Dairy Innovation Ideas from Europe

 Anuga, the biennial global food exposition that took place this week in Cologne, Germany, , showcased numerous innovations that will influence what fills supermarket shelves in 2026. I scoured the halls of the expo and also visited a number of German retailers to see what’s already out there in order to bring back dairy innovation ideas to inspire the global dairy industry. Enjoy! 

For starters, Euromonitor International recently identified the key trends driving innovation in dairy around the world. Kefir, and similar fermented milk products for gut health, are leading the way, especially when fiber, botanicals and/or nootropics are included. 

Check out this new brand from Arla Foods UK. The Cultura range is all about gut health. The mildly flavored fermented dairy drinks and cup yogurts are lactose free, and loaded with probiotics, vitamins and fiber. The products were designed to deliver “accessible, science-backed nutrition” to British consumers. 

The debut includes six products: three 500-milliliter gut-health milk drinks in Original, Raspberry and Blueberry flavors, and three 450-grams yogurts in Original, Strawberry and Blueberry flavors. The drinks are slightly effervescent, while the yogurts provide a smooth, creamy texture.

Labels indicate the drinks are 89% milk and contain soluble corn fiber and lactase. Key probiotics—all supplied by today’s blog sponsor, Novonesis—include Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, BB-12 Bifidobacteria and F-19 Lactobacillus casei. The benefits of consuming these cultures are backed by many clinical studies from the past few decades. 

“Our ambition is to become the most trusted, accessible gut-health brand on shelf and to do that we’re launching a major marketing campaign from September 2025 and throughout 2026,” said Stuart Ibberson, Arla brand director. “We want to simplify complex science so consumers can feel confident about ‘giving their gut more’ every day.” 

After the trend in such fermented dairy drinks, Euromonitor cites premium refrigerated creamers that deliver barista-style experiences and trendy flavors as a booming business. Fresh cheeses—everything from cottage-style to feta to grillable formats—are also doing well because of their high-protein content and simple, clean labels.

Innovation in dairy snacks also shows no signs of slowing down. Many of these snacks are targeting specific demographics. 

ERU, for example, has a new cheese spread for children. It contains 40% less fat and 53% less sodium than ordinary cheese spreads. ERU Kids is rich in calcium, mild in flavor and suitable for children over the age of 6 months. 

Bakoma, a dairy processor in Poland, is adding a shake to its MEN Skyr line, which includes cup yogurts and refrigerated snack bars. The brand is all about building and maintaining muscle mass. It is a mixture of yogurt and fruit with live bacteria cultures that are beneficial for the digestive system. The brand emphasizes the branched-chain amino acid content, flagging it on front labels. 

The company also has new Maxi Meal, which is described as a milk-based liquid meal. Each 500-gram bottle provides 34 grams of protein along with 26 essential vitamins and minerals. All of this is communicated in detail on the bottle, a trend that is gaining momentum in beverages intended for every day meal replacements. 

Kerry Dairy Consumer Foods, which launched an oat and dairy hybrid product range last year under the Smug brand, is pivoting. The hybrid line has been cancelled, but the brand will live on in a new range of dairy snacks that will launch in January. The products are all about playful branding with a focus on nutritional benefits. 

Smug is redefining itself as an “adult-snacking dairy brand,” with an emphasis on dairy in the logo. It will include two varieties of Cheese & Crunch, which are cheese cubes with either sea salt rosemary crackers or barbecue corn bites. There’s also Quarkies, bite-sized refrigerated quark bites in raspberry and vanilla flavors.

Recognizing that the humanization of pet foods shows no signs of slowing, dairy processors are getting more creative with their offerings. Dogs have had their own ice cream for some time. Now cats have fresh milk, even value-added offerings, such as this new one with omega-3 fatty acids.  

Ready-to-drink protein coffees have become quite prevalent throughout Europe. The latest dairy to join the trend is Emmi. 

And while the effervescent, shelf-stable canned milk beverage known as Milkis first made its debut in South Korea in 1989 by Lotte, the company has plans for rapid expansion around the world. In the U.S., it complements the dirty soda trend and presents an interesting opportunity for beverage manufacturers. 

The same is true of Aryan, a yogurt drink that has been around forever in the Balkans, Turkey and Iran. The traditional beverage is often described as salty sour, and often served with a sprig of mint. A number of Anuga exhibitors are now offering the beverage in convenient single-serve packages and in flavors, such as melon and mixed berry. 

Hope you are inspired! Cheers!