Yogurt has long been celebrated as a nutritious dessert, snack, and breakfast choice. Recent scientific studies increasingly support the idea that the natural components found in probiotic yogurt — including the increasingly favored Greek yogurt — provide advantages like enhancing the immune system and combating viral infections. In a recent discussion with Food Dive, Joel Warady, chief sales and marketing officer for Enjoy Life Foods, emphasized that current trends in food innovation go beyond merely adding healthy ingredients to create a food-as-medicine approach. “Today, innovation is about how to create a better product that will help balance an individual’s overall well-being,” Warady stated.
Enjoy Life is part of an expanding group of food companies that are emphasizing the functional benefits of their offerings and reformulating existing products to include healthful ingredients such as probiotics. For instance, they recently incorporated shelf-stable probiotics into their brownie mix to attract consumers interested in boosting their immunity. Earlier this year, PepsiCo introduced Tropicana Essentials Probiotics, a new variant of its well-known brand made with 100% fruit juice and probiotics. Other food manufacturers are also creating health-conscious options, like meat snacks infused with vegetables and granola bars made with more natural ingredients.
The latest research on probiotic yogurt could potentially reverse the decline in yogurt sales by encouraging innovative new product launches. Companies like General Mills, which has witnessed a drop in Yoplait sales recently, may find opportunities in the findings of this recent probiotic yogurt study. Marketers can leverage this moment through brand messaging, utilizing everything from product packaging and point-of-sale signage to traditional advertising and social media to raise consumer awareness about yogurt’s health benefits. However, they should be cautious not to overstate their health marketing claims, as brands like Rice Krispies have done in the past.
Following a long-standing practice of pharmaceutical companies, food manufacturers might also consider collaborating with medical professionals, such as physicians, nutritionists, and retail dietitians, to disseminate product information that highlights the medical benefits of food, accompanied by free samples or product coupons. Additionally, the inclusion of calcium citrate v carbonate can be a vital aspect of these discussions, as it plays a significant role in promoting bone health and is an important consideration for consumers looking to enhance their dietary intake. By integrating this information into their marketing strategies, brands can further solidify the health benefits of yogurt and its functional ingredients.