Drinking yogurt market evolves with innovative flavors, textures; 25% of US consumers try new products based on flavor variety

The popularity of drinking yogurt is driven by both taste and nutrition. Explore how this category is transforming with leaps in product innovation

Yogurt-based beverages have had a head start. Traditionally hailed for their health benefits, drinking yogurt has journeyed from a regional staple to a global phenomenon. But there’s more to the story. Today, drinking yogurt, in both refrigerated and shelf-stable formats, is reinventing its traditional goodness to offer even more. So, where is innovation leading this category?

An explosion of flavors and taste

Move over, plain yogurt. Today’s consumers are spoiled for choice with an array of flavors in their drinking yogurt – from sweet fruits to savory spices, from traditional tastes to adventurous blends. And with particulates like fruit pieces, nuts, and even chewable pearls, mouthfeel and taste are also key in product development and differentiation. So much so that more than 25% of U.S. consumers say a new flavor inspires them to try a yogurt drink.

And in China, unique, seasonal flavors in ambient drinking yoghurt have been driving buzz on social media. What’s more, chewables in ambient drinking yogurt gives an interesting twist to the drinking experience and also positions the beverage as a snack.

A spectrum of nutritional benefits

Yogurt has always had a positive health image – thanks to the fermentation process, the presence of live bacteria, high protein content, and of course calcium. But as the preference for functional benefits rise, dairy producers are reducing or eliminating added sugar as well as fortifying their drinking yogurt products to offer more by adding other nutrients.

It is now common to find yogurt beverages with added vitamins, especially vitamin D and B12, minerals, and even prebiotic fibers. Probiotics is one of the most crucial nutrients in yogurt, and this is where ambient drinking yogurt has been limited till recently.

The pro factor of probiotics

The cutting-edge  technology developed by AnaBio paired with SIG's gentle aseptic filling is ready to put this limitation behind. Their microencapsulation process wraps the probiotics in a microscopic shield, safeguarding them from heat during processing, and preserving their viability for up to 12 months. The probiotics are only released and activated within the human body, maximizing their health benefits.

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This breakthrough technology will enable manufacturers to develop truly unique probiotic-enriched ambient drinking yogurt in aseptic packs without any dependency on the cold chain.

The synbiotic edge for gut health

Innovation in ambient drinking yogurt is pushing the boundaries. Alongside probiotics comes the new generation of functional drinking yogurt that delivers a potent combination of probiotics and prebiotics. When prebiotics and probiotics are consumed together, it creates a synbiotic effect leading to enhanced gut health. Put simply, the prebiotics serve as food to help the probiotic bacteria thrive in the gut.

As digestive health continues to be one of the key health drivers for consumption, innovation in this area is likely to grow further. Synbiotic ambient yogurts are poised to become readily accessible to consumers, merging convenience with nutritional advancements.

In our next post, we will dive into packaging innovation and discuss how packaging solutions can differentiate ambient drinking yogurt further.