Skyr is a fermented dairy product, similar to yoghurt. It is originally from Iceland, where it has been consumed for hundreds of years, but its popularity has spread worldwide recently thanks to its pleasantly mild taste, low fat levels and high protein content.
Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a new skyr solution tailored specifically for dairy companies in the Chinese market.
Skyr is a fermented dairy product, similar to yoghurt. It is originally from Iceland, where it has been consumed for hundreds of years, but its popularity has spread worldwide recently thanks to its pleasantly mild taste, low fat levels and high protein content.
China’s yoghurt industry is enjoying a boom period. According to Euromonitor International it is growing at an average rate of 15% per year and, by 2022, China is forecast to overtake the USA as the world’s largest yoghurt market.
Meanwhile, a recent survey of 2,500 respondents across six Chinese cities, commissioned by Arla and conducted by TNS China, found that 84% of adults and 92% of children eat yoghurt at least once a week.
To help dairy companies operating in China to differentiate their offer with new products, Arla Foods Ingredients has created a skyr solution that is geared towards Chinese tastes and which can be used in existing, standard yoghurt-making lines, eliminating the need for any investment in new equipment.
Made with Nutrilac dairy proteins, it delivers a fresh-tasting, creamy and smooth skyr, in both stirred and drinkable formats, with 6% protein content and only 1.5% fat – a formulation that is sure to be popular with China’s millions of yoghurt lovers. Importantly, the solution enables dairies to use 100% of their milk in the production process. By contrast, in traditional skyr-making, only 33% of the milk is actually used for the finished product. The remainder is acid whey and permeates which are usually discarded as waste or sold off cheaply.
Aparecido Silveira, Global Marketing Manager for Dairy at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “Consumers in China love yoghurt, and there’s never been a better time to launch innovative products onto the Chinese market in this category. Skyr has been a huge success in Scandinavia and elsewhere in the world and we believe it will also receive a warm welcome in China. To maximise the potential for this solution, it has been formulated to be suited to the preferences of Chinese people, with just the right texture and optimum levels of protein and fat.”
Arla’s research also found that among some Chinese consumers there is a perception that yoghurt products are not filling enough. Mr Silveira added “Skyr is a great way to address this unmet need. With its high protein content it is satisfying enough to be a healthy snack, especially on the go, and even a nutritious meal replacement option when time is particularly short. There’s a great opportunity in the Chinese market for filling products based on skyr.”
