Might the Next Greek Yogurt be Premium Fresh Dairy?

 

General Mills continues to get creative with its Oui by Yoplait French Style Yogurt that comes in 5-ounce glass jars. The brand collaborated with New York Times bestselling author Eve Rodsky who wrote “Find Your Unicorn Space,” to offer Oui in a limited-edition raspberry chocolate variety. This flavor is all about enabling women to carve out some personal time during their hectic day, even if it’s just to enjoy a cup of Oui. 

Today’s blog has an accompanying 11-minute presentation that may be viewed HERE.

The stars seem to be lining up for premium fresh dairy foods to shine in retailers’ refrigerated departments. Think crème brulee, cheesecake, flan, pudding and extra-rich yogurt. These products are plentiful in the refrigerated dairy departments in Mexico, Europe and Asia. The time is now for them in the States.

Why is the time right? Well for starters, during these post-pandemic times, consumers continue to snack throughout the day, and often those snacks are something indulgent. They no longer believe in denying themselves little luxuries. Life is too short. Single-serve premium fresh dairy products provide portion control. It’s that little treat to help you recover from a challenging early breakfast meeting at the office, working from home on garbage pick-up day or juggling children when the sitter calls in sick.

Part of what makes these fresh dairy products “premium” is that they deliver an experience. Consumers are looking for unique flavors and textures and fresh dairy makes the ideal vehicle. 

Consumers also crave adventure. Making these premium fresh dairy products only available for a limited time creates an urgency to purchase. 

Because premium fresh dairy foods are something that a consumer may have tried while traveling outside the country, having them again in the comfort of home stirs up pleasant memories. These little luxuries provide consumers an escape from reality. Help take them on a flavor adventure using authentic recipes and ingredients from around the world. 

Here are some recent introductions in this space.

General Mills is rolling out refrigerated Häagen-Dazs Cultured Crème. The products is made from a unique blend of dairy cultures that offers a milder taste experience than the slightly sour flavor of traditional yogurt, according to the company. The product is slow crafted using a fermentation process that is up to five times longer than traditional yogurt to create a thick, creamy texture reminiscent of ice cream. Häagen-Dazs Cultured Crème comes in six flavors: Black Cherry, Blueberry, Coffee, Lemon, Strawberry and Vanilla Bean.

“We are thrilled to introduce a new experience to the yogurt aisle this summer through the luxury of Häagen-Dazs,” says Benjamin Myers, senior brand manager, General Mills. “From the smooth, creamy texture to the delicious, premium flavors, our new Häagen-Dazs Cultured Crème inspires anytime indulgence.”

Private-label retailer Aldi is offering a limited-edition Park Street Deli Cookies & Cream Dessert Dip this summer. This creamy blend of Neufchatel cheese and chocolate sandwich cookie pieces comes in a 10-ounce tub. 

Gü Indulgent Foods Ltd., is rolling out Gü Mixology Cocktail Desserts to the U.K. marketplace. These cocktail-inspired dairy desserts give you all the happiness of happy hour, at home, and without the hangover. The three varieties are:

Espresso Martini: Satisfy your coffee craving with chocolate coffee pearls, French coffee liqueur cheesecake, buzzy coffee crème, all layered over rich coffee and cocoa biscuit.

Passionfruit Martini: It’s the Queen of cocktails, remixed. A surprise fizz of chocolate-covered popping candy followed by passionfruit and Champagne compote. The next layer is creamy vanilla and vodka cheesecake with tangy passionfruit curd. The dessert gets finished with a crunchy biscuit base.

Strawberry Daiquiri: This fruity number lets you dip into juicy, real Jamaican rum-infused strawberry daiquiri compote over strawberry daiquiri cheesecake, zesty strawberry and lime curd. It has a crunchy red biscuit base.

Also in the U.K., Pots & Co. is offering a limited-edition Baked Passion Fruit Cheesecake Cream Pot. Made with cheesecake filling, Madagascan vanilla and passion fruit glaze, the new dessert is made in small batches without any artificial preservatives.

“Our current limited-edition dessert of summer berries and mascarpone cream has proved popular with consumers, offering a light and refreshing treat for the warmer months,” says Fraser Thomson, joint CEO. “This brand-new pot extends our limited-edition fruit-based flavors. This time with an added zing of passion fruit.

“With the rising cost of eating out, we are committed to giving consumers restaurant-quality food at home or even on the go,” he said. “Our new limited-edition summer pot offers a light and refreshing treat for picnics, BBQs or al fresco dining, making this an ideal solution for those looking for high-quality and great-tasting desserts to finish their meal.”

Back in the U.S., Petit Pot adds new concepts to its refrigerated dairy dessert business. Growing up in France, Maxime Pouvreau, founder of Petit Pot, Emeryville, Calif., said he, like most Parisians, would end the evening meal with a little something sweet. “A bit of fruit or a small piece of pie,” he said. “But the treat I looked forward to most was always pot de crème. Starting Petit Pot allowed me to bring my favorite dessert to American tables, a moment of pure indulgence to cap off a busy day.”

Petit Pot’s original refrigerated line is marketed as an “organic and creamy French dessert.” It comes in Dark Chocolate, Pistachio, Vanilla Bean and Vanilla Rice Pudding varieties, with two 3.5-ounce glass jars per pack. The four key ingredients are heavy cream, whole milk, eggs and sugar.

Now the company is offering Original and Strawberry Cheesecake, and a Crème Brulee. These single-serve (3.5 ounces) desserts come in glass ramekins with foil seals and have multiple layers of ingredients that one can see through the package. The Strawberry Cheesecake is the most complex, with a bottom layer of strawberry compote followed by creamy, fluffy cheesecake layer and topped with a graham cracker crunch.

Wonder Monday is a line of high-protein, low-sugar, low-net carbs, gluten-free cheesecakes that come in five varieties. They are: Classic New York, Chocolate Decadence, Key Lime Pie, Salted Caramel and Strawberry Bliss. Pasteurized cultured milk and cream are the first two ingredients. Milk protein, eggs and almond flour are also key ingredients. The no-added-sugar cheesecakes are sweetened with allulose and stevia.

Back in the U.K., the Dessert Factory has added single-serve candy-inspired dairy desserts. The company is licensing two candy bar brands and products--Daim and Toblerone--from Mondelez International to produce single-serve refrigerated cheesecake desserts. This comes two years after similar full-size cheesecakes were introduced in the freezer. 

The desserts come in packs of two 85-gram glass pots. They are more than one-third dairy, with cream, milk powder, concentrated butter and sweetened condensed skim milk the dominant ingredients. One dessert contains 330 calories, 20 grams of fat, 21 grams of sugar and 3.7 grams of protein.

Today’s blog has an accompanying 11-minute presentation that may be viewed HERE.