Page 23 - ameft-journal-2022-1

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Yogurt rules,
breaking the US$100 bn mark
(Source: Pixabay)
In recent years, yogurt’s role as a healthy, tasty and natural part of the diet has seen volume. Its sales value also grew consistently. A 2021 report from Innova Market Insights, says in the year 2021 the global market value of dairy and non-dairy yogurt exceed- ed US$ 100bn for the first time.
On average 57% of consumers worldwide regularly buy yogurt, al- though individual country rates vary from 32% in Indonesia to 78% in Spain. Furthermore, 29% of consumers in- creased their consumption of yogurt in 2020, largely for health reasons, while 60% said their consumption levels were stable and just 11% said that they had decreased. Asia is the largest mar- ket with 43% of yogurt value sales. It is also seeing the most growth. The re- gion is home to the top two individual countries in terms of value, with China a clear leader and Japan taking second place ahead of Brazil and the US.
The rising popularity of non-dairy yogurt has had a considerable impact on the category, with 25% of consum- ers globally now eating plant-based spoonable yogurt and 22% enjoying plant-based drinking yogurt. Perhaps unsurprisingly, spoonable non-dairy yogurt is the most active sub-catego- ry in terms of innovation, seeing new product launch activity grow by 9.6%
(five-year CAGR to the end of Q3 2021). This compares with just 0.2% for the yogurt category as a whole.
Key themes driving innovation are largely the same for both dairy and non-dairy, but each of these is tend- ing to create its own path. There is a strong focus on highlighting organic status, sourcing, clean label and prov- enance, with animal welfare issues increasingly important in dairy and sustainability under the spotlight for non-dairy alternatives.
Health is a driving factor, particularly added wellbeing attributes such as probiotics, immune support and diges- tive benefits. Protein and fiber content remain important, along with sugar and fat reduction and free-from formulations, while research also indicates that consumers would
be prepared to pay more for added health benefits. With 20% of consum- ers in Innova’s survey being influenced by ‘made with real ingredients’ and ‘natural’ claims when buying yo- gurt, simple and clear ingredient
lists will continue to be an area of focus.
Other potentially rewarding di- rections for new products exist in the sensory arena through the develop- ment of new flavor combinations and improved texture/mouthfeel, par-
On average 57% of consumers worldwide regularly buy yogurt, although individual country rates vary from 32% in Indonesia to 78% in Spain, says the Dairy & Non-Dairy Yogurt report from Innova Market Insights.
ticularly for low, light and non-dairy options. While fruit flavors dominate global product launches, and more complex confectionery and dessert- style offerings are also increasingly popular, there is growing activity in vegetable flavors. This trend is mov- ing beyond Asia where vegetable and savory tastes in traditionally sweeter food categories are already well es- tablished. Vegetables such as beetroot and carrot are widely used for color- ing in yogurt preparations, but they are now being increasingly selected as main flavors along with a raft of more locally and regionally-sourced produce and ingredients.
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