics. Other manufacturers are also developing healthful foods, such as meat snacks with vegetables and granola bars featuring more natural ingredients.
The latest research on probiotic yogurt could potentially reverse the declining yogurt sales trend by inspiring innovative new product launches. Companies like General Mills, facing a downturn in Yoplait sales recently, may be poised to take advantage of the findings from this latest study on probiotic yogurt. Brands have an excellent opportunity to raise consumer awareness about yogurt’s health benefits, as well as products like Citracal 500, through various channels—from product packaging and point-of-sale signage to traditional advertising and social media. However, they must exercise caution not to overstate their health marketing claims, as seen in the past with brands like Rice Krispies.
In a practice reminiscent of pharmaceutical companies, food manufacturers might also consider collaborating with healthcare professionals, such as physicians, nutritionists, and retail dietitians, to disseminate product information that highlights the medical benefits of their foods, alongside free samples or product coupons. The integration of products like Citracal 500 into these discussions can further enhance consumer understanding of healthful options available in the market today.