Dairy Innovation: Stay Ahead of the Game and Get in the Gut Health Business

Gut health isn’t just a fad. It’s becoming a priority for a growing number (35% in 2024, up from 27% in 2020) of U.S. consumers who actively seek out foods and drinks that support it, according to the 2025 USA Trend Study from HealthFocus International, Des Plaines, Ill. The time is NOW for dairy processors to get on board. 

While beverage and cultured dairy all make sense for gut-friendly formulations, I predict frozen is where the action will be this time next year. It’s time for the Great American Frozen Yogurt Comeback. 

Health- and wellness-seeking consumers are driving demand for frozen dairy treats that offer more than just indulgence. While the action we are seeing now in the freezer is a focus on added protein, these products are poised to provide more value in terms of probiotics and prebiotic fibers. WE need to talk about them being good for the gut. 

“[Gut health] is not just about digestion. People are recognizing that gut health plays a much bigger role in overall well-being,” said Julie Johnson, president of HealthFocus. “More than 60% of consumers we surveyed believe it affects weight, physical health and energy levels, while nearly half also link it to mood and stress. This reflects a broader, more holistic view of health that has been growing in recent years.”

Fiber is the number-one ingredient that consumers (63% of those surveyed by HealthFocus) believe improves digestion/gut health. Next in line is probiotics (58%), followed by whole grains (49%), ginger (38%), prebiotics (37%), turmeric (35%), collagen (26%), postbiotics (21%) and beta glucan from oat or barley fiber (16%).  

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TruJoy Frozen Greek Yogurt is building its business by marketing its frozen yogurt as being “made with simple, living and timeless ingredients that will fuel you to live your best life.”

The website reads: We take protein and probiotic rich Greek yogurt and blend it with cream, cane sugar and plant-based stabilizers to make our Frozen Greek Yogurt. We use only fruit and other natural flavors and extracts to create a treat that is truly nutritious and delicious.

The idea for TruJoy Yogurt was conceived when founder Charlie Gentry realized something was missing from the freezer aisle. A self-described health nut, Charlie wanted a natural frozen treat as wholesome and nutritious as the snacks that fueled everything from long days at work to ultramarathons. He started by making a list of clean ingredients he could use and outlined a nutrition profile. Then he started experimenting with recipes until he found something that worked. 150 batches later, TruJoy Yogurt was born.

TruJoy comes in nine flavors. They are: Blueberry Parfait, Chocolate, Classic Tart, Coffee, Lemon Velvet, Madagascar Vanilla Bean, Mint Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Strawberry. Each pint contains only 500 calories and is loaded with live and active probiotic cultures, as Greek yogurt is the first ingredient. 

Frozen yogurt never went away, but its selling points need to evolve from simply being a better-for-you frozen treat choice to being a gut-health food. Give consumers permission to indulge. 

It’s time for the Great American Frozen Yogurt Comeback.