FDBusiness.com

In response to the growing consumer demand for natural, additive-free foods, Swiss dairy group Emmi is launching Yogurtpure, a new yogurt that contains only three ingredients – nothing else: yogurt, fruit and sugar. It is made without any artificial additives. This new generation of yogurts is based on a state-of-the-art manufacturing process, which Emmi says gives it a technological lead over its competitors.

Consumer surveys have revealed that natural goodness is the leading global trend in the food industry (source: Global Food Trends 2012, Innova Market Insights). Foods that are free from additives and E numbers are an important concern for many people. Of course, products also have to taste good, have a long shelf life and be easy to handle.

Satisfying all of these consumer demands is a considerable challenge, particularly for dairy products. The difficulty in manufacturing an additive-free yogurt, eg without added colourings, stabilisers and flavourings, is that it still has to have a full flavour, a creamy texture and a minimum shelf life of 35 days.

Emmi Yogurtpure has an above-average fruit content of 12 % to 13 % – compared with 6 % to 8 % in conventional yogurts. The specially selected fruit varieties, which have a distinct flavour thanks to their high degree of ripeness, mean that there is no loss of taste, although Emmi Yogurtpure contains no flavorings and less added sugar compared with conventional yogurts.

The specially developed fruit preparations are a key ingredient in Yogurtpure. These are manufactured at Emmi’s production site in Emmen. A manufacturing process has been developed that processes the fruit so carefully, that no stabilisers or starch need to be added to ensure it keeps its consistency, flow behaviour and distribution within the fruit mixture.

“We have developed a technological lead which enables us to offer consumers an entirely natural, high-quality Swiss yogurt at an attractive price,” says Urs Riedener, chief executive of Emmi.

Emmi’s in-house development and production of fruit preparations has numerous advantages. One is fast processing: fruit preparations are ready for further production steps within a few days, so that they maintain the majority of their flavour and natural colour. This in turn means that no flavourings and colourings need to be added, without compromising the taste or visual appearance of the product.

Urs Riedener continues: “In Yogurtpure, we have mastered the challenge of producing a yogurt with no hidden surprises on the label. With this milestone in industrial yogurt manufacture, we are filling a gap in the chiller cabinets of large retailers: no other branded yogurt in Switzerland is additive-free.”

Yogurtpure is initially available in apricot, strawberry, raspberry and berry varieties. Other varieties are already in the pipeline to meet the demands of as many consumers as possible. Emmi Yogurtpure is currently only available in Switzerland.